Sabrina Ramírez-Fernandes
Clinical & School Psychological Associate
Registered with CPBAO | Member of OPA​
Psychodynamic Psychotherapy
INNERCARE
HEALTH
Oakville | Georgetown | Across Ontario
In-person | Virtual
English | Spanish
Sabrina Ramírez-Fernandes
Clinical & School Psychological Associate.
​Oakville • Georgetown • Virtual Across Ontario
For over two decades, I have worked with children,
adolescents, and adults across psychiatric hospitals, schools,
and private practice in Venezuela and Canada.
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Throughout those years, one principle has remained
constant: meaningful psychological change rarely begins
with advice or ready-made answers, worksheets or
behavioural exercises. It begins by listening carefully to
the unique way each person speaks about their experience. ​
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Over time, what once appeared confusing, repetitive, or without meaning may gradually become more understandable, creating the possibility of relating differently to oneself, to others, and to life.
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I am registered with the College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO) and am an active member of the Ontario Psychological Association (OPA). I provide individual psychodynamic psychotherapy to children, adolescents, and adults in Oakville, Georgetown, and virtually across Ontario.
Clinical Experience
My clinical work has taken place across hospitals, schools, and private practice in both Venezuela and Canada.
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Earlier in my career, I worked with children and their families in the Pediatric Oncology Unit at Hospital Clínico Universitario de Caracas, providing psychological support as they navigated the emotional impact of medical illness.
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During that same period, I participated in psychological first aid and post-disaster intervention for children affected by the 1999 Vargas tragedy in Venezuela. More than two decades later, following the earthquakes of June 24, 2026 mostly affecting La Guaira, formerly known as Vargas, I again contributed to disaster-response efforts by providing Psychological First Aid (PFA) and virtual mental health support to survivors and their families.
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Before relocating to Canada, I maintained a private practice in Caracas, Venezuela, where I provided psychodynamic psychotherapy to adults and couples for seven years.
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After moving to Canada, I spent ten years as a Psychological Associate within the Department of Psychology at the Toronto Catholic District School Board. Working alongside multidisciplinary teams, I conducted psychological assessments, provided consultation, and delivered intensive therapeutic intervention for children and adolescents experiencing complex emotional, behavioural, learning, and mental health difficulties.
Clinical Approach
My approach is psychodynamic and psychoanalytically informed. Rather than focusing only on reducing symptoms, therapy explores the meanings, conflicts, relationships, and recurring patterns that may be contributing to emotional distress.
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Sessions are guided by careful listening to the particular way each person speaks about their experiences. Attention may be given to repeated words, contradictions, memories, relationships, dreams, silences, and questions that emerge over time.
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I do not rely on standardized worksheets, predetermined exercises, or ready-made explanations. The work develops through conversation and is shaped by each person’s history, concerns, and way of relating to themselves and others.
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The aim is not to impose a particular version of who someone should become, but to create the conditions for greater understanding, psychological movement, and more freedom in relation to persistent patterns.
Professional Development
Since 2021, I have participated in three ongoing biweekly Lacanian psychoanalytic study groups led by Argentine clinical psychologist Marcelo Augusto Pérez. These groups involve close readings of Freud’s and Lacan’s original texts, discussion of contemporary clinical problems, presentation of clinical material, peer review, and theoretical supervision. Additionally, I participate in biweekly clinical supervision focused on case formulation and clinical technique.
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My clinical work continues to be informed by regular consultation, supervision, and sustained study. I believe psychotherapy is a discipline that requires continuous learning, critical reflection, and openness to questioning one's own clinical practice.
Professional development is not an occasional activity, but an essential and ongoing part of ethical clinical practice.
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This commitment reflects a central principle of psychoanalysis: that clinicians continue examining both theory and their own clinical practice rather than assuming expertise is ever complete.​
Who I Work With
This practice may be helpful for:
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Trauma and post-traumatic stress
• Grief and loss
• Relationship difficulties
• Emotional burnout
• Perfectionism
• Repetitive life patterns
• Life transitions
• Adolescents struggling with identity
• Adults seeking greater self-understanding
• Autistic adolescents and adults seeking greater self-understanding
• Consultation with parents regarding children and adolescents
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Treatment is provided on an outpatient basis and is generally medium- to long-term.
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It is designed for individuals seeking sustained psychological change rather than rapid symptom relief or occasional supportive sessions.
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This practice may not be the most appropriate setting for individuals seeking brief, solution-focused treatment or infrequent sessions without an ongoing therapeutic commitment.
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When Another Service
May Be More Appropriate
This practice is generally not the appropriate setting for:
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• Mental health emergencies or situations requiring immediate intervention
• Active psychosis or acute psychiatric instability
• Primary treatment for substance use disorders
• Intensive outpatient or inpatient psychiatric care
• Psychological services provided under the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)
• Short- or long-term disability treatment programs
• Custody, access, parenting-capacity, or other forensic assessments
• Court-ordered assessments or evaluations
• Moderate to severe intellectual disability requiring specialized services
When clinically indicated and with appropriate consent, I collaborate with family physicians, psychiatrists, pediatricians, and other healthcare professionals to coordinate care and support continuity of treatment.
What To Expect
Psychotherapy sessions provide a confidential space to speak openly about what is bringing you to treatment. The initial meetings allow us to explore your concerns, relevant history, and what you hope to understand or change.
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Sessions are generally scheduled weekly or biweekly, depending on clinical needs and availability.
Because psychodynamic psychotherapy attends to patterns that have developed over time, treatment is usually not limited to a predetermined number of sessions.
The direction of the work is reviewed collaboratively as therapy progresses.
A Final Word
Psychotherapy often begins with an initial conversation.
Whether you are seeking to better understand persistent emotional difficulties, relationship patterns, or aspects of yourself that seem to repeat despite your best efforts, therapy offers a space to think, speak, and discover what may not yet have words.
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If this approach resonates with you, I invite you to complete the Initial Consultation Form.
I personally review each inquiry and, when appropriate, will contact you to discuss whether the practice may be a suitable fit before arranging an initial appointment.