Karen McKenna-Quayle

A woman with gray hair, wearing glasses and a black jacket, sitting outdoors in a garden or conservatory, holding a pink mug with a skull and flower design, smiling at the camera.

ADHD Therapist in Port Perry and Across Ontario.

This work is personal for me. I understand ADHD not just professionally, but personally.

I live with ADHD and chronic illness, and parent a child with ADHD. I know what it is like to carry the invisible load, manage constant mental noise, and feel the pressure of holding everything together.

This lived experience shapes how I show up in my work every day.

My professional background

Close-up of a weathered skull sculpture with dark patches and cracks, partially obscured by greenery in the background.

Before becoming a therapist, I spent many years in education as a Special Education Resource Teacher, Guidance Counsellor and department head.

I supported students and families navigating ADHD, ASD, and learning differences, helping them better understand how their brains work and how to succeed in systems that were not designed for them.


Today, I bring that experience into my work as a Registered Psychotherapist with specialized training in ADHD. I am certified in Ontario by the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) and Canada-wide by the Canadian Counselling & Psychotherapy Association (CCPA), and was selected for a 2025 CCPA National Award.

Background and Training

Extensive training to help you access effective, evidence-based therapy.

Click here for additional information about my psychotherapy services, clinical approach, and publicly available feedback.

    • Approved provider, Victim Quick Response Program — Durham Region Police Services / Ministry of Community and Social Services

    • The Embodied Therapist: Polyvagal Informed Somatic Techniques in Action

    • Walk and Talk Therapy Training Course

    • 2024 CCPA Annual Conference-Navigating Trauma, Finding Connection (3-day)

    • 2025 CCPA Annual Conference (3-day)

    • The Wounded Healer

    • Unlocking the Mystery of Chronic Pain: A Collaborative Approach to Understand Managing Chronic Pain

    • Stress Reduction Techniques for Therapists

    • Clinical Applications of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) for Anxiety

    • Dialectical Behavioural Therapy

    • Cognitive Processing Therapy

    • Emotionally Focused Therapy for Couples Levels 1-5

    • Sex Therapy: Core Skills for Clinicians

    • Sexuality Counselling Through the Lifespan

    • Levels 1 and 2 Collaborative Family Professional

    • Power Imbalances and Domestic Violence Screening

    • Gottman Method Couples Therapy Level 1 in progress

Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association certificate awarded to Karen McKenna-Quayle. Features red maple leaf design, black and white text, and a gold seal.

    • Master’s in Counselling Psychology

    • Bachelor of Education

    • Bachelor of Arts Disability Studies; Minor in Family Supports & Community Practice

    • Developmental Services Worker Diploma

    • ADHD-Certified Clinical Services Provider

    • Changing the ADHD Brain: Moving Beyond Medication

    • ADHD in Children and Adolescents: Advances in Diagnosis, Treatment and Management

    • Rethinking ADHD: A New Treatment Approach

    • Psychopharmacology: Essential Updates for Mental Health Professionals

    • Adult ADHD: Targeting Executive Skills to Manage ADHD in Adults

    • ADHD, Relationships, and Sex: Strategies to Overcome the Over/Underfunctioner Dynamic

    • Extended Adolescence-When 25 Looks More Like 18: Clinical Strategies for Clients Struggling to Meet the Demands of Adulthood

    • CBT Strategies for Kids and Adolescents: Supporting Students with ADHD and Anxiety

    • Identifying and Treating the 1 in 5 Students with ADHD and Learning Disabilities who are Returning to School Misdiagnosed and Misunderstood

  • Body Brave: Eating Disorder Sensitive Training

My Approach

My approach to therapy is collaborative, practical, and grounded in understanding how ADHD shows up in daily life. I integrate evidence-based approaches such as CBT with somatic and nervous system-informed work.

Together, we focus on:

  • Understanding patterns of overwhelm and burnout

  • Reducing anxiety and emotional intensity

  • Building ADHD-friendly coping strategies

  • Recovering from trauma whether historical or recent

  • Creating sustainable changes that work in real life

Therapy is not about fixing you. It is about helping you understand your mind and body, and building ways to support yourself that feel realistic and sustainable.

What it’s like to work together

Clients often tell me therapy feels different here.

Sessions are warm, supportive, and collaborative. We explore what is not working while also building practical tools you can actually use outside of sessions.

There is space for honesty, humour, and real-life problem solving.

You do not have to show up perfectly. You can show up as you are.

Gray circular logo with white text reading 'Victim Services Durham Region' surrounding a central stylized check mark or tick in the middle.
Logo for Rainbow Health Ontario featuring a heart and a flower icon with text below that reads "Rainbow Health Ontario" and "Sherbourne Health."
Seal of the Canadian Certified Counsellor, featuring a maple leaf at the center and surrounded by circular text in English and French designating Canadian association of credentialed counselors.
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Logo featuring a circle with a cherry blossom branch inside, surrounded by the text 'Certified Walk and Talk Therapy Provider' and 'Since 2024'.

Ready to get started?

If you are feeling overwhelmed, stretched thin, or stuck in patterns that are not working, therapy can help.

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