Meet the Mental Health Team at Blueberry Therapy

Perinatal, perimenopause, trauma, pediatric psychotherapy, art therapy, and Walk and Talk counselling in Dundas, integrated with our pelvic health clinic.

Mental health does not live in a separate part of your body from everything else. Postpartum anxiety and pelvic floor recovery happen at the same time. Menopause mood changes arrive alongside the hot flashes, brain fog, and sleep disruption. Chronic pelvic pain carries grief for the body you thought you would have. The family navigating a child's school refusal is also the family trying to hold down jobs and eat dinner together.

We built Blueberry Therapy around that reality. Our mental health team works alongside our physiotherapists, naturopath, osteopaths, massage therapists, lactation consultant, and occupational therapist, which means you get psychological support as part of your care, not as a separate appointment at another place with a provider who has no context for the rest of your team.

This post introduces the four practitioners on that team, how they work, and how to know who is the right fit for you.

Why mental health sits inside a pelvic health clinic:

Pelvic health and mental health are tangled together in ways most health systems ignore. A birth that felt traumatic often needs processing before pelvic floor recovery can fully progress. Chronic pelvic pain comes with depression, anxiety, and the frustration of not being believed. Perimenopause is a hormonal event that changes your brain, your sleep, and your nervous system. A child with daily stomach aches before school is often a child with anxiety, not a stomach bug.

When mental health support lives inside the same clinic as the rest of your care, three things happen. Your practitioners talk to each other with your consent. You do not repeat your full history every time you book with someone new. You are more likely to actually follow through with the referral, because the handoff is a warm one.

That is the model at Blueberry. Our mental health team is not a bolt-on service. It is a core part of how we take care of the people who walk through our doors.

The life stages gap in Ontario mental health:

Three quick realities that shape our team.

Perinatal mental health is the number one complication of pregnancy. About 1 in 5 people who give birth in Canada experience a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder, which is more common than gestational diabetes. Only around 15 percent of those affected receive treatment. Up to 45 percent of women report their birth experience as traumatic. (Source: Canadian Perinatal Mental Health Collaborative.)

Perimenopause is a mental health event as much as a hormonal one. Up to 70 percent of women experience mood swings during the menopause transition, roughly 45 to 60 percent experience depression, and nearly 60 percent report brain fog or other cognitive issues. About half have significant sleep disturbances. 90 percent of women bring menopause symptoms up with a doctor, but only 25 percent have menopause identified as the cause. (Sources: ADAA, 2024. ScienceDirect, 2024.)

Chronic pelvic pain affects roughly 15 percent of women worldwide. The psychological load that comes with it is well documented. Integrated care teams that include behavioural health providers are the recommended standard of care, which is rare in community clinics and common in hospital-based programs. (Sources: multiple systematic reviews, 2020 onward.)

Three of our four therapists work specifically in women's life stages. The fourth rounds out the team with pediatric, family, and chronic pain expertise. Between them, they cover the populations Blueberry serves every single week.

Meet the team:

Lisa Giles, RP. Perinatal mental health, birth trauma, couples

Lisa is a Registered Psychotherapist with a Master's in Counselling from McGill and Canadian Certification in Perinatal Mental Health. She has been practising for more than ten years and has worked at McMaster University supporting medical students and residents for most of that time, which gives her deep fluency in the pressures high-achieving professionals carry.

Her pivot into perinatal work came from lived experience. Two postpartum periods that were, in her words, "harder than I imagined was possible." She pursued her CC-PMH certification while on maternity leave and built the perinatal side of her practice around the support she wishes she had received.

Who Lisa sees:

• People planning for pregnancy, pregnant, or anytime in the postpartum period, and adults at other life stages

• Anyone feeling unsettled and looking to feel more aligned in their life

• Birth trauma processing, whether the birth was weeks ago or decades ago

• Postpartum anxiety, postpartum depression, and the "something is off and I cannot name it" experience

• Fertility challenges, decision-making, and pregnancy or infant loss

• Couples adjusting to new parenthood, intimacy changes, or feeling like roommates

• High-achieving adults with burnout, perfectionism, and imposter syndrome

  
  

Lisa's signature reframe: two things can be true at the same time. "People come in saying I cannot feel this because I feel that. I cannot admit to being overwhelmed because I love my kids and am so grateful for them. I help them see that they can be grateful AND overwhelmed - one does not cancel out the other.”

