I'm a social worker based in Toronto, ON.

I take a trauma-informed, critical, and anti-oppressive approach to my practice with the hope that the relationships I build with my clients provide them the space and resources they need to thrive on their own terms.

I have a background in trauma-informed program development for youth, mental health crisis counselling, and suicide prevention for diverse populations. Key skills I have developed are:

• Experience working with youth in the shelter and child protection systems

• Trauma-informed activity planning and implementation (arts-based, mindfulness based, discussion based, physical activity, mixed media)

• Workshop facilitation

• Validation and active listening

• Crisis de-escalation

• Suicide risk assessment

• Safety planning for suicide and domestic abuse

Prior to my career in social work, I spent 15 years providing recreational programming for children and youth. While working with children and their families I developed core competencies that eventually laid the foundation for my social work practice:

• Communicating and strategizing with parents re: emotional, behavioural, and physical challenges

• Accommodating neurological and developmental differences

• Identifying and building on personal strengths

• Identifying coping strategies for fear, stress, and anxiety

• Self-esteem building

• Program development and implementation

• Crisis management

• Proactive and reactive problem solving

• Clear, concise, and ethical documentation

I also have a previous life in marketing and advertising where I became an expert in:

• Writing and editing

• Content creation (social media, blogging, e-books, web content)

• Microsoft Office

• Design management

You can get in touch @ maggieclapperton@gmail.com