Hi, I’m Sherine Chacko, a Registered Social Worker with over 16 years of experience supporting individuals, couples, and families through emotional, relational, and life challenges.
I often work with clients who look like they are managing on the outside but feel overwhelmed internally. You may be struggling with anxiety, low mood, relationship stress, emotional reactivity, lack of motivation, or a sense of disconnection from yourself. You may be seeking coping strategies, but also wanting to understand yourself more deeply.
My goal is to create a safe, respectful, and non-judgmental space where you can speak openly, feel understood, and begin making meaningful changes. I believe therapy works best when it is collaborative. I do not see my role as doing the work for you, but as walking alongside you as you develop insight, confidence, emotional clarity, and practical tools for your life.
I also believe that no person exists in isolation. Your relationships, culture, values, faith, family history, and life experiences all matter. In therapy, we will consider the full context of who you are — not just your symptoms.
Client Focus
Session Format: Couple, Individual sessions.
Age Specialty: Adult, Senior, Young Adult
Demographic Expertise: Asian, Black / African American, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu, Hispanic / Latino, Jewish, LDS/Mormon, LGBTQ+, Men, Middle Eastern, Military / Veterans, Muslim, Native American, Pacific Islander, Persons with Disabilities, Sikh, Women clients.
Languages: English, Hindi, Bengali, Malayalam
Treatment Approach
- Acceptance & Commitment Therapy (ACT) Helps people accept difficult thoughts and feelings instead of fighting them, while committing to actions that reflect their values. It blends mindfulness with practical behavior strategies.
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) One of the most widely used approaches, CBT helps people identify unhelpful thoughts and replace them with healthier patterns. It is effective for anxiety, depression, and many other concerns.
- Eclectic Therapy Draws from different therapeutic methods based on what fits each client best. It is flexible and personalized rather than following one single model.
- Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Focuses on strengthening emotional bonds in couples or families. It helps people identify negative cycles and create more secure connections.
- Family Systems Therapy Looks at problems within the context of the family as a whole. It aims to improve communication and balance in family relationships.
- Feminist Therapy Addresses how gender roles, power, and social inequality affect mental health. It empowers clients to challenge limiting beliefs and systems.
- Gestalt Therapy Encourages awareness of thoughts, feelings, and actions in the present moment. It helps people integrate different parts of themselves for wholeness.
- Internal Family Systems (IFS) Helps clients heal by working with different ‘parts’ of themselves, like inner critics or wounded children. It fosters harmony within the self.
- Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT) Combines mindfulness practices with CBT to prevent depression relapse. It helps people notice thoughts without judgment and respond more calmly.
- Motivational Interviewing (MI) A collaborative, client-centered approach that strengthens motivation for change. It is especially effective for addictions and health behaviors.
- Multicultural Therapy Acknowledges the role of culture, race, and identity in mental health. It values diversity and adapts treatment to each person’s background.
- Narrative Therapy Encourages people to view problems as separate from themselves and reframe their life story. It helps build resilience and self-identity.
- Person-Centered Therapy (Rogerian) Emphasizes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity. It provides a safe space for self-discovery and growth.
- Psychodynamic Therapy Explores unconscious thoughts and patterns that influence current behavior. It builds insight into how the past impacts the present.
- Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT) Helps clients challenge and replace irrational beliefs. It is an action-oriented approach for lasting change.
- Social Constructionist Therapy Looks at how social and cultural context shapes identity and problems. It helps clients create new narratives of meaning.
- Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT) Focuses on solutions and future goals rather than past problems. It is practical, short-term, and goal-driven.
- Somatic Therapy Helps clients notice how emotions are stored in the body. It uses breath, movement, and awareness for healing trauma and stress.
Approach Description: My therapeutic approach is collaborative, practical, and grounded in emotional safety. I integrate Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, mindfulness, solution-focused strategies, psychoeducation, and a client-centred lens.
In our work together, we may explore the thoughts, emotions, relationship patterns, values, and life experiences that are shaping how you feel and respond. I help clients build coping skills, increase emotional awareness, strengthen communication, and reconnect with their own strengths.
I also value accountability in therapy. Meaningful change often happens not only during sessions, but also through reflection and practice between sessions. My role is to support you with compassion while helping you move toward the goals that matter most to you.
For couples, my approach focuses on understanding each partner’s perspective, identifying patterns of communication and conflict, and creating space for the emotions underneath the surface. Often, anger or frustration may be protecting deeper feelings such as hurt, fear, loneliness, or a desire to reconnect. Therapy can help couples express these needs more clearly and respond to each other with greater understanding.
Fees & Insurance
Fees
- Average Session Fee $190
- Affordable sliding scale therapy: apply if you may be eligible.
- A limited number of sliding-scale spots are available for clients facing financial barriers (e.g., students, newcomers, single-income caregivers, or temporary employment disruption). Sessions are online only and typically 50 minutes. Sliding-scale availability changes throughout the year and is offered for short-term work while circumstances stabilize. Please mention “sliding scale” when you inquire so we can confirm current openings and fit.
- Accepts Insurance
- Nearly all insurance policies cover psychotherapy from Social Workers! After each session, you'll receive a receipt which you can use for submitting a claim.
Education & Credentials
Sherine Chacko MSW,RSW
- Female
- License # 833692
- Licensed in ON
- Practicing Since 2009
Education: Bachelor of Arts, English Honours with Sociology and Political Science – University of Calcutta
Master’s of Social Work – Kerala University
Sherine Chacko Practice Details
Therapy Sessions
- Available In-Person in Pickering, ON L1V 7G5 and Ajax, ON
- Available Online for residents of Ontario
- Online Therapy Details: JaneApp
Many people come to therapy feeling overwhelmed by their thoughts, disconnected from themselves, or exhausted by patterns they do not fully understand. You may not have a formal diagnosis, but you know something feels heavy — anxiety, low mood, stress, relationship conflict, emotional overwhelm, or difficulty coping with life transitions.
I support individuals and couples in a warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental space where you can slow down, understand what is happening beneath the surface, and build practical tools for change. My work is especially focused on anxiety, depression, emotional regulation, relationship concerns, premarital and marital issues, and the role of faith, culture, values, and identity in mental health.
With couples, I help partners better understand their communication patterns, emotional needs, conflict cycles, and deeper feelings underneath anger, frustration, hurt, or distance. My role is not to take sides, but to help both partners feel heard while working toward healthier communication, emotional safety, and clearer connection.
Therapy with me is collaborative, compassionate, and practical. Together, we will explore your concerns, identify your strengths, and develop strategies that support greater self-awareness, resilience, and meaningful change.