Meet the COCA Psychotherapy Team
Professional Affiliations:
Psychology Today, OCSWSSW, OASW, St. Thomas Chamber of Commerce, St. Thomas Police Services, NIHB, Victim Services
Registered Social Worker, Psychotherapist
Founder & Clinical Director
Pronouns: She/Her
Maud Coca MSW RSW
Maud is passionate about working with LGBTQ2S and BIPOC communities. Her clients are familiar with anxiety, depression, relationship struggles, career issues, and difficult life transitions.
She identifies her primary role to be your ally and walk alongside your journey. Maud will be genuine, yet sensitive to your thoughts and emotions.
Collaboratively you can explore what is weighing you down, and find ways to overcome this through learning new skills and self exploration. She will guide you through various shifts that will transform the way you have been coping into a healthier state of mind. She will support you in solidifying your goals and aid you in meeting them.
Maud has lived experience in the areas of immigration, depression, anxiety, ADHD and trauma. The path to processing her own struggles has provided her with an opportunity to connect non-judgementally with her clients.
Specializations:
Mental health: anxiety and depression, addiction, sexual violence, relationships, career transitions, life transitions.
Works with:
Women, LGBTQ2S, BIPOC, and youth.
Her Story
Maud is Central American and lived a great portion of her life in Nicaragua. Her first language is Spanish and she offers support to Spanish Speaking people. Maud’s interest in working with people and communities was sparked at a young age volunteering in Nicaragua as a companion and advocate within rural areas and hospitals, providing support to adults, seniors, children and families who were ill and had scarce resources. Maud also dedicated 9 years to volunteering on the support line at the Sexual Assault Support Centre of Waterloo Region.
She has had the wonderful opportunity to work in a variety of settings with diverse populations over the last 15 years. Maud has provided therapeutic services within mental health facilities, counselling agencies and correctional institutions. Her work experience has been in addictions, mental health, domestic violence, and sexual abuse. This has set a humbling path for Karen, nurtured by a strong non-judgemental collaboration between therapist and client.
As a therapist, Maud likes to focus on a trusting and non-judgmental relationship with her clients, where they are the experts in their lives and stories, therefore are in the driver’s seat of their own journey. Using a person-centered approach, and the idea that not one therapy fits all, she ensure that she is working at where her client is at, focusing on their goals and adjusting a treatment plan that fits the needs of the individual.
Maud is lover of all furry family members. She has a lionhead bunny, a cockatiel and two yorkies. She also dips into art every now and then through photography, airbrushing, and providing aesthetic services at her beauty studio where she continues to embody self care services at Beauty Sessions in St. Thomas, Ontario.
Book An Appointment With Maud
Educational Background:
Bachelor of Arts, Psychology (Sociology Minor)
– Wilfrid Laurier Universit
Assaulted Women’s & Children’s Counsellor/Advocate
– George Brown College
Master of Social Work
– Renison College University/University of Waterloo
Specialized Training:
Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Gottman Method
Feminist Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Jackie Boyer MSW RSW
Jackie is dedicated to work with all individuals (12+), couples and families. Jackie’s abilities surround working with people who have experienced trauma current or historical who require assistance to discharge the trauma from their bodies and find joy again. Jackie also focuses on couples in her practice and works within relationship systems to strengthen our understanding of each other and how to ensure our relationships are thriving and safe places.
Jackie will partner with you to uncover your natural abilities to heal and gain perspective from all of life’s events. Jackie’s approach is gentle, and client led. Jackie will consult with you surrounding your choices for therapy and move at a pace you are comfortable with.
Along side one another, Jackie will support you to decrease the discomfort you are experiencing in life and increase your ability to experience joy with yourself and others. Therapy will help decrease intrusive thoughts, increase a sense of control in your life and help with over coming shame, grief and low self-worth while increasing the quality of your relationships and self-confidence.
Specializations:
Anxiety, mood disorders, trauma, mental health, relationships (couples & family), burnout, compassion fatigue
Works with:
All genders, LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, couples, families, youth 12+
Her Story:
Jackie has been working in the social work field for 20 years. Jackie has experience in a wide variety of settings including the shelter system, mental health system, family court system and school boards.
Jackie has maintained a strong focus helping others heal from trauma while working with children, adolescents, adults, couples and families.
Sometimes events happen in life that stick with us. Whether we experienced adverse situations as children or recently were involved in a traumatic situation our bodies can develop a heightened stress response. This can make relationships, working and day to day activities difficult to navigate. Jackie believes in the bodies natural ability to heal from these events and will partner with you to uncover the parts of you that were made to be socially engaged, creative, playful and to experience joy.
