Kira Hensley, Registered Psychotherapist | Whitby, Ontario

You're good at handling life. You always have been. But lately, whether it's a new baby, full time motherhood with a full time job, or just a brain that won't quiet down, the strategies that used to work just, well, aren't anymore.

Hi. I'm Kira, and I've been there.

Before I became a therapist, I was alphabetizing my books, building filing systems no one asked for, and spiralling on Pinterest at midnight. People scared me - what if they judged me? The self-criticism was relentless. Therapy helped me value myself for who I actually was, and I built skills I still rely on today. My fingers still twitch at a messy room, but I can recognize what’s important now.

Then I had a baby and found myself in the thick of postpartum depression and anxiety. I know what it is to feel completely undone by something you were supposed to love, and how lonely that can be.

Years later, perimenopause arrived. When I started going through it, so was the rest of Gen X. The generation that finally said enough and demanded real information and real treatment. I went looking for clinical resources to help my clients and found almost nothing - what??! So, in 2020, I became mildly obsessed with understanding what was happening for my midlife clients (and honestly, me, too). Three years of study later, I opened Durham Region's first psychotherapy clinic dedicated to perimenopause mental health.

So, yeah. I've been where you are. More than once.

The women I work with are usually at one of life's big turning points - early motherhood or perimenopause - moments when everything shifts and the coping strategies they've always relied on, suddenly don’t seem to work anymore. Both transitions are hormonal. Both shake your sense of self. And both have a way of bringing high-functioning anxiety to the surface in women who thought they had it handled.

My clients tell me I'm warm, validating, and feel understood by me, even when they are saying things aloud for the first time. They also say they the strategies we worked on together still show up for them years later. Which is, honestly, the whole point, right?

Outside the office, you'll find me lifting weights, doing yoga, or walking Maisy, my dog, who truly has an infinite amount of energy, unlike her mama. My husband and son keep me laughing, which turns out to be excellent for the nervous system.

For my training, credentials, and continuing education, see below.