Heather Hay

My name is Heather, and I am a Registered Psychotherapist working under the supervision of Dr. Jacqueline Rynard, Psychologist. I provide treatment in-person at both our Barrie and Bracebridge offices, serving the Simcoe Muskoka region, as well as online across Ontario. 

Are you feeling anxious, stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected from yourself or others? I offer a thoughtful, compassionate, and collaborative approach to psychotherapy, supporting clients as they explore their experiences, strengthen their sense of self, and move toward lasting, meaningful change.

I work with children (9 years+), adolescents, adults, and groups using a trauma-informed, strengths-based, person-centred, and anti-oppressive approach. I incorporate cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), mindfulness-based approaches, and solution-focused therapy as treatment modalities.  I have extensive experience supporting queer, Indigenous, neurodivergent, racialized individuals, and people with disabilities.  I always strive to create a space where clients feel seen, respected, and safe to be themselves.

My own life journey has been shaped by curiosity, resilience, and deep reflection. I have lived off-grid in the Arctic, built my own houseboat, worked throughout the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, and spent years immersed in meditation and contemplative practice, including multiple 10-day Vipassana retreats. These experiences have taught me about adaptability, uncertainty, and the importance of connection, which are lessons I bring into my therapeutic work with humility and compassion.

As a therapist, I am less interested in “fixing” you and more interested in walking alongside you as you discover your own strengths, insights, and capacity for growth. Whether you are navigating anxiety, trauma, identity, relationships, burnout, or life transitions, our work together is guided by your goals, values, and pace.

Psychotherapy is not about becoming someone else. It is about becoming more fully yourself. If you are looking for a therapist in Bracebridge, Muskoka, or online who offers curiosity, respect, depth, and genuine human connection, I would be honoured to support you.

Your journey toward clarity, resilience, and growth can begin here. Let’s take the first step together.