Tara Cohen MSW, RSW

I am a registered social worker offering counselling and psychotherapy support, within Ottawa, to individuals (16+), families, and groups who are experiencing challenges in life. I specialize in working in the areas of transitions, quality of life up to death, adjustment to illness, caregiver stress, end of life concerns, and bereavement.

I have been reflecting on the reason I do the work that I do, as it is said that if we can tap in to our “why” – the true deep reason that we do what we do – we can create connection and inspire others.

My “why” is this: I have become very comfortable with discomfort. That is the basis for the work that I find most fulfilling. It wasn’t always this way. In all honesty, I lived a large part of my early adult life burying my feelings; it created huge disharmony for me internally. Outwardly, there was calm, but within myself, there was great suffering. When I gathered extra strength and courage, I was able to look inside at some of the ‘hard’ emotions. Slowly I learned that feeling that pain – really feeling it – was something I could survive. And then I began to learn about mindfulness.

Mindfulness helps

Notice what is felt in the body, and allows for a pause and to have more choice of responses;
Get out of the stories created in the brain and realize that not everything we think is reality;
Understand impermanence; nothing stays the same because change is constant; and
Slow things down, be in the present, and feel grateful for this very moment (whatever it is).
Along with mindfulness, the work we will do together will draw from other approaches such as Solution-Focused Therapy, Narrative Therapy, and Existential Counselling. I will work with you from a place of compassion and non-judgment, with the understanding that you are the expert in your own life.

Taking this step to look at the challenges you are facing right now takes courage. My hope is that you feel the power in recognizing that we all have challenges; that is the truth of our common humanity.

I look forward to working with you in your journey.