About my approach
I am Surya Leigh Mellor, a Registered Psychotherapist practicing in Walkerton and Durham, Ontario. I work with individual adults navigating trauma, chronic stress, anxiety, depression, grief, and relationship conflict.
Therapy with me is about creating a space where you can arrive just as you are. Each session is co-created, with your needs and your pace guiding the process, allowing the work to unfold in a way that honours your unique path. My approach is guided by the following values, with safety at the centre:
Connection, Presence, and Wholeness
At the heart of therapy are the values that shape the healing relationship. These values are not abstract ideals but lived practices — ways of being that honour vulnerability and support safety, resilience, and transformation.
Connection reminds us that healing is rooted in relationship, both with ourselves and with others. Presence offers a steady ground, helping us remain aware and compassionate even when life feels overwhelming. Wholeness invites us to gather together the parts of ourselves that have been divided or hidden, creating space for integration, balance, and a more authentic way of living.
Together, these values form the foundation of therapy: meeting you where you are at, with openness and compassion, and supporting your movement toward a more whole and balanced life - one that integrates all parts of self.
Connection is a core human need, yet it can feel deeply vulnerable. At times of overwhelm, it is natural to pull back — a nervous system response designed to protect us. Safety is the foundation of connection, and in therapy this is always met with compassion, not as failure but as wisdom. Healing grows when we can notice these patterns and begin to turn, however slowly, back toward ourselves, our emotions, our body, and others. Therapy becomes a place to practice weaving these threads of connection back together in ways that feel safe and real. In this space, your story is honoured, your struggles are met with care, and the foundation for growth and resilience can take root.
Connection
Presence is the steady ground we return to, though it does not always come naturally. When life feels steady, presence is more accessible. Yet when pain or conflict arise, it often slips away as the nervous system shifts into survival mode, pulling us from awareness of ourselves and others. In therapy, we focus on regulating the system — grounding, noticing, and gradually building somatic and emotional awareness — so that presence becomes possible even in moments of difficulty. Cultivating presence also means tending to self-care and drawing on resources that support balance and stability. Embodied Mindfulness practices strengthens this process. Presence is at the heart of healing: it allows us to pause, to breathe, and to meet ourselves with self-compassion, creating space for kindness toward our own experience.
Presence
Wholeness is about bringing together the parts of ourselves that have become divided or hidden, often as a way of surviving pain. In therapy, we gently make space for all aspects of your experience — mind, body, emotions, and spirit — so they can be seen and integrated. Curiosity invites openness, while exploration carries us into new terrain. Even when life feels overwhelming, these practices allow us to lean gently into what is not yet known. Together, they help uncover meaning, create direction, and shape goals that support growth. In this process, we discover not only what has been holding us back, but also what supports our becoming more whole, balanced, and alive.
Wholeness
Take time. Slow down. Come to centre.
My background
I hold a Master of Psycho-Spiritual Studies in Spiritual Care and Psychotherapy from the University of Toronto, and a Master of Fine Arts from the University of Saskatchewan. My training bridges psychotherapy, creative arts, and spiritual care, grounding me in both evidence-based approaches and expressive, integrative methods.
I have pursued additional studies in EMDR, Somatic Experiencing®, sound therapy, sensorimotor art therapy, somatic approaches, and trauma-informed mindfulness, with a particular interest in the nervous system and how it shapes our sense of safety, connection, and resilience. I have also trained in couples therapy with an attachment focus, supporting partners in creating secure, connected relationships.
A central part of my path has been grief work and spiritual care at the end of life. My experience in hospice and palliative care has given me the privilege of sitting at the bedside, accompanying individuals and families through profound loss and transition. This continues to shape my understanding of presence, ritual, and the healing power of being witnessed in our most vulnerable moments.
A little about me
Outside of my work as a psychotherapist, I am also an artist who loves painting, drawing and working with my hands. Creativity has always been a way I connect to myself and the world around me.
I feel most at home in nature — walking through forests, swimming in fresh water, and noticing the small, quiet details of the seasons. I also love plants, flowers, and wild gardens, and the sense of aliveness they bring into daily life.
I am deeply connected to community and value spaces where people can come together to learn, create, and heal. In my studio, I offer opportunities to engage with art, movement, sound, and song — practices that foster expression, connection, and well-being.
I am a mother of two adult daughters, and family continues to be one of the deepest sources of joy and learning in my life.
Interested in learning more? I’d love to hear from you!
The first step is to request a free 15-minute consultation.
Get Started
An invitation
Beginning therapy is a meaningful step. It is an investment in your wellbeing and a commitment to yourself. My role is to offer a safe, grounded, and collaborative space where your experiences are respected and your goals are held with care. Whether you are seeking support for trauma, stress, anxiety, depression, grief, or relationship challenges, therapy provides an opportunity to pause, reflect, and move toward change.
If you are considering therapy, I would be glad to meet with you.
Together we can explore whether my approach is a good fit and how we might work toward the growth, steadiness, and connection you are seeking.