Kylie Banks
MA, RP, Associate Therapist (she/her)
About
Thanks for taking the time to get to know me. I’m a Registered Psychotherapist-Qualifying with CRPO. I received my Bachelor of the Arts in Psychology from Kings University College, and my Masters of the Arts in Counselling Psychology from Western University. As a transgender woman, I am particularly passionate about working with members of marginalized groups and constantly seeking to expand my knowledge of those who have been disenfranchised.
I specialize in working with clients with LGBTQ+ issues, Gender Identity issues, Sexuality issues, Sex Work Issues, Trauma (including complex trauma), Depression and Anxiety, Suicidality, Interpersonal/Relation Conflicts & Self-Esteem/Body Image.
Therapy with me emphasises the relationship between myself and my clients. Naturally, I want therapy to feel like a safe space where people are seen and understood, but in addition to that the therapy relationship is unique compared to our other relationships in that it can be a social microcosm we can explore.
I’m sure you’re wondering what the hell I mean by that so let me explain: often issues we have in our personal relationships, be it anxiety around others, fears of judgement, tendencies to be self-critical or controlling etc., often show up in the therapeutic relationship. When it does, we can work through that in the session and take like a meta look at why this is occurring, something we are seldom able to do in our personal relationship. So, it wouldn’t be uncommon for me to stop you in a middle of a session and ask something like “Are you worried I’m judging you right now?” so that we can explore what it’s like in that moment to feel how you’re feeling and what may be contributing to that.
Another thing I like to highlight is how I think of my role as a therapist in your life. I tend to think of myself as sitting in the passenger seat offering navigational help while you drive the car. I’m probably the 9 millionth therapist to use this analogy, but I’ll sacrifice originality for genuineness any day. I don’t see myself as having all the answers, but as someone who can help point out some things on the road of life worthy of inspection. That’s probably enough for the driving analogy. Ultimately, your life is your life, and I can’t make choices for you or tell you what to do, but in my experience if we can connect and work together we can come to a place where we can help you work through problems and live your life
Outside of therapy I enjoy playing sports (particularly volleyball), reading, and makeup.
I have training & experience in the following modalities:
Internal Family Systems Therapy
Relational Cultural Therapy
Acceptance and Commitment Psychotherapy
Trans Affirmative Psychotherapy
Sex Work Affirmative Psychotherapy
Anti-Oppressive Psychotherapy