Get to Know Dara
Dara Pappas, MSW, RSW is a Masters level Social Worker registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (http://www.ocswssw.org/). She is also a Psychotherapist and is passionate about helping her clients achieve their goals.
As a young adult, Dara was diagnosed with ADHD. This, along with raising a 6 year old with ADHD, has fueled her passion for working with adults with ADHD. Dara works with ADHD from a strength-based perspective. She believes that individuals with ADHD have unique brains which are capable of impressive creativity. Dara believes that when folks with ADHD are able to identify their strengths, address their areas of struggle and receive the right support, they are able to cope with the challenges that ADHD can present and are able to thrive!
EDUCATION
Dara achieved her Honours BA with a major in Psychology at Brock University in 2007. After a year of working as an employment counsellor with unemployed and underemployed youth at the YMCA in Hamilton, she enrolled in the Master of Social Work program at Wilfrid Laurier University. Dara graduated with her MSW in 2010. She continues to engage in professional development activities and is committed to lifelong learning.
EXPERIENCE
Dara has spent the past 10 years working as a counsellor at various post-secondary institutions in Ontario. She has worked at Laurier Brantford, Conestoga College, and most recently, Sheridan College. Dara has also worked as a counsellor within multidisciplinary medical teams at McMaster Family Practice and St. Joseph's Healthcare Hamilton.
APPROACH
At Dara Pappas Counselling, the focus is on creating solutions based on your own individual strengths and skills. Each client is unique and, therefore, the approach used is custom tailored to meet your individual needs. Dara has received training in Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) as well as Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) and regularly utilizes these approaches in session.
In your first session, Dara will seek to gain a thorough understanding of the concern that has brought you in, as well as strategies you've tried in the past. From there, goals will be set and a plan will be discussed.
Dara is focused on helping clients build resilience and feel empowered to create their own solutions. Her goal is not for you to be in therapy long-term; but to assist you in developing skills that will be useful when similar situations present themselves in the future. That being said, longer term therapy is offered, depending on the presenting issue and the client's goals.
Dara approaches therapy with warmth and empathy. Clients have stated that they feel heard, understood, supported and know that they are not “in it alone”.