Lola Leving (she/her)

MA, PhD Candidate

Lola is a doctoral candidate in the Clinical and Counselling Psychology Program at the University of Toronto. She received her Master’s degree in Clinical and Counselling Psychology from the University of Toronto in 2024 and holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and History of Science and Technology from Dalhousie University. 

At FTPS, Lola provides assessment and treatment services for adults experiencing a range of emotional, relational, and mental health concerns. She supports individuals navigating anxiety, health anxiety, chronic pain, depression, OCD, trauma, emotion dysregulation, ADHD, autism, perfectionism, self-esteem concerns, burnout, and life stress. Across her work, she is passionate about supporting individuals living with anxiety, pain, trauma, and difficult life circumstances, while helping them cultivate resilience, self-compassion, and a greater sense of wellbeing.

Lola has experience working with a wide range of OCD-related concerns, including intrusive and obsessional thoughts related to relationships, morality, contamination, responsibility, and perfectionism, as well as compulsions such as checking, repeating, reassurance seeking, and mental rituals. 

Lola has trained in hospital, community, and academic clinical settings. At Princess Margaret Cancer Centre at University Health Network, she provided psychotherapy and assessment services to oncology patients across diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and adjustment to life after cancer. Her work supported clients navigating health anxiety, uncertainty, grief, trauma, changes in identity and body image, sexual health concerns, and the emotional impact of illness and medical treatment. 

Lola has also provided individual psychotherapy through the OISE Psychology Clinic, facilitated trauma-informed mindfulness-based groups with Trauma Practice for Healthy Communities, and delivered evidence-based skills support to families across Canada through Strongest Families Institute. Lola will soon be joining the Toronto Academic Pain Medicine Institute at Women’s College Hospital, where she will provide assessment and intervention services for individuals experiencing chronic pain. 

Lola’s clinical approach is warm, compassionate, and collaborative. She values the therapeutic relationship and works with clients to identify meaningful goals, build on existing strengths, and create change in ways that feel supportive and tailored to each person’s needs. Lola works alongside clients to cultivate a deeper understanding of the patterns, emotions, and experiences that may be contributing to current challenges. Her style is gentle, curious, and client-centred, while also practical and goal-oriented. She aims to tailor therapy to each person’s needs and pace, helping people create meaningful change in ways that feel supportive, sustainable, and authentic to them.

Lola’s work is grounded in evidence-based treatment and informed by person-centred, humanistic, and experiential principles. Lola draws from approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT), Schema Therapy, Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT).

Outside of clinical practice, Lola’s doctoral research investigates Mindfulness Meditation and Experiential Focusing as distinct yet related ways of attending to emotional experience and supporting wellbeing in academic and community contexts. Lola is also a certified yoga instructor (RYT-200) and enjoys making space for movement and mindfulness. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, getting creative through arts and crafts, and spending time with friends.