Sarah Darmanin [BASc Child Youth & Family, MScOT, OT Reg. (Ont.)] is a Registered Occupational Therapist and Psychotherapist, with a background in early childhood development and extensive experience working with adults, children, and families with mental illness, functional challenges, and neurodiversity. Sarah comes to our organization with her BASc from the University of Guelph, and her Masters in Occupational Therapy from McMaster University. Sarah believes that all emotions, including those that are unpleasant, can be adaptive and helpful for our long-term goals and personal growth, when we work to understand and learn from them. Sarah has a passion for helping others identify their strengths, and validate their own emotional experience in order to build healthy coping strategies to manage and respond to overwhelming emotions. Sarah also works to help others identify and address barriers to their daily functioning, to increase their participation in the activities that are important to them. Sarah’s approach is informed by her training in Developmental Theories, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing (MI), Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). Outside of work, Sarah loves to tap dance, read, play the piano, spend time with her friends and family, and go on hikes with her friendly dog, Rosie Roo.