Jessie K. Baynham
Born overseas and raised in Toronto, I came to Guelph, Ontario for my undergraduate BASc degree in Family & Social Relations, and never left. I live near downtown with my wife, my son, a cat (Squid), a dog (Marley) and several backyard chickens with ridiculous names. To recharge, I love to engage in many activities, including music & singing, poetry, getting outdoors, camping, swimming, gardening and reading.
I worked in community mental health for approximately 13 years in several different roles, including as a “master trainer” for LivingWorks’ 2-day ASIST workshops (Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training). I managed a local crisis and distress service, worked in Community Development & Education and wore several other hats along the way. After years of challenging work in “the system” I took an extended detour and ran a successful local environmentally-focused business for 9 years.
After going back to school to complete my Master’s at age 40, I now offer psychotherapy services to folx in person (downtown Guelph) and across Ontario (Telehealth). My own lived experience with trauma, mental health challenges, divorce, sexuality/identity and experience of parenthood help inform and support the work we will do together.
As a queer-identified woman, I am particularly interested but not exclusively focused on supporting clients within the LGBTQ2SIA+ community. I intentionally support overall mental wellness for all men, women and couples as we work to resolve, understand and reflect on internal and systemic barriers that exist in attaining psychological well-being.
Great mental health sometimes takes a village, and that’s exactly what Psychotherapy Matters has built. As an accredited member of Psychotherapy Matters Virtual Clinic, I can help you access virtual psychiatry appointments and/or assessments, done together in my office (or online if that’s how we normally meet). This access can be critical in supporting your wellness in a timely fashion, especially when wait times for psychiatric appointments and assessments are very long in most parts of Ontario.
Access to Psychotherapy Matters Virtual Clinic represents the cutting edge of collaborative mental health care.
Some of the benefits of this program are:
- Assistance for clients in completing forms to determine eligibility and to prepare for psychiatric appointments
- Access to therapy and measurement tools, practice resources, and up to date research (for me as a clinician)
- Coordinating and liaising with family doctors and psychiatrists* on clients’ behalf to set up appointments (*psychiatrist fees are covered by OHIP)
- Attending Virtual Clinic psychiatrist appointments with clients, as part of your circle of care
To learn more about Psychotherapy Matters, check out the information below:
Contact Me
Please select book now to schedule an appointment or contact me if you have any questions. Psychotherapy in my Guelph office is available, or we can connect remotely via telehealth