Meet Our Team

We are GROWING!

We now have 3 Psychotherapists available who offer a range of mental health and wellness interventions for Children, Youth, Adults, Couples, and Families out of Blackbear Clinic, in-person or virtual! We also have 2 Life coaches and a Business and Operations Manager!

Registered Psychotherapist

  • Taylor offers services for children, youth, and young adults from a family system and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy perspective. She also integrates other strategies and techniques such as Play therapy, Mindfulness, Motivational Enhancement Therapy, Solution-focused, and Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, including mindfulness, emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness. With children and youth, Taylor offers creative play and sand tray therapy.

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)

  • As a transman, Dorian has an interest in working with 2SLGBTQ+ youth and adults struggling with their well-being. He is also interested in working with Indigenous individuals.

    Dorian is now certified as an SSP (Safe and Sound Protocol) service provider.

Life Coach

  • Bianca is currently completing her MACP at Yorkville University. She brings 18 years of experience working at a lead agency in children’s mental health to our clinic and her expertise in helping adults, parents, children, and youth navigate the complexities of services, life, and wellness. She also has expertise in crisis management and suicide prevention.

Owner Director, MSc, RP Independent

  • Rene is the Director/Owner Operator of Blackbear Clinic. Rene has over 25 years of experience as a Psychotherapist and has provided clinical services and consultation to many organizations throughout Ontario and the Yukon.

    Rene lived in the Yukon for nine years, worked for Mental Health Services within the Department of Health, and provided consultation to the departments of Justice, Family and Children’s Services, and Education. While there, she travelled remotely to Indigenous communities, provided clinical services, and assisted with community development projects. Upon returning to Ontario, Rene was the former Mental Health Lead for Bluewater District School Board under the School Mental Health Ontario (SMHO).

    Rene is a Registered Psychotherapist (Independent), approved as an NIHB provider for Indigenous people, and a certified Trauma Specialist. Her training has been extensive and includes treating intergenerational trauma, providing Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (also qualified as a Supervisor), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy, Play therapy with clients as young as 4, and Individual, Couple, and Family therapy from a systems perspective, to name a few.

We are also expanding our teaching/mentoring component for graduate students and RPQs (Registered Psychotherapists Qualifying). Having Graduate students on board means we can offer reduced fees for clients who would otherwise experience financial hardship.

In fall 2023, we welcomed Dorian Bly, completing his Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology (MACP) at Yorkville University. He enjoys meeting with individuals, couples, families, and youth, providing services and support for better mental health, relationships, and well-being. He plans on continuing to provide services through our clinic upon graduation. He is available for virtual, evening, and weekend appointments.

We are also thrilled that Bianca Prince and Martha Aitkin will be interning RPQs with us in the fall of 2024 as part of their MACP Yorkville University practicum requirement. Bianca and Martha have agreed to come on board with us now as Life Coaches! Bianca brings 18 years of experience working at a lead agency in children’s mental health to our clinic and her expertise in helping adults, parents, children, and youth navigate the complexities of services, life, and wellness. She also has expertise in crisis management and suicide prevention. Martha is also shifting careers after spending 25 years as a professional midwife and providing services in Ontario, Nunavut, and NWT.

As we grow, we are thrilled to announce that Peter Langen, former Senior Project Manager and Executive with Northwestel and former Vice-President of the Union Bank of Switzerland, will manage, coordinate, and develop our business initiatives, programs, and services.

This past fall, we partnered with the Bluewater Outdoor Education Centre Foundation to host and support a therapeutic retreat for youth titled the Empowering Girls Retreat. It was a great success, with very positive feedback from the youth.

If you would like us to host a group event at the Bluewater Outdoor Education Foundation site that is fun, educational, and therapeutic, drop me a line, and we would be happy to organize and implement this. Future ideas also include other Empowering Retreats for youth and adults based on Positive Psychology and Mindfulness.

Rene, Taylor and Dorian are certified and offer the Safe and Sound Protocol, developed by ILS-UNYTE, Founder, and Researcher Dr. Stephen Porges. For more about this program, visit Unyte iLs Safe & Sound Protocol

We strive to increase our accessibility and affordability for all within our community by offering a range of support and services locally. All of us are passionate and committed to providing excellent care and positive results for our clients!