About Lee

My ongoing involvement in the study, training and experience of psychotherapy, together with a marriage of nearly 50 years, has been the foundation for understanding the complexity of self, family and relationships.
I have worked in private practice with individuals and couples for over 30 years.

I have lived and studied in South Africa, England, Europe. and Canada. My interest in working with couples came directly out of studying and working with infant/child-parent attachment.

Originally, I trained in Toronto at the Centre for Training in Psychotherapy and have over the years received further training with a variety of experts in the field.

Professional training together with experience of a wide variety of issues, enables me to be flexible with individuals and couples, thus encouraging their personal growth and change. Psychotherapy begins from the assumption that people have a conscious and an unconscious mind. By increasing consciousness, we can rethink those assumptions and emotional wellness improves, which is the same as saying that we usually make better decisions when we are aware of what is motivating us.

Psychotherapists prefer understanding to the use of medications for helping people to grow and improve their lives. My approach to psychotherapy is based on the belief that there are dynamics outside of awareness which influence actions and reactions.

Psychotherapists who have been trained by accredited institutions are the only group of professionals regulated in Ontario to do ‘Psychotherapy’. A psychotherapist cannot diagnose or prescribe medication. If you are looking for OHIP coverage or medication management, please contact a medical practitioner.

What is Psychotherapy?

Psychotherapy provides a place in which you can safely express and strengthen your emotional responses. It helps people take charge of their lives and deal with daily problems. With therapy people feel less alone, less victimized and more able to cope with life. Therapy is useful when it becomes apparent that something is standing in the way of living a satisfying life.

“We stand in our own shadow and wonder why it’s dark” Lao Tzu

Working together can provide insight into the ways in which you are standing in your own way. Our past strongly influences our present and how we interpret life’s events, it shapes experience and how we feel about ourselves, the way we relate to others, and how we respond to both new and familiar situations. While we cannot change out history, we can learn to live with it differently.

“The mind is its own place, and in itself can make a heaven of hell or a
hell of heaven” John Milton

My goal as a therapist is to help you to gain greater awareness of yourself, to support and empower you to discover your strengths, creativity and clarify your thoughts and emotions. Most people don’t know what to expect when they first visit a psychotherapist’s office. It is a rather strange set up, you are about to tell a perfect stranger your innermost troubles, pay them and leave. This might sound a bit nightmarish and most newcomers to therapy might wonder how this could possible help anyone feel better… it does.
Therapy is an opportunity to uncover the means and tools to get you closer to what you really want, emotional growth, more satisfying relationships, and a greater ability to cope with life’s inevitable challenges are among the benefits that therapy can bring. In the sessions, our conversations are directed by you, to cover whatever concerns and subjects are on your mind. We will explore any issues, emotions, thoughts that preoccupy or trouble you. Therapy is about deciding to move beyond fears and limitations by making a commitment to being fully and uniquely yourself.
A supportive, non-judgmental atmosphere makes talking about difficult subjects a little easier. My therapy setting offers a safe environment in which you can openly discuss the things that are bothering you. This means that there is no need to put up a defensive front because I try as much as possible to be neutral, this is about you, not me. The best part of therapy is that my stance on anything is without an investment in the choices you make, except that they help you to feel more grounded, balanced and aware of the possibilities. Together, we will wonder how you can create a style of living less fraught with struggle. Time spent thinking and talking about personal issues broadens your perspective on inner and outer experience.
Individual Therapy

Individual Therapy

You can’t rewrite history, but therapy can help you live with it differently.

Learn More
Couples Therapy

Couples Therapy

My intention is to help you ‘mend, not end’ your relationship.

Learn More

Contact Lee

Contact
Whether you’re facing a crisis, seeking growth and insight or a different perspective on your life or relationship, please explore what Lee has to offer. Therapy can provide you with tools to help you live a more balanced and satisfying life.

Menu

© 2023 Lee Kraemer All Rights Reserved.
Website Created by Yoshi Idea