Kirti completed her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology in 2010 and her Master’s degree in Applied Psychology in 2015. Additionally, she is a Professional Certified Coach by the International Coaching Federation and a member of the Teaching Faculty for the Gestalt Institute of Cleveland, Ohio. In her role as a professional certified coach, Kirti also works extensively with mid to senior-level leaders.
Kirti is a mental health specialist with over 8 years of experience as a therapist and 10+ years of experience as a coach, educator, and researcher in psychology, mental health, and education. She has lived and worked in Canada, the United States, and India and is adept at working with clients from diverse cultural backgrounds. Relatedly, Kirti has facilitated workshops and led a panel on ‘Working Across Culture’ at the International Conference conducted by the Association for the Advancement of Gestalt Therapy in 2018. She is also known for creating a safe space where clients can be themselves fully, consistent with her commitment to practising inclusive and anti-oppressive therapy.
Kirti provides supervised therapy services to individuals, couples, families, and groups at Toronto Psychological Services & Research Centre. She also provides professional coaching services to TPS clients. Kirti utilizes evidence-based interventions, including cognitive-behavioural therapy, emotion-focused therapy, and mindfulness and acceptance-based therapies grounded within a gestalt framework that increases clients’ self-awareness and self-acceptance. Kirti is skilled at working with individual clients presenting with anxiety, depression, and trauma. She also works well with clients who may not have a specific mental health disorder but are keen on modifying problematic behaviours such as excessive spending, and other issues that get in the way of accomplishing their life goals. Her couples therapy work is primarily geared towards improving communication, building effective conflict resolution skills, and enhancing intimacy. Kirti works well with couples desiring to separate amicably while mitigating the impact of their separation on their loved ones. She is a member of TPS’ reunification therapy team. Kirti also provides coaching services and life skills training to neurodiverse clients with ADHD and high-functioning autism, and clients who struggle with establishing effective daily routines. Additionally, she facilitates groups for clients with ADHD, high-functioning autism, and executive dysfunction.
Clients working with Kirti generally appreciate her warmth, empathy, and calming personality. Clients also appreciate her ability to deliver structured evidence-based interventions in a manner that feels very personal and comforting. Her therapeutic approach is especially suited to clients with a history of trauma, and those presenting with social anxiety, sexual, or other concerns that influence them to feel self-conscious or hesitant to self-disclose. Registered Psychologists, Ghia Townsend, MSc. C. Psych and Rosemarie Nardella, MA. C. Psych, supervise Kirti’s clinical practice at TPS.