Self-Esteem, Identity & Body Image Therapy in Toronto

You Don't Have to Be in Crisis to Seek Support

If you've been quietly carrying self-doubt, a shaky sense of who you are, or a difficult relationship with your body, you don't need to be "in crisis" to bring that here. Wanting to feel more like yourself is reason enough.

You're not overreacting

Maybe you second-guess decisions before you've even made them. Maybe you're not sure who you are outside of what everyone else needs from you. Maybe your relationship with your body feels like a full-time job. These struggles are common, and they're exactly the kind of thing therapy can help with, even when nothing feels "wrong enough" to justify asking for help.

What self-esteem, identity & body image therapy actually looks like

This isn't about being told to "think more positively." It's about understanding where the self-doubt or disconnection comes from, whether that's old messages you absorbed, identity questions you haven't had space to explore, or a relationship with your body shaped by diet culture, trauma, or being misunderstood, and building something steadier in its place.

We work with adults and teens (14+) on self-esteem, cultural and life-stage identity questions, and body image, often alongside related concerns like disordered eating or neurodivergence.

Who we are

Elements Therapy Group is co-founded by Loreana La Civita, MPsy., R.P. and Samantha Szirmak, MPsy., R.P., both Registered Psychotherapists.

We're a small, two-therapist practice by design: you always know exactly who you're working with.

Our approach is integrative (CBT, DBT, emotion-focused, psychodynamic) and neurodiversity-affirming: roughly half our current caseload involves neurodivergence, and we regularly work with clients navigating self-esteem and body image alongside ADHD or autism. We work alongside you, not as experts telling you who to be.

What to expect

Free 15-minute consultation. A no-pressure conversation to see if we're a good fit.
A collaborative first session. We get curious about your history and what "better" would actually look like for you.
Ongoing sessions, paced to you, whether that's building concrete tools or slower identity exploration.

What Changes

Clients tell us they start trusting their own decisions again, feel less anxious in their bodies, and stop measuring themselves against an old script that never quite fit. The inner critic doesn't disappear overnight, but it gets quieter, and it stops running the show.

That might mean speaking up more at work instead of second-guessing every sentence beforehand. It might mean feeling okay in photos, or getting dressed in the morning without a whole internal argument first.

It might mean finally answering the question "who am I, really" with something other than a shrug. For a lot of clients, it's the smaller, everyday moments that shift first: not dreading the mirror, letting a compliment land instead of deflecting it, or trusting a decision without needing to check it with five other people. Those moments add up to something bigger: a steadier sense of who you are, one that holds up even on harder days.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I need a referral to book?

No. Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario can be booked directly, no doctor referral needed.

Is this covered by insurance?

Sessions are covered by most extended health and workplace benefit plans. Check your plan for psychotherapy/RP coverage.

Do you offer virtual sessions?

Yes, in-person at our Toronto office (55 Eglinton Ave East, Suite 705) or virtual anywhere in Ontario.

Is this different from generic self-help advice?

Yes. We look at the specific roots of self-esteem and identity struggles for you, including how neurodivergence, culture, or body image intersect, rather than offering generic tips.

What if I'm not sure this is "serious enough" for therapy?

Most of the people we see feel this way at first. You don't need a diagnosis, a crisis, or a "big enough" reason to start. Feeling disconnected from yourself, stuck in self-doubt, or uncomfortable in your own body is already enough of a reason. That's genuinely what this work is for.

Let’s Work Together

Get in touch so we can start working together.