Ana Montero, a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), brings over 20 years of experience in community advocacy, individual counselling, group facilitation, and supporting marginalized communities. Her work spans Toronto and other cities worldwide, including Lima, Peru. Ana has also worked with prison populations and has provided compassionate support to individuals in the dying process.

Rooted in a legacy of Peruvian ancestral healing, Ana integrates this profound heritage into her psychotherapy practice, offering clients a holistic, culturally informed path to healing and growth.

Therapeutic Model

Ana’s perspective on human suffering is deeply trauma-informed. She understands trauma as a complex interplay of factors—ranging from traumatic events and emotional or neurological injuries to confusion, social isolation, and the inability to process and integrate painful experiences across multiple human systems: neurological, mental, spiritual, and relational. Her therapeutic goal is to assist clients in systemically integrating these fragmented, traumatized parts and processing painful events so they can cultivate self-compassion and reconnect with the richness and beauty in their lives. Ana views every client as a precious individual with profound potential to heal and achieve inner peace.

Guided by attachment theory and Internal Family Systems (IFS), Ana supports clients in building insight and achieving mind-body integration. Her approach incorporates EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and IFS Parts Work, helping clients work through trauma, develop emotional clarity, and restore a sense of wholeness.

Education

Ana Montero earned a Contemplative Psychotherapy Diploma from the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Toronto, in collaboration with the renowned Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science in New York. She is honored to have studied under some of the most respected figures in the field, including Dr. Miles Neal, Dr. Joe Loizzo, Sharon Salzberg, Dr. Sameet Kumar, Dr. Rick Hanson, and Robert Thurman.

In addition, Ana holds certifications in Applied Mindfulness Meditation and Transformative Mindfulness Methods from the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work at the University of Toronto. She is also certified as a Contemplative End of Life Care Facilitator through the Institute of Traditional Medicine.

During the 1990s, Ana pursued studies in Women’s Studies at York University, deepening her understanding of gender and social justice issues.

Ana also holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work degree, which provide the qualifications required to legally practice psychotherapy.

Committed to continuous learning, Ana pursues ongoing education to enhance the support she offers her clients, including a recent Clinical Hypnotherapy Certificate from the University of Toronto in 2024.

For a full, updated list of her education and training, click HERE.

Specialties

Ana Montero assists individuals facing a wide range of mental, emotional, and spiritual challenges, with a special focus on:

• Adult survivors of sexual, physical, or spiritual abuse
• Dissociative states and trauma-related fragmentation
• Childhood and developmental trauma and attachment wounds
• Grief and loss, including complicated or traumatic grief
• Death, dying, and end-of-life transitions
• PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) and C-PTSD (Complex PTSD)
• Psychedelic integration for individuals using psychedelics independently who seek support in processing their experiences

Ana also brings extensive experience and interest in:

• Supporting families living with autism (ASD), including both parents and children
• Working with neurodiverse individuals and their loved ones, providing specialized care and understanding
• Assisting with trauma related to pregnancy and birth and its impact on family systems
• Providing care and support for LGBTQ2S clients, lesbian identified women in particular

Additionally, Ana offers support for individuals struggling with:

• Anxiety and depression
• Compulsive behaviors
• Chronic stress and generalized emotional overwhelm

From 2000 to 2005, Ana Montero worked as a midwife in Peru and Guatemala, earning registration with the College of Midwives of Ontario in 2002.

Ana has extensive experience working with marginalized communities, including inmates at the Lurigancho Male Prison in Peru, where she has provided workshops and personal therapy. She also assists other psychotherapists in supporting clients with C-PTSD. Ana is highly skilled in creating, developing, and facilitating psycho-educational and psychotherapeutic programs for both mental health professionals and end-users.

Since 2013, Ana has returned to Peru annually, working for one to two months each year to support communities and individuals. She also offers individual adult psychotherapy via telehealth to clients in other countries around the world.

In addition to her private practice, Ana provides pro-bono therapeutic support to marginalized communities in Peru, addressing trauma related to terrorism and gender-based violence.