About Mary-Jo

Mary-Jo specializes in supporting and enhancing attachment in children, bonding in parents and resolution of early losses, trauma and neglect in children. In her work with parents, adoptive parents, foster parents and their children, she uses Dyadic Developmental Therapy, Child and Family Play Therapy and Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. Mary-Jo provides training and consultation in developmental trauma and refugee trauma. An on-going and exciting project is When We Are Very Young, a video podcast series on attachment, trauma and parenting.

Mary-Jo’s Qualifications

Registered Psychotherapist (#001782) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario
Provider for First Nations, Metis and Inuit under the Non-Insured Health Benefits program
Trained in Dyadic Developmental Psychotherapist (2010)
Certified Child Play Therapist (1999)
Certified Level 1 Sensorimotor Psychotherapist (2011)
Certified Expert Witness in Child Psychotherapy, Attachment, Treatment of Attachment Disorders, Child Trauma, and Treatment of Child Trauma

MARY-JO IS

in private practice in Southern Ontario, Canada, serving Toronto and South-western Ontario. Most services are provided in-home
currently a trainer for the Adoption Council of Ontario in the Permanency and Adoption Competency Program
the past-president of the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children, Minneapolis MN
formerly a Director of Adopt4Life and was Chair of the Mental Health Committee
formerly lead facilitator in the Afghanistan Journey of Peace school-based curriculum to resolve war trauma and teach peace skills

Education

Hons. B.A. Psychology, with distinction, Neuroscience and Behaviour, McMaster University.
Recipient of the J.E.L. Graham Award given on the basis of scholarship to the most outstanding part-time graduate, 2009.

Personal

Mary-Jo and her husband Kevin share many wonderful experiences together including raising five children (one adopted) and 20 years of foster parenting. They worked together on Journey of Peace storybooks and in producing theatre productions of Missbegotten, a play about incest survival and BETTER, an original theatre production exploring Newcomer students’ experiences. Mary-Jo and Kevin have four grandchildren, Benjamin, Avery, Matthew and William who are sources of unending joy.