My name is Amita O'Toole.
I have studied Buddhism and psychotherapy to Masters level and I’ve been practising and studying Buddhism for over 25 years. For the past 15 years I have been combining these to create positive change in the lives of my clients.
“Talking with Amita has been helping me tremendously to learn to accept myself for who I am. I never have felt judged by her, but I have been met with acceptance and respect. She has helped me to be able to cultivate more of this acceptance and respect within myself. I am continually comforted by both her warmth and her professionalism. The online format works very well for my life, and Amita has been both flexible and reliable with appointment times. I would say that throughout my time working with Amita, I have developed at a fundamental level towards living a better life.”
Alaska, USA
“I have called Amita during some of the most difficult transitions in my life and have always found solace -- though never in the way that I expect! Instead of coming from kind words and compassionate support, of which there is no shortage, the solace ultimately comes from a source within myself. Therapy before Amita was a habit that made me feel good during the appointment. Now I know that therapy can and should teach and empower me to carry that feeling into everyday. That that is what is possible. Negative thought patterns don't stand a chance when they stand in the full light of awareness. Thank-you, Amita!”
Vancouver, Canada
“I found Amita via the web, during a search for alternative therapists to help me through a difficult period in my life. From the first session, she was able to help me redirect negative energies and offer me tools to overcome challenges. Amita listened without judgement, but also provided some much-needed perspective when I was too deep in the forest to see the trees.”
North Carolina, USA
My training
- Masters-trained integrative psychotherapist
- Registered clinical counsellor with the BA Association of Clinical Counsellors (BCACC)
- Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT) teacher
- Five Tibetan Yogas facilitator
Bringing Buddhism and psychotherapy together
My MA research explored how Buddhism and psychotherapy can work together, specifically in the treatment of depression.
I was awarded a distinction and this work became the foundation of my book “The Buddhist Way Through Depression”.
Since then I’ve worked with clients from Bermuda to Australia on all kinds of issues:
- anxiety
- depression
- low self-esteem
- work or relationship stress
- sexual abuse
- addictions
- life purpose
- spiritual issues
- life change (e.g. divorce, bereavement, emigration, serious illness or accident)
- domestic violence
- abusive relationships
- rape
- membership of a dysfunctional sangha, religious organisation or cult
- forced marriage
- political violence or persecution
I’ve found that using a range of psychotherapeutic techniques within a Buddhist framework allows my clients to move forward in therapy much more quickly and successfully than with Western techniques alone.
Contact me for a free initial consultation to find out whether this approach is right for you.