Jackie will support you in decreasing uncomfortable thoughts and sensations by working with your thoughts, emotions and senses to regulate your ability to tolerate social situations, the demands of life and future triggering events. Jackie will journey with you to decrease and alleviate the guilt and shame
that we over shoulder in our lives. Jackie believes in the importance of increasing one’s confidence to feel safe at home, work and play.
– A bird sitting on a tree is never afraid of the branch breaking because their trust is not on the branch but on it’s own wings. Always believe in yourself – Anonymous
In Jackie’s free time she enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Jackie enjoys nature and her pets a dog, cat and rabbit. Jackie enjoys listening to music, reading and having conversations over coffee.
Jackie is currently employed with the school board and is only accepting evening and weekend appointments.
Educational Background:
Social Service Worker Diploma
– Niagara College of Arts and Technology
Bachelors of Social Work
– Ryerson Polytechnic University
Master of Social Work
– Renison College University/University of Waterloo
Specialized Training:
Brain Spotting
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
Self- Regulation
Multi-systemic Therapy
Family Systems Therapy
Imago Therapy
Tiffany Nham MSW RSW
Tiffany is a Reiki Master that works with Kundalini energy. She is also a Psychotherapist and Registered Social Worker, which allows her to practice therapy holistically. She is a strong believer in the ability to connect all parts of ourselves in order to engage in healing, this includes our spirit, mind and body.
Tiffany’s work has involved supporting children, adolescents, and families through difficult life transitions. Her clients have been affected by trauma, mental health, physical/developmental disabilities and social determinants of health.
Tiffany specializes in the area of emotion regulation and guides her clients through a development of tools to support their mental and emotional state, while fostering healthy communication skills, creating resiliency and overall balance.
Her genuine and down to earth approach allows clients to feel at ease during difficult topics in therapy. She believes deeply in collaborating and connecting with her clients to create a positive and safe space for the healing process. She is passionate about brainstorming together and building a personalized toolbox that can support clients in their every day lives.
Specializations:
Anxiety, depression, mood disorders, physical and developmental disabilities, trauma, parenting, co-parenting, supporting parents of children with physical, developmental or mental struggles, co-regulation.
Works with:
Gender Inclusive, Heterosexual, LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, racialized individuals, students, teachers/professors, adults and youth.
Individual and family therapy specialization.
Her Story:
Tiffany is a mother of 2 young girls, juggling family and work/life balance. Her passion is to support all aspects of an individual, in order to feel integrated and grounded. This is what brought Reiki as an important practice to healing on a personal and professional level.
“My own healing journey was initiated through motherhood. Crippling anxiety and demanding needs of a young family caused me to abandon and neglect a large part of myself. Forcing me to ask, “What about me?”. What parts of me lacked self-nurturance? What parts of me learnt neglecting and dampening my own voice was needed to be loved? For the caregivers running on empty, for the inner child that craves to be seen and heard. For the individuals that had to hide pieces of themselves to ensure they would be loved. I see and appreciate you and am here to initiate and support you on your own healing journey!” –Tiffany.
With over 10 years of experience in the helping field, Tiffany has excelled in providing supports to children, adolescents and families through difficult life changes and transitions. Her strongest skill is to meet clients where they are at, while fostering connection and trust in relationships. She is highly skilled in the areas of emotional attunement and regulation.
Educational Background:
Kundalini Master Degree – Define Your Glow, Michigan, US
Reiki Second Degree – Soothing Souls, London
Reiki First Degree – Soothing Souls, London
Honours, Master of Social Work
– Wilfrid Laurier University
Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology Major
– University of Guelph
Specialized Training:
Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
Play Therapy, Synergetic Play Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment therapy (ACT)
Grief and Bereavement Studies
Applied Mindfulness Meditation
About Energy Services (provided by Tiffany):
Reiki
Pronounced ray•kee
The word reiki comes from the Japanese word “rei”, meaning universal or higher consciousness and “ki”, meaning life energy
Originating in Japan, Reiki is a hands-on holistic art form that is used to help calm the body and clear the mind. It works with universal life force energy to promote stress reduction by releasing energetic blockages caused overtime by stress, trauma and anxiety. It helps to give you a sense of peace and balance.
Benefits of Reiki
Reduce stress/ anxiety, Mental clarity, Promote self-awareness, Balance, Reduce physical pain, Promote sleep, Activate parasympathetic response, increase window of tolerance, restore your energy, Remove blockages and stagnant energy, Remove energetic cords.
