Our Team

All Rainbow Brain therapists are committed to:

• Affirming queer and trans people
• Supporting different neurotypes in therapy
• Providing excellent, anti-oppressive care

To find the right therapist for you, you can read the descriptions below and reach out directly, or contact Helen Hargreaves, who will help match you with a therapist.

Placement Students

Helen Hargreaves (she/her) MSW RSW

I work directly with clients in Ontario.

I offer trainings for organisations, and supervision/ consultation to therapists internationally.

My therapy experience:

I graduated with my Master of Social Work in 2008, and I have been working as a therapist since then. I started working with Neurodiverse kids and their families in 2003. I am registered with The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers.

My commitment to working with queer, trans, and neurodivergent people:

I am queer and neurodivergent, I was diagnosed with a learning disability and identified as gifted when I was 8 years old, and I came out when I was 16. Most of the people I love are queer, trans, and/or neurodiverse. I founded Rainbow Brain because I was tired of watching the people I love struggle to find therapists who can support all the wonderful aspects of themselves.

What I support people with:

I support people to process their own feelings. I also support people to help their family members, especially children process their feelings. This includes youth and adults working through trauma, anxiety, depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), procrastination, or in need of supportive counseling. I also support Parents (and other adults) supporting kids who are struggling with anger, anxiety, and other feelings. 

Who I work with:

I work directly with clients from 9 years old to adults.

I work with adults supporting children from 3 years old into adulthood. These are often parents, but can also be other care adults including grandparents, aunts, and uncles. 

I love learning how a new client understands the world and am open to all neurotypes. I have the most experience with autism, ADHD, learning disabilities, and Tourette syndrome.

Kinds of therapy I use:

I primarily use Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT) and its related approaches Emotion-Focused Family Therapy (EFFT); Emotion Focused Skills Training (EFST)  and Emotion Focused Therapy for Trauma (EFT-T).

I also bring in elements of Solution Focused Therapy, Collaborative Problem Solving, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT).

Fee: $200* per 50-minute hour

Treatment location:  Virtual sessions over Zoom. 

You can also call her at 647-667-7241, email is preferred.

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James (Jamie) Myslik (he/him) MSW RSW

My therapy experience:

I am a registered social worker who has provided counselling professionally since 2008, and before that as an MSW student and peer support counsellor. Throughout this time I’ve worked almost exclusively with folks in 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, as well as their friends and family, and folks living with and affected by HIV and AIDS. I’ve provided support to folks in rural, urban, and suburban communities over the phone, online, and in-person.

My commitment to working with queer, trans, and neurodivergent people:

I’ve worked with 2SLGBTQIA+ folks for my whole career, and before that was a peer support counsellor and safe-space coordinator for queer, trans, and other gender-diverse youth. Throughout that time I’ve worked with folks at the intersections of queerness, gender diversity, and neurodiversity. I’ve learned much from all of my clients, and am committed to ongoing learning.

I believe in supporting people to find meaningful and sustainable wellness, not helping patch people up to go back to broken systems, only to be hurt again. Sometimes this means finding new ways to interact with ourselves or the world, and sometimes it can mean making changes both easy and difficult.

I myself am queer (though I use the term “gay” with those for whom the term “queer” is painful, or for whom it is not familiar). I grew up and have lived as an adult in rural, suburban, and urban communities, and am grateful for how that has enriched my understanding of 2SLGBTQIA+ lives, and my ability to work with folks in diverse geographical areas within Ontario.

What I support people with:

Anxiety, depression, relationship concerns, grief and loss, trauma, finding contentment, navigating life transitions; as well as building compassion and connection with ourselves, others, our feelings, and the natural world.

Who I work with:

Adults in general, and especially those who would feel safer with a counsellor who has personal experience and an inside understanding of 2SLGBTQIA+ lives, and the lives of those living with HIV. This includes the children, partners, and other family members (including family of choice and family of birth) of queer, trans, and other gender- and sexually-diverse folks. 

Kinds of therapy I use:

I’m trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, ecotherapy, behaviour therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (particularly concerning trauma), and others, including the applications of attachment theory and neuropsychology in counselling.

Regardless of the modalities I use with clients, presence and self-study are primary tools I use with clients to help them explore their goals, discover how to make meaningful and lasting change, and build compassionate connection with the many facets of themselves.

Fee: $200* per 50-minute hour

Treatment location:  At present, virtual only.  I hope to offer walk-and-talk sessions, and sessions in forested settings soon.

You can also call him at 289-939-5838, email is preferred.

