Ana Montero, a Registered Social Worker and Psychotherapist, registered with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), has 20 years experience in community advocacy, individual counselling, group facilitation and support of marginalized communities in Toronto, as well as other cities around the world, such as Lima, Peru.
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FRAMEWORK
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Ana Montero integrates mindfulness and compassion-based systems of Buddhist psychology, contemporary psychotherapy, ancestral shamanic knowledge of the mind and neuroscience within an anti-oppression, feminist, anti-colonial framework.
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THERAPEUTIC MODEL
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Ana’s general perspective about human suffering is trauma-informed (traumatic event, emotional/brain injury, confusion, social isolation, inability to process all this, and inability to integrate all this painful data within the many human systems, neurologically, mentally, spiritually). Her psychotherapy approach is to assist with the systemic integration of the traumatized selves (or processing of painful events) and helping clients become more self-compassionate and mindful of the richness and beauty in their lives. Each client is seen as a precious human being with profound potential to heal her/him/their self and be at peace.
She does this guided by attachment, internal family systems theory, among others, to help her clients create insight and mind-body healing and integration. Ana relies on EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) and Internal Family Systems modality (Parts Works).
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EDUCATION
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Ana Montero earned a Contemplative Psychotherapy Diploma from the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Toronto, in collaboration with the prestigious Nalanda Institute for Contemplative Science in New York. She is proud of counting Dr. Miles Neal, Dr. Joe Loizzo, Sharon Salzberg, Dr. Sameet Kumar, Dr. Rick Hanson and Robert Thurman among her many wise teachers.
She also has earned certificates in Applied Mindfulness Meditation and Transformative Mindfulness Methods from the Factor-Inwentash Social Work Faculty in the University of Toronto and a Contemplative End of Life Care Facilitator from the Institute of Traditional Medicine. She attended York University’s Women Studies Program in the 1990’s.
Ana also holds a Bachelor of Social Work and a Master of Social Work degree.
For an updated list of education and training, click HERE.
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SPECIALITIES
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She assists people with a different array of mental and spiritual sufferings, with a special focus on:
- adult survivors of sexual/physical/spiritual abuse,
- disassociative states,
- childhood/developmental trauma, attachment wounds
- grief/loss of loved ones, complicated, traumatic grief
- death and dying, as well as
- PTSD and C-PTSD.
- Psychedelic Integration for clients who are independently using psychedelics and desire assistance in processing the experience/information.
She holds great interest and experience in
- supporting families living with autism (ASD) (parents, children) and
- individuals who are neuro-diverse and those who love them.
- She assists clients with trauma related to pregnancy and birth and its impact on family systems.
- LGBTQ2S clients are welcome and Ana has assisted people with Gender Dysphoria and/or trans gendered needs in the past.
- Clients with a history of
- anxiety,
- depression,
- compulsive behaviours and
- generalized stress will benefit from her experience.
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EXPERIENCE
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Ana was a midwife in Latin America (Peru and Guatemala) from 2000 to 2005, accepted for registration by the College of Midwives of Ontario in 2002.
She has visited Lurigancho Male prison in Peru, many times to offer workshops and personal therapy to inmates, as well as, assists other psychotherapists to support their clients with C-PTSD. She creates, develops and facilitates psycho-education and psychotherapeutic programs delivered to mental health professionals and the end-user. She has worked in Peru every year for a month or two since 2013. She offers individual adult psychotherapy via tlehealth to other countries around the world.
She provides pro-bono therapeutic supports to marginalized communities in Peru suffering from trauma related to terrorism and gendered violence.
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CONTACT
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To book an appointment with Ana, in person or telehealth, please email her at wiseheartmedicine @ gmail.com .
Ana Montero Psychotherapy & Trauma Healing 
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