Services Offered:
Initial Reiki Assessment
75 mins-$ 185 (in person/virtual)
Restore your mind, body and spirit. Immerse yourself in a full hour of healing designed to remove blockages and realign your chakras. Each session involves a chakra reading, intuitive/ spiritual coaching, assessing causal chakra and influence on body, debrief and support tools, remove blockages and realign chakras and clearing and rejuvenating energy. This includes an energy reading that provides insight into areas that need additional love and care.
Reiki Session
60-75 min- $ 160 : (in person/virtual)
15 minute Chakra Reading
Are you curious what chakras are open or closed? This reading reviews the 7 main chakras and is created to give you insight on your blockages and areas that need more care.
Christina Hennelly MSW RSW
Christina enjoys working with all individuals who are experiencing depression, feelings of sadness, loneliness and overcoming grief. As a yoga therapist, Christina may introduce the powerful healing principles of yoga into your journey to reduce stress and improve resiliency.
Christina puts thoughtful emphasis on holding a safe and supportive space while you bravely explore goals, challenges and gain tools to make lasting changes. With a compassionate approach and trauma-informed/strength-based counselling, Christina is uniquely tailored to help individuals live more presently by nurturing their own strengths and raising awareness about themselves and their environment.
Through your work with Christina, she will support you as you optimize personal growth and overcome struggles in a non-judgemental, confidential and compassionate setting where you can evaluate negative thought patterns that contribute to your emotions and behaviours.
Specializations:
Perfectionism, people-pleasing behaviours, fear of judgement, seeking approval, difficulty forming healthy boundaries, addiction, eating disorders, anxiety, depression, body image and self esteem, professional development, brain injuries, domestic violence, intimate partner violence, relationship struggles, extramarital affairs, ruminating thoughts, hypervigilant about order/cleanliness.
Works with:
Gender Inclusive, Heterosexual, LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, racialized individuals, students, health and wellness professionals, teachers/professors, first responders, adults and youth.
Couples and individual therapy specialization.
Her Story:
Christina is a white, middle-aged settler who identifies as heterosexual. She is originally from Quebec and follows the Buddhist principles learned through her yoga therapy practice in her own personal life. She is able to bring these beliefs into her work with her clients whenever clients request it, are curious about it, or simply would like to participate in a different therapeutic experience.
What sparked Christina’s interest in the world of therapy was a curiosity about growth, personally, professionally and spiritually. As well as a value in supporting our mental and emotional health. Within her therapy sessions, Christina shows up as her authentic self, honest, kind, curious, while shy and friendly at the same time. Her support and guidance walks folks through goals of feeling happy, not worrying all the time, to have the ability to fall in love, have confidence and not feel so isolated. Her experience as a helper has continued to evolve over the past 20 years, with a strong background in business and professional development.
Christina dedicates her time outside of work to yoga, exercise, cycling, nature, art, travel, reading, interior design, and social time with family and friends. She is an avid learner and enjoys being part of our community through various volunteering experiences, where she has supported students, troubled youth, individuals with developmental struggles, brain injuries and financial/homelessness struggles. One of her volunteering positions included providing equine therapy programs, where she felt connected to her appreciation of animals.
Educational Background:
Master of Social Work
– Wilfrid Laurier University
Bachelor of Social Work
– Renison University College
Registered Yoga Teacher Training, Trauma-Informed & Braint Injury Focused
– Soma Yoga Institute, Costa Rica
Honours Bachelor of Arts Degree, Psychology Major
– University of Waterloo
General Business Diploma
– Conestoga College
Specialized Training:
Narrative Therapy
EMDR techniques
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Trauma-Informed Care & Polyvagal Model
Neurorehabilitation Certification
Feminist Therapy
Jay Scott HBMus (ip) AWCCA CSW
Jay is passionate about working with a diverse set of communities, including people of colour, indigenous communities, as well as immigrants. Jay specializes in the areas of mental health, trauma and infertility issues and works alongside clients who are struggling with anxiety and depression. With a musical background, Jay utilizes music as a therapeutic tool to allow for clients to achieve their goals using creative methods.
Jay recognizes and understands how not feeling valued or feeling unworthy of good things can lead us to struggle with our self-esteem, mood and confidence. Jay believes that we each have the power to redirect our resources and voices to things that truly reflect and support our best self.
With a mindfulness approach along with cultivating a safe and non judgmental environment based on values of compassion and benevolence, Jay trusts that together you will be able to overcome obstacles, establish forward momentum, and stabilize progress, leaving you with a renewed sense of confidence.
