Smitha Sumakumari (she/her)

M.Psy, Doctoral Candidate

Smitha is completing her doctoral degree in Clinical Psychology at Adler Graduate Professional School in Toronto, where she also earned her Master of Psychology in Clinical and Counselling Psychology. She holds an additional Master’s in Psychology from Kerala University, India, and a Post-Graduate Diploma in Behaviour Science Technology from George Brown College. 

With more than 15 years of clinical experience, Smitha has developed particular depth and expertise in the assessment and treatment of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and related conditions. Her training includes a placement at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre’s intensive inpatient OCD unit, the only residential treatment program for OCD in Canada, where she worked across the full spectrum of OCD severity, from mild and moderate presentations in residential treatment to complex, severe cases requiring intensive, round-the-clock treatment.

During her time at Sunnybrook, Smitha was able to provide intensive treatment and support to individuals with a variety of OCD presentations, as well as to OCD-related “spectrum” conditions, including hoarding disorder, trichotillomania (hair-pulling), excoriation disorder (skin-picking), and body dysmorphic disorder. She also has experience in assessment through her work in CAMH’s Brain, Body and Perception Lab, which focuses on evaluating Body Dysmorphic Disorder.

Because OCD so often occurs alongside mood and anxiety symptoms, Smitha is also skilled at treating complex, overlapping presentations rather than OCD in isolation. Therefore, in her work, she is able to help individuals address the full picture of what they’re experiencing, not just a single challenge or mental health difficulty.

Smitha provides evidence-based therapy to adolescents and adults, with particular expertise in OCD themes such as contamination, perfectionism, symmetry, harm, “just right” feelings, religiosity, and sexuality. She also works with individuals experiencing Tourette’s syndrome, mood disorders, phobias, panic disorder, and other anxiety-related conditions, and supports clients navigating grief, trauma (PTSD), life transitions, workplace accidents and harassment, and the emotional impact of chronic illness such as cancer, diabetes, and epilepsy.

Her core treatment approach centers on Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), which is a widely recognized evidence-based treatment for OCD. For individuals who find traditional exposure work difficult to engage with, she also offers Inference-Based Cognitive Therapy (I-CBT), an alternative, cognitive processing approach that helps individuals understand why specific obsessional doubts and fears take hold and build self-awareness alongside symptom relief. She draws additionally from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), tailoring her approach to each person’s needs. She also conducts comprehensive assessments for Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD.

Smitha’s approach is anti-oppressive, trauma-informed, culturally sensitive, and strength-based. She has significant experience supporting front-line workers who have experienced complex trauma, and she is comfortable and committed to working with clients from all backgrounds. Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all model, she takes a holistic, integrative approach shaped by each client’s culture, relationships, values, and lived experience.

Above all, Smitha is an empathetic and dedicated therapist who partners collaboratively with her clients. She believes deeply in each person’s inherent strengths and resilience, and works to create a safe, non-judgmental space where clients can build genuine independence, confidence, and lasting well-being. For those living with OCD in particular, Smitha offers not just clinical expertise, but a steady, informed, and compassionate guide through even the most challenging symptoms.

Smitha provides services in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Malayalam.