Book a discovery call with Lisa. Lisa offers a free 15-minute discovery call so you can see if she feels like the right fit before you commit. In-person and virtual appointments available. Babies welcome at both. Individual sessions are billed as Psychotherapy; most extended health plans cover her work.

Isabella Piatek, MSW, RSW. Perimenopause, menopause, anxiety, grief, career changes and ADHD support.

Isabella is a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work, a post-MSW specialization in Psychotherapy with a certificate in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.  She is fluent in Polish and offers both English and Polish therapy sessions.

Drawing from her own personal journey, Isabella is deeply passionate about supporting clients through perimenopause and menopause. She works with clients to gently navigate difficult emotions and anxiety, offering supportive strategies to help them feel more grounded and confident during this time of change. She works with teens through older adults.

Who Isabella sees:

• Women experiencing perimenopause or menopause with mood changes, sleep issues, anxiety, or brain fog

• Adults dealing with anxiety, depression, career transitions and workplace stress. (She specializes in CBT, Solution Focussed Therapy and Mindfulness)

• People navigating grief, whether a death, a diagnosis, a relationship ending, or a life transition

• Young adults exploring whether they have ADHD (Isabella does not diagnose but provides psychoeducation and helps prepare clients for formal assessment)

• Teens in high school and older struggling with anxiety, family conflict, or academic stress.  

• Parents navigating a child's medical diagnosis, drawing on her own experience as a parent who has worked through this experience.

• First-time therapy clients who want a warm, non-judgmental introduction to the work

Isabella on menopause: " I want you to know you’re not alone in this. What you’re feeling can be really overwhelming at times—your emotions, your sleep, even your memory can feel different. Hormonal changes play a big role in all of this. It’s a natural transition, and with the right support, there are ways to help you feel more grounded and supported through it”.

Book a discovery call with Isabella. Isabella offers a free 15 to 20 minute discovery call.  In-person, video, and phone appointments available.

Liana Cross-Muller, Professional Art Therapist, RP (Qualifying). Trauma and nervous system regulation

Liana is a Professional Art Therapist and Registered Psychotherapist, currently in the qualifying stage with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. She came to this work through personal experience as a therapy client for more than twenty years and a formative year working at a sexual assault centre. She holds additional certifications in VITRA training and danger assessment for working with survivors of violence.

Her clinical philosophy is bottom-up trauma processing. Traditional talk therapy focuses on the thinking part of the brain to fix the survival part, and often there is a disconnection. Art therapy works in the opposite direction. The act of making calms the nervous system first, then emotional content becomes processable, then cognitive integration can happen.

"You do not have to share the narrative. That is the biggest difference. Art supports processing without verbalizing. Your feelings show up in the art long before you can verbalize it."

Who Liana sees (teens and adults, 14 and older):

• Clients whose experience of talk therapy has been "I know what I am supposed to say but nothing changes"

• Sexual assault survivors seeking trauma processing

• Anxiety or nervous system dysregulation

• Dissociation and dissociative identity

• Clients who struggle to find the words for what they are carrying

• Identity and sense-of-self concerns

• Attachment or childhood trauma

• Postpartum struggles, including birth trauma (from her own lived experience)

• Pelvic health clients whose nervous system is too dysregulated to engage effectively with physical therapy

Important note. Art therapy is not "making pretty pictures" and requires no artistic skill. An art therapist has specialized training in how different materials affect the nervous system. Paint can be activating. Clay can be grounding. The choice of material at each stage is part of the clinical work.

Book a discovery call with Liana. Liana primarily works in person and all materials are provided. Virtual sessions are available as well. Sessions typically run every two weeks during skill-building and shift to monthly for maintenance. Billed as Psychotherapy; coverage varies by plan.

