I hope you enjoy this new journey with me, but before I start, I thought it would be prudent to share a little bit about myself with my audience and how I got here.
‘Who is writing’ the blog? So, in other words ‘Who am I?’.
Either as a Psychotherapist or on my personal time, when I ask the question ‘Who are you?’ often people get stuck. They really do not know how to answer the question. Their answer is often related to their profession, their attributes and after listening, I ask again. Great, but ‘Who are you?’. And there is a long pause…..
Who am I?
Nice to meet you all, my name is Angela and if you are on my webpage, you know about my professional side. Now, let’s talk about my journey and how I landed here.
My story goes back to Sao Paulo, Brazil where I was born and raised partially. I am a daughter of Italian immigrants that arrived in Sao Paulo after WWII. I have a younger sister and brother. I lived in Germany part of my childhood with my parents. I was introduced to travelling at a very young age and acquired the ‘love for travelling.’ Thus, one of my passions! I enjoy learning about people, their culture, and I am fascinated by the different ways people communicate. I speak five languages that I picked up along the way through travelling, home and living in different countries before I came to Canada in 1991. I was a very active young girl, I swam, played sports, piano, I was a very good student and was introduced to dance which became a way of life. I even became a ballet teacher. I never stopped dancing, but today, I danced the art of Flamenco. OLE!!
Music is a big part of my life, sounds, melodies and I appreciate talent. I play a little guitar for fun and at times, I think I am ‘Slash’ when no one is watching me. I also like to make things look beautiful. I enjoy picking up an old piece of furniture and refurbishing it along with interior décor and design. I think it’s fun and I love looking at my work at the end.
Nurturing your creative side is very important, it keeps you alive. Engaging in activities that inspire and challenge you physically and mentally promotes healing. It does not matter what it is; you may want to explore different forms of art, seek out new experiences in life!
Besides dancing, music and crafting I was always drawn to spirituality, although I was raised Catholic. My curiosity took me places, and I was exposed to different scriptures and philosophies that throughout my life I have embraced fiercely. I studied the Baghavad Guita; I have spent seven years in a Temple experiencing and living a minimalist life with an enriched spiritual life. There, I practiced ‘Mindfulness’ every day, meditation, chanting, Bakti Yoga and leaned to respect my body by being mindful of a clean diet. I formed wonderful friendships with special people that have being in my life for the last 40 years, as friends, spiritual mentors, and as my support system.
So, back to my question and a little reflection — “Who are you?”
You now have a glimpse of me and who I am.
Let's continue . . .
I became a mother young, and I loved it! I have 3 children, 2 boys and a girl. The family grew; I have Maple a Cockapoo and Toby a Boston Terrier that are always with me. My two boys are in Toronto and my daughter lives in Ireland. I introduced my passion for dance to my daughter; she took it very seriously and travelled the world pursuing her dreams as a professional dancer.
It took a few years to settle in Toronto, learn about the country, the system and language. That was difficult, so I decided if I was going to live here, I must domain the language and ‘blend in’. So, I did! I signed up for English classes at a basement of a Church on Bloor and Dovercourt. At the time, I was living in Rosedale. I did not know it was a very affluent and expensive neighborhood. After two years I moved to the Annex. It was a challenging journey, but it made me stronger and resilient.
My English improved, I got a job as a dance teacher and later I went back to school. I wanted to help people! The Social Work field gave me that opportunity, I worked in a women’s shelter for over 10 years along with different School Boards in Toronto, working with children and adolescents with different diagnosis. As well as Social agencies and hospitals. But then, I noticed how I enjoyed spending time with individuals and listening to them and their stories. Slowly, I moved into individual therapy and then couples therapy. It was love at first sight, and I have not stopped since. Again, my curiosity and desire to learn more about the human brain took me into the fascinating world of Hypnosis and I became a Clinical Hypnotherapist.
After 32 years in the city of Toronto, I decided to move to the countryside, in Haliburton. I landed on beautiful 5-acre property with a small house on it that needed some work. After 4 months living in a bunkie during renovations, I moved into my dream home. It took some adjustments; city life is very different than country life. I am still adjusting to all the elements and loving it!
I would like to extend my ‘Gratitude’ to everyone that supported me on this journey!
I named it Dragonfly Willow Healing Den.
You can see some pics here. They will be updated on the website as well.
Therapy is more than sitting down at an office or virtually in front of a therapist. Part of therapy is also waking up in the morning with the birds chirping, smelling and hugging trees, the sound of nature, a walk on a trail, sitting by a fire, or by the water. Therapy is where it brings you inner peace and serenity.
I invite you to come and share this experience with me. There is a guest Cabin where you can comfortably stay and indulge in nature and experience therapy in the Forest!
The famous Japanese Forest Bathing Therapy or Shinrin- Yoku, meaning, the practice of mindfully immerse yourself in a forest environment to promote physical and mental well-being.
Awaken, Evolve, Transform…And that… is my life everyday now, unless when I am in the city couple of days a week offering in person sessions at my office located in Etobicoke South.
Now… you have learned a little bit about me, who I am and how I got here. I will continue this blog by introducing different topics and invite you to participate as an audience.
Warmly,
