Karie Ma

Karie Ma  

BA, BSW, RSW, RP

Registered Psychotherapist, Registered Social Worker, and Certified Prepare/Enrich Facilitator

CREDENTIALS

Karie Ma is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO), a Registered Social Worker (RSW) with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW), and a member of the Ontario Association of Social Workers (OASW).

Verify registration: https://my.crpo.ca/publicregister

AREAS OF FOCUS

Karie supports adolescents, adults, and families navigating a variety of emotional, relational, and life challenges, including:

Emotional & Mental Health
  • Anxiety and excessive worry
  • Depression and low mood
  • Stress, overwhelm, and burnout
  • Grief, loss, and adjusting to change
Relationships & Family
  • Relationship issues and communication difficulties
  • Parenting challenges
  • Family dynamics and stress
Life Transitions & Self-Growth
  • Life changes and adjustment
  • Identity and self-esteem
  • Aging and the challenges of caregiving

LANGUAGES

Karie is fluent in Cantonese and English.

EDUCATION & EXPERIENCE

Karie earned both her Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Social Work degrees from York University. She began her career supporting families facing parenting challenges and later spent more than 15 years working in an ethno-cultural community mental health agency.

In this role, she provided individual and group psychotherapy, coordinated support services, and assisted families navigating complex mental health and relational concerns. Her extensive experience has strengthened her cultural sensitivity, clinical insight, and understanding of how life stressors affect emotional well-being.

APPROACH TO TREATMENT

Karie values the uniqueness of every individual and approaches therapy with compassion, curiosity, and respect. She sees clients as the experts of their own lives and strives to honour each person’s inner wisdom while offering guidance and support.

Her therapeutic style is integrative, holistic, and strength-based, recognizing that emotional well-being is shaped by relationships, culture, life circumstances, and physical health. She considers the whole person—not just symptoms—when working with clients.

Karie incorporates several evidence-based modalities, including:

  • Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – Cognitive flexibility and value-aligned action

  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – Exploring and shifting patterns in thoughts, feelings, and behaviours

  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) – Emotional regulation and coping skills

  • Mindfulness-Based Approaches – Present-moment awareness and grounding

For one client, this may involve developing practical coping strategies through DBT; for another, exploring values through ACT or understanding thought patterns through CBT. Together, you will discover what best supports your goals and growth.

Karie is committed to creating a safe, trusting, and non-judgmental space where clients feel understood and supported. Her goal is to empower clients, strengthen emotional resilience, and help them build confidence in navigating life’s challenges.

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