Melissa Persadie, MSW, RSW. Children, families, grief, and chronic pelvic pain

Melissa is a Registered Social Worker with a Master of Social Work, over 15 years of experience, and a specialized certificate in grief and bereavement. Five of those years were spent in a pediatric mental health emergency unit, which taught her how to recognize crisis and how to intervene earlier so a child never reaches it.

She holds firm boundaries. After her years in crisis work, Melissa intentionally does not take clients whose primary presenting concern is active sexual abuse, domestic violence, or severe active trauma. Those clients deserve specialists. Liana takes that work inside Blueberry. Melissa takes the clients who need someone who is calm, curious, and in it for the long game.

Her expansive definition of grief is one of the reasons she fits so well at Blueberry. "Grief applies beyond death. Divorce is grief. Chronic pain is grief. Fertility issues are grief. I help people adjust to a new normal."

Who Melissa sees:

• Children 5 and older with anxiety, mood changes, school refusal, and transitions (new school, new sibling, divorce, blended families)

• Adolescents navigating family conflict, school pressure, or loss

• Families processing grief, including non-death grief like divorce, separation, illness, or pregnancy loss

• Parents supporting a child through a difficult diagnosis

• Adults with chronic pelvic pain, drawing on her work at the Hamilton hospital adult chronic pelvic pain clinic

• Pelvic health clients struggling with the emotional weight of diagnosis, changes in sexual function, fertility loss, or the feeling of not being believed by other providers

For children under 5, we route families to Christine Robinson, our Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist, who specializes in early childhood.

Book a discovery call with Melissa. Melissa is in-clinic on Saturdays and virtual on weekdays. Sessions are billed as Social Work. Direct billing is not currently available, so clients pay and submit for reimbursement.

How to know which therapist is right for you:

If you are looking for...	Start with
Perinatal or postpartum support, pregnancy-related anxiety, birth trauma, fertility or pregnancy loss, couples adjusting to parenthood	Lisa Giles
Perimenopause or menopause mental health, anxiety, depression, grief, ADHD psychoeducation, Polish-language therapy	Isabella Piatek
Art-based processing, sexual assault recovery, anxiety or dissociation, deep trauma work, identity and attachment, emotion regulation	Liana Cross-Muller
Your child (age 5+) with anxiety or school refusal, family grief or transition, adult chronic pelvic pain psychological support	Melissa Persadie

If none of these feels like an obvious fit, call us at 289-238-8383 and our team will help you match.

Walk and Talk Therapy, now available at Blueberry:

Not every therapy session has to happen indoors. We now offer Walk and Talk Mental Health Counselling for clients who do better in motion than sitting still.

Here is what a session looks like. You meet your therapist at a pre-agreed spot near the clinic. You walk at a comfortable pace on a quiet path. You have the same kind of conversation you would have inside, with the same confidentiality, the same clinical framework, and the same session length. The cost is the same as a standard in-office session.

Why some clients prefer it:

Moving helps the thinking. Walking at a conversational pace activates the body in a way that can loosen what feels stuck during a traditional session. Clients who report that their brain goes blank sitting across from a therapist often find it easier to access feelings while walking.

Side by side feels different than face to face. The absence of direct eye contact makes hard topics feel less exposed, which can help when shame is part of the picture. This applies whether the theme is anxiety, grief, intimacy, or the body itself.

Outdoors supports nervous system regulation. Being outside and moving gently is one of the most reliable ways to calm a dysregulated nervous system. For many clients, the session starts working before the first word is spoken.

Walking reinforces forward movement. There is a felt sense to physically moving forward while working through a difficult chapter. Clients often describe a new insight arriving at a specific point on a specific path, and the memory of that moment becomes part of the work.

When Walk and Talk is not the right fit

Walk and Talk is not for everyone. Clients who prefer full visual privacy, who have physical limitations that make walking uncomfortable, or who need the containment of a quiet indoor room will do better with a traditional in-person or virtual session.

Weather also affects availability. If the forecast is wet, icy, or extreme, the session moves indoors or online. If you are curious whether Walk and Talk could work for you, mention it when you book and our team will help you decide.