Specializations:
Anxiety, depression, bad dreams, addictions, sexual frustrations, spiritual convictions, negative self-talk, relationship struggles, sexual orientation, family dysfunction, racial struggles, mourning relationships or people who have passed. Grief and loss.
Works with:
Gender Inclusive, Heterosexual, LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, racialized individuals, immigrants, adults and youth.
His/Her Story:
Jay is a Canadian, Caribbean, Black, gay person. Jay prefers to not use gender labels, however, whenever it seems necessary Jay feels comfortable with he, his, her and hers pronouns. To Jay, connection to culture, ethnicity, art and music, along with the ways in which these reflect in our daily living and closeness to others, is an important part of healing.
Jay has worked in the healing profession for 12 years with various populations, including at risk youth, young mothers, adults and youth with dual diagnosis, mental and intellectual disabilities, and 2SLGBT+ community. Jay has been a foster parent on several occasions in his life, and truly enjoys supporting children, youth and families to become the best version of themselves.
Jay’s clients are able to become open about their thoughts and emotions within therapy, allowing themselves to learn different techniques to build positive, respectful, and fulfilling relationships with others, as well as with themselves. His arching goal is for folks to be able to excel in life and figure out different ways to do so. Meeting people where they are at, and creating space to be real is important.
Jay is incredibly passionate about music, writing, the arts, spirituality, and healthy living, including sports or the gym. He believes it is important to create a lifestyle of taking care of oneself as well as others around us, while learning how to prioritize ourselves and our needs. He also enjoys spending time with family, friends and his cat Smokey.
Educational Background:
Honours Bachelor of Music (ip)
– Wilfrid Laurier University
Community Social Worker
– Academy of Learning Career College
Assaulted Women’s & Children’s Counsellor/Advocate
– George Brown College
Specialized Training:
Satir Transformational Systemic Therapy
Interpersonal Therapy
Feminist Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Solution-Focused Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Irnes Zeljkovic MSW RSW
Irnes’ clients can recognize their psyscho-social, physical, and occupational functioning has declined. They recognize how this decline has impacted their immediate family and other close relationships. They may be ambivalent about current relationships and careers, fearful of the unknown and struggle with the courage to make changes. Perhaps a busy lifestyle is making it increasingly difficult for them to maintain their current social, occupational, family and romantic life. They would like to get out more, be more social and physically active. They would like to travel and explore more outside of their comfort zone. They want to be more present with their loved ones and at peace with themselves.
Some of the main struggles Irnes sees in his practice are a lack of self-care, loss of routine, no meaningful activities, increasing social withdrawal, behavioural avoidance, relational conflict with significant others and at work, anxious/depressed thought patterns, reliving past traumatic events, loss of identity due to a motor vehicle or work accident injury, alcohol and substance use dependency, amotivation, lack of energy and fatigue.
Irnes works alongside his clients, building on strengths that they already have. He is genuine in his approach and provides simplified feedback and analogies to support clients in understanding patterns that brought them to where they are. He collaborates with his clients to problem solve and create action steps and goals that are aligned with their narrative and values. Increasing insight and awareness of the challenges faced can lead to building on sustainable strategies, while making connections physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually.
Specializations:
Addictions, PTSD, anxiety, depression, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, chronic pain, school related conflict, learning disabilities, marital struggles, parenting, adjustment struggles, family conflict, caregivers of aging parents or young children, stress and burnout, motor vehicle accidents, acquired brain injuries, orthopaedic and soft tissues injuries, decreased social and occupational functioning including insurance claim related stress and associated psychosocial sequelae. Immigrants/newcomer individuals and families from former Yugoslavia, Eastern Europe, and Middle East of Muslim, Christian and Catholic religions struggling with intergenerational conflict and maintaining bicultural/tricultural identities. Individuals, couples and families experiencing stress as a result of a family member struggling with psychosis and schizophrenia.
Works with:
Gender Inclusive, Heterosexual, LGBTQ2S+, BIPOC, racialized individuals, immigrants, youth, adults, seniors. His clients may be first Responders, health practitioners, lawyers, students, parents, teachers, entrepreneurs, managers, directors.
Couples, family and individual therapy specialization.
His Story:
As an immigrant in various countries, Irnes has lived experience when it comes to challenges faced by adjusting, transitioning and adapting to new environments. He is fluent in English, Bosnian, Serbo-Croatian, and intermediate level German. He acknowledges the impact of our upbringing, culture, ethnicity, religious background, gender and sexuality on our overall wellbeing. He has a strong background in supporting clients with mental health (diagnosed/undiagnosed), direct and vicarious trauma including associated work stress and burnout. His professional experience began 14 years ago, while working in counselling agencies, hospital settings, providing direct community support, and holding various leadership positions within the mental health sector.
