Denise Wallis

MSW, RSW
Reistered Social Worker
“You don’t have to be positive all the time. It’s perfectly okay to feel sad, angry, annoyed, frustrated, scared, or anxious. Having feelings doesn’t make you a ‘negative person.’ It makes you human.” -Lori Deschene

Denise Wallis, MSW, has spent over 15 years working with individuals who are struggling with their mental health. She specializes in youth counselling to do with trauma, self-harm, anxiety, depression, substance use, ADHD, relationship issues, and suicidal thoughts as well as family therapy and parent coaching. She is certified in various therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT).

Background & qualifications

  • MSW - UoT, 2010
  • EMDR - Open Like Blue Sky, 2023
  • CPT - Cognitive Behavioural Institute Centre for Education, 2023
  • Choices & Change - Self Management Program CE, 2023
  • Prolonged Exposure - Centre for Anxiety Behaviour Therapy, 2021
  • CBT-I for Treating Insomnia & Comorbid Conditions, Leading Edge Seminars, 2019
  • ACT for Beginners - Psychwire, 2018
  • Foundations of Mindful Eating - University of Toronto, 2018
  • Advanced Trauma Certification - Safeguards, 2017
  • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy - Kinark, 2017
  • CHyMH Assessment - interRAI, 2017
  • Trauma Assessment & Treatment Certificate - Safeguards, 2016
  • Basic Pharmacology in Mental Health & Cubstance Use - CAMH, 2014
  • Introduction to Interpersonal Psychotherapy - IIP, 2014
  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills - Humber College, 2013
  • Solution Focused Counselling - UoT, 2013
  • Narrative Therapy - Oolagen, 2011

Experience & areas of focus

Denise has over 15 years of experience working with youth and adults experiencing mental health challenges.  Her areas of expertise include anxiety, depression, emotional regulation challenges, grief, self-esteem, self-harming behaviour, suicidal ideation, sexual abuse and physical assault

Approach to care

Denise believes that "you are the expert on your own life" and her role is to walk alongside you to figure out what works best. For over 10 years, she has worked with people have felt overwhelmed by anxiety, depression, big emotions, tough life changes, grief, and painful past experiences. While trained in different tools and approaches that can help, what matters most is finding the way forward that feels right for you - working at your pace to build a plan that supports your healing, growth and overall well-being.

Associations, media, publications