Erica Doddato
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Location: Mount Pleasant, Virtual
Days and Hours:
Monday 10:00am - 2:00pm (Mount Pleasant)
Tuesday 10:00am - 2:00pm (Mount Pleasant)
Wednesday 2:00pm - 8:00pm (Virtual).
Practicum ends May 2026.
Bio
I am a queer, neurodivergent student counsellor living with chronic pain. I bring to this work not only clinical training, but also a lived understanding of what it means to move through the world in a body and mind that don’t always conform to dominant norms. I am a first-generation Italian immigrant who has lived across three countries (Italy, the UK, and now Canada), each with different cultures, values, and systems. These experiences have shaped a multicultural and critically reflective lens that informs my counselling practice.
Before stepping into the field of mental health, I spent 15 years in the corporate world. The personal cost of navigating neurodivergent masking in high-pressure environments helped me develop a sharp awareness of how systemic structures, like neoliberalism, capitalism, and ableism, can profoundly affect our well-being. At the same time, I acknowledge the many privileges I carry: I am white, middle-class, straight-passing, and my disability is hidden. These shape how I move through the world and inform my responsibility to practice with cultural humility, accountability, and reflexivity.
My values are rooted in social justice, solidarity, and compassion for the shared human condition. I approach therapy as a collaborative and egalitarian space, where clients can expect deep listening, validation, co-regulation, and attunement. I aim to honour each person’s worldview and cultural context, supporting them in finding meaning and strength within their own story.
My orientation is integrative, with a strong pull toward existential therapy framed through a social justice and cultural humility lens. I am especially passionate about working with people who are navigating marginalization, identity exploration, chronic pain, neurodivergence, or burnout.
Above all, I believe in the power of connection, and in therapy as a space where healing can begin not by fixing what’s “wrong,” but by making space for what’s real.
Outside of counselling, I enjoy reading non-fiction and fiction books, writing poetry, drawing, watching old movies, riding my bike and walking around the city.
Image Description: Erica, who has short dark hair and wears glasses, stands outdoors beneath a tree with hanging green leaves. She is smiling gently and wearing a sleeveless patterned top in navy, orange, black, and cream colours. A gold chain necklace, a nose ring, and a tattoo on her upper arm are visible. Sunlight filters through greenery in the background.
Erica Doddato
(she/her/hers)
Student Counsellor
In-Person and Virtual Sessions
Erica is currently accepting new clients to her waitlist. Practicum begins in September!
Please email us at connect@collective-healing.ca to connect with Erica for counselling services.