Irnes is a down to earth person with a great sense of clean humour. He enjoys using funny analogies to break down difficult concepts and convey them in a relatable language for his clients. He is open, transparent and honest, while providing appropriate self-disclosure when it is in the client’s best interest. Irnes is flexible in his therapeutic approaches. He realizes that sometimes the best conversations can happen on a basketball court or a little nature walk. He also utilizes guided meditations nearing the end of a session to ground the emotional pain discussed.
Outside of the therapy space, Irnes has several interests and passions including sports and exercise, photography, videography, home improvement projects, spending time outdoors and travelling. An important part of Irnes’ life is prioritizing time with his loved ones. He believes that confronting emotional pain and other conflicts are necessary for personal and professional growth, and as a result engages in self improvement through education, and challenging his own belief systems that may place barriers for positive change.
Educational Background:
Master of Social Work
– Wilfrid Laurier University
Honours Bachelor of Social Work
– King’s University
Bachelor of Arts, Major in Sociology & Criminology
– Western University
Specialized Training:
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy
Solution Focused Therapy
Motivational Interviewing
Trauma-Informed Care
Cultivating Balance
Our Mission:
“Being the true & authentic version of ourselves.” Living in the present, and not in the “what if’s” or fulfilling other’s expectations. Acknowledging our unique needs and learning to prioritize ourselves, by unlearning oppressive perspectives of living fulfilling lives.
Unlike the common thought of therapy to be a transformative process, we would like to acknowledge healing as ongoing pivoting, where we learn to accept ourselves over and over again, instead of wanting to constantly change who we are.
The result is a cultivation of balance between mind, body and spirit, where harmony and peace live in cohesion with life’s struggles.
Our Values:
- Building strength through community. Together we are stronger.
- Acknowledging the beauty in our differences. Embracing our diversity.
- Letting go of societal expectations.
- Striving for equity – finding what that means to each of us. Respecting what it means to others.
- Self-compassion as a form of self awareness and self forgiveness.
Our Strengths:
- We are unapologetically ourselves. Or continuously working on it…
- We have lived experience in mental health struggles, family chaos, trauma, immigration, feeling alone and vulnerable
- We are real! We want you to be real too!
- We believe in the human capacity to grow and the inner wisdom that allows us to do so
- We use a holistic approach to health and wellness in order to cultivate balance
- We represent our communities, as we come from different backgrounds: Black, Indigenous-Latin American, French Canadian, Caribbean, LGBTQ2S+. Some of us don’t like the labels, for some of us labels are important. We are people! We are from Turtle Island!
Our Passion:
Being “bold”… How dreadful. What we really mean by this is being unapologetically ourselves. Accepting ourselves in a world where we fear judgement and figuring out how to roll with the punches. Our passion is to grow together and hold each other as we do so.
We have been there, continue to be there, continue to learn, get up and try again. We come from a place of understanding ourselves in order to understand others. Creating a safe and positive environment where thoughts and feelings are heard, validated and not judged, allowing opportunity for growth is our ultimate passion.
Our Logo:
The Story of Turtle:
The symbol of COCA Psychotherapy is a turtle entering the water. Our Clinical Director and Founder, Maud Coca, is proudly Nicaraguan, born in Central America, where Indigenous peoples were colonized. Despite this the culture continues to flourish and persist. Sea turtles are also at risk of extinction in Nicaragua, and therefore its story is one of struggle from the sand to the ocean, along with its ability to be wise and resilient to find safety in the sea. To COCA Psychotherapy, this represents a process of cultivating balance to reach healing. Our belief is that using a holistic approach, while celebrating our diversity, using culture, art, music, dance, movement and energy can allow us to integrate all aspects of ourselves.
The turtle is also an acknowledgement and reflection of the land we currently reside on: Turtle Island. Which is home to the first people of North and Central America, traditional territory of Indigenous folks. This is one of the steps and actions towards the calls to action made by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. This has lead us to a strong focus on free therapeutic services through the Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations and Inuit (NIHB) in Ontario, as allies, and as passionate learners on the impact of colonization of Indigenous peoples in Canada, and all over the world.
Working With COCA Psychotherapy
Most insurance companies provide coverage for counselling services.
We may also offer free services to clients through Non-Insured Health Benefits for First Nations & Inuit (NIHB) & Victim Services
