Buddhist Therapist | Bringing Buddhism and psychotherapy together

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 30 years. For the past 20 years I have been combining these to create positive change in the lives of my clients.

“From compassion we develop self-confidence; that brings inner strength, allowing us to act with transparency and candour. If a person is happier, his or her family is happier; if families are happy, neighbourhoods and nations will be happy. By each of us working to transform ourselves, we can change our human way of life and make this a century of compassion”

His Holiness the XIVth Dalai Lama

My Work

To be human is to suffer at times. Some of us suffer more than others. Sometimes that suffering can be almost unbearable.

And when pain, fear, or helplessness arise, we are faced with questions we’re rarely taught how to answer: How do we find hope? How do we meet suffering without losing ourselves?

For more than two decades I’ve had the privilege of working with hundreds of people, to hear life stories and witness journeys towards healing. Through these years of working as a psychotherapist, one truth has come to stand out above all others: compassion is foundational.

Compassion comes before therapy, before career, before any role or identity we take on in the world.

Compassion lives in the steps we take each day and in the legacy we choose to leave. It is the blueprint for how we live well as human beings. It is the most reliable inner resource we have.

When we stand with compassion, we stand strong. Our minds become clearer, more centered, and more resilient.

In a world shaped by rapid technological change, social media, and ongoing uncertainty, compassion is not a weakness – it is an essential strength.

The systems we rely on – healthcare, utilities, financial institutions, workplaces – are generally not built on compassion. Yet our lives depend on them. When our survival as human beings is centered within systems that do not recognize our humanity, deeper questions emerge about how to engage with our world and maintain our inner wellness.

This is why I’ve chosen to work with organizations as well as individuals, to help them develop more compassionate systems for their staff and service users. Unless we have compassionate systems, where does the human exist?

Animals live in presence. They survive by sensing the world as it is. When we slow down, feel the breath, and become aware of our own senses and the senses of others, we access that same innate intelligence.

When that awareness is grounded in compassion, the present moment offers us true freedom: the freedom to choose, to change, and the space to respond from wisdom. This is the path to the end of suffering.

Contact me for a free initial consultation to find out whether this approach is right for you.

Out Now on Kindle

Explore key aspects of Buddhist thought and practice, and learn about the causes and treatment of depression from a Buddhism-based Western psychotherapeutic perspective.

My Training

Masters-trained integrative psychotherapist

Registered clinical counsellor with the BCACC

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MCBT) teacher

Five Tibetan Yogas facilitator

Client Testimonials

“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