Cathy Ding | Therapist | Shanti Psychotherapy

Meet Cathy Ding

Registered Social Worker

MSW RSW

She / Her

With nearly 20 years of experience, I provide therapy to children (3+), teens, university and college students, adults, couples, parents and families. I offer a warm, collaborative space to understand what is happening beneath difficult emotions, relationship struggles and family conflict and to help create meaningful and lasting change for you.

I support clients experiencing anxiety and emotional distress, major mental illness, relationship and marital difficulties, parent-child and family conflict, parenting challenges, separation and divorce, grief and loss, unresolved trauma, identity and belonging concerns, life transitions, communication difficulties, attachment and family-of-origin patterns, and cultural or intergenerational pressures.

I also have particular experience supporting children, youth, university, college and international students navigating academic stress, independence, relationships, cultural adjustment, homesickness, family expectations and finding a sense of belonging in a new environment.

I provide therapy in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.

I grew up between Singapore and Hong Kong and came to Canada as an international graduate student. My own experience of living across cultures and countries informs my appreciation for the values, relationships and expectations people carry with them as they move through different stages of life.

My training includes Family Systems Therapy, Structural Family Therapy, Emotionally Focused Couple Therapy (EFCT), Attachment-Based Family Therapy (ABFT), Narrative Therapy, the Gottman Method, Developmental Couple Therapy for Complex Trauma, Discernment Counselling, and Expressive and Creative Therapies. I am also a Certified Practitioner of Choice Theory and Reality Therapy (CTRT).

See our FAQs on Therapy Modalities

I draw from these approaches based on the unique needs of each child, individual, couple or family rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach.

Ready to take the next step? Book a free consultation today.

Let’s talk about what you’re looking for and learn more about the ways I can support you.

Being raised by a narcissistic parent can shape an entire life!A child learns that love has to be earned and that their feelings come second. Those lessons follow them into adulthood, affecting relationships, self-worth, and self-perception.Choosing distance is rarely sudden. It usually comes after years of trying to be seen, heard, and loved.In her new article, Shanti clinician Rashmi Kumar, RP, who specializes in healing from narcissistic abuse, explores:• Why children are wired to seek a parent’s approval, and what happens when love comes with conditions• The lasting toll: people-pleasing, hypervigilance, self-blame, and trouble setting boundaries• The breaking point, when no amount of effort will change their behaviour• “Ambiguous loss,” grieving a parent who is still alive, and gentle ways to create your own closure• What estrangement can mean for your relationship with the other parent• Cultural pressure: when “family comes first” adds guilt to an already painful decision • How therapy can help you rebuild self-worth without losing your cultureEstrangement isn’t about ending love. It’s about ending harm.It’s more common than you think, and you are not alone. You can heal from this, and we’re here to help.📖 Read the full article: link in bio
📞 Free 20-minute consultation: (437) 747-0692
🌐 shantipsychotherapy.ca#narcissisticparent #narcissisticabuse #familyestrangement #adultchildrenofnarcissists #ambiguousloss

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My high five "why": NO ONE should have to put aside their culture before they can heal.I'm Angie Agrawal-Holstein, proud mom of three, a trauma therapist, and the founder of Shanti Psychotherapy.I grew up second-generation South Asian in Southern Ontario. After 25 years in mental health, I know culture is the missing piece in care.Research shows culturally adapted therapy brings 4.7 times greater odds of symptom remission (Hall et al., 2016). Yet most people have never heard of culturally relevant therapy or language matching. So they settle for one-size-fits-all care, and too many end up back in a revolving-door system.At Shanti, therapy is offered in 15 languages by clinicians who understand family expectations, faith, stigma, and what it's like to live between cultures. You don't have to translate your feelings or explain where you come from. You can simply begin.If we win the High Five Grant, it will fund a Canada-wide awareness campaign so people know this kind of care exists and can find it:• A video series of our clinicians explaining culturally relevant therapy, in their own languages • Targeted outreach to newcomer and international student communities • Translated pamphlets for campus events, including our seven Laadliyan university chapters • Subsidized sessions through our Making Therapy Accessible ProgramCulture isn't a bonus in therapy. It's essential.Thank you @usbank and @highfivegrant for investing in mom entrepreneurs.#highfivegrant #culturallyrelevanttherapy #languagematching #mentalhealthcanada #momentrepreneur #shantipsychotherapy

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Violence and aggression toward education staff are increasing, raising important questions about the mental health and behavioural supports available within schools.In a recent CBC News article, Shanti founder and trauma therapist Angie Agrawal Holstein speaks to the growing expectations placed on educators:“It is not possible for teachers to wear all these different hats of behaviour specializations, diagnostics, as well as the emotional counseling support.”Supporting students also means ensuring educators have access to the right professionals, resources, and systems around them.🔗 Read the full CBC News article for more on this important issue in our bio.#shantipsychotherapy #mentalhealthinschools #teachermentalhealth #studentmentalhealth #mentalhealthsupport educationhttps://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/violence-against-education-staff-in-n-w-t-on-the-rise-union-says-9.7322079

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Do you find yourself replaying conversations, expecting the worst, or getting stuck in the same thoughts over and over again?Anxiety can make it difficult to switch off, even when you know your thoughts aren’t helping. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) helps you identify unhelpful thinking patterns, challenge them, and develop practical tools to respond differently.Learn how CBT can help you break free from cycles of worry and build healthier ways of coping.📞 Book a free consultation to learn more: https://www.shantipsychotherapy.ca/#CBT #AnxietySupport #Overthinking #MentalHealthSupport #Psychotherapy

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Meet Sonomi, Registered Psychotherapist at Shanti Psychotherapy. 🌿Sonomi supports parents navigating stress, overwhelm, family challenges, and the everyday realities of raising children. She is passionate about helping parents build stronger connections with themselves and their families through compassionate, practical support.📍 Virtual and in-person appointments available
📞 Book a free consultation to learn more#MeetTheTherapist #Psychotherapy #ParentingSupport #mentalhealth

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