Bios

Jodi is a Family Addictions Specialist with over 15 years of experience as a counsellor and more than 29 years in recovery.  She has a unique understanding of substance use disorder (addiction) from several perspectives; the parent, the child, the spouse, and the person who is addicted.  Jodi believes in guiding her clients with a compassionate, person-centred approach that connects the mind and the body for an integrated approach to healing from the inside out.

She offers an extraordinary range of experience, supporting teens, couples, families, and individuals.  She draws from a variety of modalities including Family Systems Therapy, Hypnotherapy, experiential techniques, body-centred therapy, Gestalt, Conversational Hypnotherapy, Traditional Hypnotherapy and Compassionate Inquiry.  Jodi has expertise in assisting clients facing challenges with grief and loss, addiction, ADHD, anger management, traumatic childhood and traumatic events, PTSD, weight loss concerns, anxiety, and depression.  Jodi creates a supportive, non-judgemental environment for you to relax and begin your healing journey.

In her personal life, Jodi is a devoted mom to her two incredible daughters and her 3-year-old Cavalier Spaniel, an active member of the recovery community and a creative force to be reckoned with.  She spends much of her time creating, whether that be painting, writing courses, articles, books or stories or working on DIY projects.  She has a tribe of people in her life who support each other and laugh till their face hurts, and she is volunteers her time for community projects that touch her heart.

Jason Balgopal is a graduate of Osgoode Hall Law School, and an Ontario lawyer, who was called to the bar in 1999. He has been practicing exclusively in criminal law since 2003, and has been an Assistant Crown Attorney in the Scarborough Crown Attorneys’ office since 2004. He has appeared in all levels of court in Ontario, and has conducted all manner of prosecutions, including murder trials and a dangerous offender application.

He is a member of the Elder Abuse Consultation Team (EACT) in Toronto and has presented many times on the topic of Elder Abuse. He is also a member of the Scarborough Human Services and Justice Coordinating Committee (HSJCC) which helps to coordinate the various services offered by different organizations to a diverse population.

He has also been challenged by depression and anxiety. By using a variety of supports, including therapy, medication, and peer support, he was able to get into a “better head space”. He has presented a number of times to the Law Society of Ontario and the Ministry of the Attorney General about mental wellness. In 2015, he started the Mental Wellness Peer Support groups which offer anyone with, or supporting someone with, a mental wellness challenge a safe place to unburden themselves in the company of like-minded people, and receive feedback in the form of empathy or real-life best-practices which have worked for others. The groups also offer regular members access to free professional therapy with a licenced therapist.