Willa McCaffrey-Noviss

Registered Psychotherapist (RP)

About Willa: Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario

Hi there — I’m Willa, a Registered Psychotherapist (RP #11507) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO). I hold a Master of Education in Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto (2022) and an Honours Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Mount Allison University in New Brunswick (2017), where I completed two years of research in hospice and palliative care. 

Over the past ten years, I’ve worked in mental health across Canada and internationally — in frontline crisis response, community agency volunteering, and in private practice as an individual and couples therapist. My work has focused on issues related to sex, relationships and life transitions. I have experience working with issues related to addictions & substance use, anxiety & depression, concerns specific to LGBTQ+ identities, ADHD, difficulties in the workplace, family conflicts, stress & burnout

What it’s like to work with me

Clients often describe me as curious, honest, insightful, expressive, and grounded. I bring a mix of intensity and pragmatism — therapy sessions with me often can address symptom reduction but also tend to go beyond the surface level. I also keep us tethered to the present moment.

In a few words…

I asked family, friend, and of course clients to briefly describe what it’s like to sit with me in a few words. I hope this helps you get a glimpse of what it might be like to work with me. I don’t take it lightly that to connect with a therapist is a gift of trust and I hope this may help in your understanding.

receptive, open, expressive

warm, kind, energetic, passionate

insightful, observant, pragmatic, curious

conscientious, honest, grounded

Therapy for Life Transitions, Intimacy, and Self-Discovery

My approach to therapy is one of integration and leaning into growth edges — learning not to turn away from suffering, but to move through it with courage, kindness, and purpose. Healing isn’t about erasing what’s happened; it’s about transforming it into something that becomes deeply your own. 

I was first drawn to becoming a therapist through working with sexual assault assault survivors, where I realized that I wanted to help people not just survive and cope after terrible events, but to ultimately reclaim their sense of self and their sexuality and to connect with themselves and others in the way they want. 

Through my work in end-of-life care and addiction recovery, I’ve seen how change begins with presence — meeting yourself where you are, even when it hurts. I view therapy as both a creative and collaborative process: a space to explore yourself, your relationships, and patterns of being. My role is to help you move from a place of simply getting by to a place of deeper understanding and designing — crafting a life that feels harmonious to your mind, body, and spirit.

  • Sex Therapy

    • Weekly supervision with Dr. Morag Yule, Toronto, ON (2022-2024)

    • Bi-weekly group peer supervision at Ontario Sex Therapy, Toronto, ON (ongoing, since 2023)

    • Bi-weekly learning didactics at Ontario Sex Therapy, Toronto, ON (ongoing, since 2024)

    • Optimizing Sexual Experiences Group Couples Therapy course, Optimal Sexual Experiences Training Program with Dr. Peggy Kleinplatz, Ottawa, ON (January - March 2024)

    • Intensive Sex Therapy Program, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON (February 2021)

    Mindfulness

    • 10-day silent Vipassana meditation course, Vipassana Meditation Centre, Meritt, BC (September 2019)

    • Personal daily practice

    Supervisor Training

    • Practical Clinical Supervision for Psychotherapists: A Self and Relational Approach with Dr. Augustine Meier, Institute for Self-in-Relationship Psychotherapy (Ottawa, Ontario) (October 2025)

    Specific Modalities & Concerns

    • How to Diagnose and Treat OCD course, National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM) (November 2025)

    • Trauma-Focused ACT (November 2025)

    • Expert Strategies for Working with Anxiety series ,National Institute for the Clinical Application of Behavioral Medicine (NICABM) (November 2025)

    • CBT for Anxiety Disorder (January 2024)

    • Certificate in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) Level 1: Foundations, Sickkids Toronto, ON (October 2022)

    • Yearlong supervision & psychotherapy practicum with an LGBTQ+ population, Toronto, ON (September 2021 - May 2022)

    Crisis Response

    • Assessing and Managing Suicide Risk (AMSR) (October 2022)

    • Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Training, the Mandt System Training Foundation, Victoria, BC (November 2019)

    • Overdose Response & Prevention Training, PHS Community Services, Victoria, BC (February 2017)

    • Sexual Assault Response Team volunteer training program, Victoria Sexual Assault Centre, Victoria, BC (January-April 2018)

  • I love working with people across a variety of demographics and presenting concerns. Over the years, I have noticed that I have been particularly well suited to the following:

    • Issues related to sex & sexuality, including exploration, shame, problems with orgasm, sexual assault histories, and issues involving erectile difficulties.

    • Romantic relationship issues, including issues with trust, designing & defining the relationship structure, sexual & intimate connection infidelity & ruptures of trust, and issues with communication.

    • Non-romantic relationship issues such as processing family dynamics, friendship difficulties.

    • Issues related to relationship with the self such as difficulties identifying and processing thoughts, emotions and experiences and a desire to better understand oneself.

    • Life changes, stages, and transitions, such as transition to adulthood, divorce/breakups, and death

    • Death and end-of-life experiences