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Leah Guastavino (She/Her) MSW, RSW

My therapy experience:

Hi, I’m Leah — a queer, neurodivergent social worker with over a decade of experience supporting children, youth, individuals, parents and families through life’s many messy, meaningful transitions.

Since 2014, I have provided individual, parent, and family therapy. I’ve also had the joy of facilitating nearly 40 therapy groups—ranging from parenting support to emotion regulation groups for kids and teens.

My commitment to working with queer, trans, and neurodivergent people:

As someone who is queer and neurodivergent myself, I know how powerful it is to access mental health care where you feel seen, respected, and understood. My goal is to offer a space where you don’t have to explain your identity or educate your therapist—just show up as your full self, in whatever state you’re in, and know that you are welcome here exactly as you are.

What I support people with:

I support people navigating a wide range of experiences, including anxiety, low mood, identity exploration, emotional regulation challenges, and life transitions. I also work with clients processing grief, loss, and trauma — including the impact of living in systems that haven’t always seen or supported them.

Some of the areas I often support people with include:

• Gender and sexual identity exploration
• Neurodivergence (including ADHD, autism, learning disabilities, and giftedness)
• Parenting and family dynamics
• Pregnancy and postpartum mental health
• Donor conception and 2SLGBTQIA+ family building
• Building self-understanding, confidence, and self-compassion
• Developing emotion regulation and coping skills

My approach is grounded in curiosity, compassion, and the belief that therapy can be a place of meaningful connection and change — without shame.

Who I work with:

I work with kids and youth (ages 6+), as well as parents and caregivers of children of all ages. I work with queer, trans and/or neurodivergent kids, youth, and adults. 

I also provide therapy for parents during pregnancy and postpartum as they adjust to new roles or navigate challenges like postpartum anxiety, depression or loss

Kinds of therapy I use:

My approach is warm, collaborative, and flexible. I draw from a few different evidence-based models depending on your needs, including:

• Emotion-Focused Therapy for individuals (EFT-I), Emotion Focused Therapy for Youth (EFT-Y), Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Mindfulness-based practices

Fee: $180* per 50-minute hour

Treatment location:  Virtual sessions over zoom, on inperson sesion near Bayview and Eglington

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Jolene Deyell (she/her) BA, MSW in training

My therapy experience:

I completed a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology in 2019. Following this, I worked in social services for five years. My experience includes case management, group facilitation, direct care work, and career advising. I have worked with youth (ages 16+) and adults of all ages. Most recently, I completed a 5-month MSW student placement on the Hospice and Bereavement team at Sinai Health. 

My commitment to working with queer, trans, and neurodivergent people:

As a person with a rainbow brain, I am passionate about supporting queer, trans, and neurodivergent folks. I strongly believe that each person is exceptional as they are, and I am committed to affirming all brains, gender identities, and sexual orientations. 

What I support people with:

I support individuals and families navigating emotional challenges, relational challenges, or learning how their brain works. 

I am co-facilitating support groups starting in October and will start seeing clients in November. 

Who I work with:

I support youth (ages 12+), adults, and parents.

Kinds of therapy I use:

I am currently being trained in Emotion-Focused Family Therapy. My approach is grounded in a strengths-based, trauma-informed, and anti-oppressive framework. 

Rate: Jolene is curently offering group progaming

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Sarah Paskow (she/her) MSW student

My therapy experience:

I am a Masters of Social Work student at the University of Toronto. As part of my education I will be spending this school year working as a therapist with Rainbow Brain to gain experience in the field. Previously I have worked in peer support and advisory settings, with primarily 2SLGBTQ+, disabled, and neurodiverse individuals.

My commitment to working with queer, trans, and neurodivergent people:

My commitment to working with neurodivergent and 2SLGBTQ+ communities is rooted in my own personal identities, lived experiences, and relationships. These identities can cause feelings of disconnect from those who are unfamiliar with them, and having access to a therapist who understands can make a world of difference. I also make a point to always be educating myself on the experiences of those whose identities differ from mine, both in institutional education settings and through seeking out perspectives from and listening to those whose voices have been undervalued by the academy.

What I support people with:

• Anxiety
• Self doubt
• Stress
• Life transitions
• Finding a way forward with neurodivergences such as ADHD, LDs, Autism, etc

Who I work with:

I work with adults who feel connected to the neurodivergent and/or 2SLGBTQ+ communities

Kinds of therapy I use:

I utilize a client focused, anti-oppressive, and neurodiverse affirming approach to supportive counselling, and am being trained in Emotion Focused Family Therapy.

Fee: $50 or pay what you can* per 50-minute hour

Treatment location: Virtual sessions over Zoom.

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*Rates are accurate as of January 2025. Rates are subject to change without notice