About Rene

Rene Ng, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

I grew up in an immigrant family where there wasn't much room to talk about feelings. When both my parents died during my teenage years, I didn't have the words or support to make sense of that loss. For a long time, I coped by keeping busy, pushing things down and not looking too closely.

As an adult, I finally saw a counsellor. It was the first time I had a steady, private place to understand what I'd been carrying. That experience is a big part of why I became a psychotherapist.

Today I work with adults who often seem fine from the outside but privately feel stuck, confused, ashamed or out of step with their own values. Much of my work involves:

Relationship repair after cheating, secrecy or betrayal
Porn use that feels difficult to control
People-pleasing, codependency and difficulty setting boundaries
Distressing experiences that still affect the present, including through EMDR

Book a Free 30 min Consultations

How I Work

I'm trained in a few different approaches, and I think of them as two buckets: a thoughts bucket and a feelings bucket. Most people need a bit of both. We'll figure out the right mix for you as we go.

Thoughts

Feelings

Book a Free 30 min Confidential Consultation

The Thoughts Bucket

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is about catching the thoughts and beliefs that keep you stuck and asking, "Is this actually true?" Then we practise more balanced ways of looking at things. It's often used for anxiety, low mood, and patterns you keep falling back into.

Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT) skills are practical tools for staying present, handling big emotions, getting through tough moments without making them worse, and dealing with people. One tool I use a lot is a chain analysis. We slow a hard moment down, step by step, to see what led to it and where you could do something different next time.

The Feelings Bucket

Psychodynamic therapy looks at how your past, especially your early relationships, still shows up in how you feel and react today. You don't have to relive everything, and we go at your pace. The point is to notice patterns that you're not aware of.

Jungian and depth work looks at meaning: dreams, symbols, themes that keep coming up, and the tug-of-war you might feel inside. It can help make sense of what you're going through.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) can help when a painful memory still feels like it's happening now. You briefly focus on the memory while using back-and-forth stimulation, like eye movements or tapping, so it can feel less overwhelming over time. We'll decide together whether it's a good fit for you.

And the big questions...

Existential therapy is for questions like Who am I? What matters to me? How do I want to spend my life? There's no rush with these. We take our time and work toward a life that you really want to live.

Virtual individual psychotherapy for adults located 60-minute sessions · $170 per session

Training and Experience

Training

EMDR Institute: EMDR Level I and II with completed EMDR supervision
The Living Institute: Psychotherapy Master's - Level Coursework.
Yorkville University: Cultural Diversity; Humanistic and Psychodynamic Modalities
Mac Master University: Introduction to Addictions
Mount Allison University: BA Literature and Commerce

Experience

Addictions Rehab Toronto: Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) and DBT Trainer
First Step Men's Therapy: Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Dehavilland Health Centre: Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Pursuit Men's Therapy: Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Abilities to Work: Employment Counsellor

Registration and Certifications

College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario —Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying), CRPO #16145
EMDR Institute: EMDR Certified Therapist

Community Work

Mankind Project: Group Facilitator, Community Outreach
Boys to Men: Group Facilitator, Mentor
Centre for Men and Families: Administrator, Community Outreach