What to expect at your first appointment:

The first session is a conversation. You will talk about what brought you in, what you have tried before, what you want to focus on, and what pace feels right. Nothing is pushed. You will set goals together and revisit them regularly.

Sessions are typically 50 to 60 minutes. Most plans cover Psychotherapy and Social Work services; always confirm your specific coverage. Lisa's and Isabella’s individual rate is $180 for 60 minutes, with a sliding scale available. Liana bills at the clinic standard rate. Melissa's rate is clinic standard with submission for reimbursement.

All bookings run through Jane App at blueberrytherapy.janeapp.com. Free discovery calls are available with Lisa, Liana, Melissa, and Isabella (15 to 20 min)

You do not have to be in crisis to work with a therapist. You do not need a diagnosis. You do not have to have the words ready. If something feels off, or if you are holding weight you have not figured out how to set down, that is a reason to book.

Book a discovery call or a first session:

Book with Lisa 

Book with Isabella 

Book with Liana 

Book with Melissa

If you are not sure who to start with, call us at 289-238-8383 or email blueberrytherapy@gmail.com and we will help you match.

Frequently asked questions:

What is the difference between a Registered Psychotherapist and a Registered Social Worker in Ontario?

Both professions provide psychotherapy in Ontario and both are regulated. A Registered Psychotherapist (RP) is regulated by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and specializes in therapeutic techniques for thoughts, feelings, and behaviours. A Registered Social Worker (RSW) is regulated by the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers, and takes a whole-person lens that considers your social context alongside your mental health. At Blueberry, Isabella and Melissa are RSWs, Lisa is an RP, and Liana is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) plus a Professional Art Therapist.

Do I need a pelvic health issue to see one of your therapists?

No. While many of our clients come through pelvic health physiotherapy first, our mental health team sees clients with no pelvic health concerns at all. Perinatal mental health, perimenopause support, trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, couples work, and child and family therapy are all part of what our team offers on their own.

Can I start therapy while I am pregnant?

Yes, and Lisa actively encourages it. Perinatal mental health begins before birth. Planning for pregnancy, preparing for postpartum, processing a previous birth, or managing pregnancy-related anxiety are all reasons to start now rather than wait. Research shows that only about 15 percent of women affected by perinatal mood and anxiety disorders receive treatment. Starting early is one of the most protective things you can do.

Will my insurance cover psychotherapy at Blueberry?

Most extended health plans cover services provided by Registered Psychotherapists and Registered Social Workers, though coverage varies plan to plan. Ask your insurer whether your plan covers Psychotherapy, Social Work, or both. Isabella can bill under either category, which gives some clients flexibility. Lisa and Liana bill as Psychotherapy. Melissa bills as Social Work. Always confirm your specific coverage before booking.

Do you offer virtual sessions?

Yes. Lisa, Isabella, and Melissa all offer virtual appointments, which helps new parents, clients with mobility concerns, and anyone outside the immediate Hamilton area. Liana primarily works in person because art therapy uses physical materials, but virtual sessions are available. Isabella also offers phone sessions and Polish-language therapy.

How do I know which therapist is the right fit for me?

The therapeutic relationship matters more than any single technique. Lisa, Liana and Isabella all offer free discovery calls, so you can have a short conversation before you commit. If you are not sure, call our clinic at 289-238-8383 and our team will help you match based on what you are looking for.

What is Walk and Talk Therapy and how does it work?

Walk and Talk Therapy is a counselling session held outdoors while walking side by side with your therapist, instead of sitting across from each other in an office. It is the same clinical work, the same confidentiality, and the same fee as a standard session, just held outside at a comfortable pace on a local path. Some clients find that movement helps them access feelings that feel stuck inside, and that the absence of direct eye contact makes hard topics easier to talk about. Weather affects availability; wet, icy, or extreme forecasts move the session indoors or online. Mention Walk and Talk when you book and our team will help you decide if it is the right fit.

Blueberry Therapy Pelvic Health & Pediatrics. 14 Cross St. Unit B, Dundas, Ontario. 289-238-8383. blueberrytherapy.ca.