Melissa Donohue
MSW, RSW, LCSW
Clinical Supervisor
I am an internationally trained and licensed psychotherapist whose passion is to help individuals process trauma. I am the owner and lead therapist at Striving for Synergy Psychotherapy and Counselling Clinic. I have provided holistic evidence-based psychotherapy to individuals, families, and groups for nearly a decade. As a Registered Social Worker with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and a board-certified Licensed Clinical Social Worker (Association of Social Work Boards), I can connect with a vast array of humans at the level of the individual, community, and internationally.
I opened a private practice after working in agency settings where I noticed some gaps in service, particularly around the lack of availability of trauma-specific treatment. In an attempt to address this gap, I honed clinical skills and am now proud to offer specialized treatment of trauma and attachment-related concerns. My knowledge and expertise accredited my role as the team lead of a new trauma program at a major Toronto hospital, where I worked with an interdisciplinary team to provide wrap-around care for individuals who have experienced developmental trauma.
In pursuit of my love of teaching and learning, I am an Adjunct Faculty at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto where I had the pleasure of supervising the next generation of clinicians. During her tenure as Professor in the Social Service Work Program at Centennial College, I was afforded the opportunity to create a foundational curriculum and use it to educate (and learn from) students, many of whom I continue to be connected with as colleagues. I continually offer both individual and group supervision to students and licensed clinicians as I believe in lifelong learning and development.
I have contributed to both clinical research and clinical service provision at top Canadian institutions including the Center for Addiction and Mental Health, Ontario Shores Center for Mental Health Sciences, McMaster University, St. Michael’s Hospital, and Scarborough Health Network.
My passion for the brain was born during my undergraduate degree at the University of Toronto (U of T) where I studied Neuroscience and Psychology receiving an Honours Bachelor of Science degree. I continue my studies at U of T where I completed my Master of Social Work, specializing in Mental Health.
Outside of my work in the mental health community, I have been a proponent of increasing both physical and mental health literacy and service availability through my work as a fitness instructor. Growing up as a competitive dancer, I believe that movement and social connection are integral aspects of the human experience. I have had the pleasure of connecting with the community at the Toronto Pan Am Sports Center for a number of years, where she has promoted mental and physical health awareness through her classes.
More recently, I fused my passion and knowledge of neuroscience and movement with a trusted colleague as the Co-Founder of a holistic health and wellness program, CoreSet. This program was born from taking note of a major gap in the wellness industry- the exclusion of the brain in nutrition and fitness programs. The goal of this program is to help folks achieve long-term, sustainable, and holistic health goals through using science-based tools. Though this program is in its infancy, it has helped dozens of people achieve their goals and empowered them on a path to long-term wellness.
My strength lies in my ability to connect; the ability to connect with people, connect to people, and her ability to help people connect with themselves and each other. Though I am very grateful for my education, I view my ability to connect with people in meaningful ways as being the major vehicle of transformation in everything that I do.
I continuously bring an effective blend of experience, expertise, and action to every community that I work with in order to empower individuals, groups, and families as we move toward becoming the most authentic version of ourselves.