I believe that every person has an inherent right to respect and dignity.

I believe that each person lives in the context of family and community.

I have faith in the human spirit to work through adversity and tragedy. Each has the ability to maximize his/her strengths and each has a valuable contribution to make to the community he/she lives in.

I believe that the couple relationship can provide a nurturing framework for the expression of our need to belong, connect, to love and be loved.

My work is client-centred and focused on the journey toward healing, growth and fulfillment through connecting with self and others in a meaningful way.

Read Eke's Article

Eke emigrated to Canada in 1976. She was married and raised three sons. She knows the difficulties and grief divorce brings. At this time she is living happily in a blended family situation.

Eke (pronounced EH-ka) Van der Zee has over twenty years of experience as a Social Worker/Psychotherapist. She has worked in community agencies and in private practice. At the moment she works in private practice full-time. She has a lot of experience doing individual and couple counselling regarding a variety of issues. Her working style is interactive, respectful and she brings a deep awareness of gender issues to her work.

She has a BA (Psychology with merit) and BSW (Social Work with distinction.) She has received professional training in several areas of her field:

She is a registered member of the Ontario College of Certified Social Workers and Social Service Workers, and the Ontario Association of Professional Social Workers.

"My approach to therapy is that I work from a humanistic perspective, am aware of power imbalances between the genders, and work with emotions as agents of change.
I am interactive in the sessions, create a safe environment for clients to express their thoughts and feelings, step into their world and listen to their experiences.
Together we explore their reality, acknowledge the feelings, try to make sense of things, and create a stronger sense of self through support and encouragement.
Realizing our choices, facing the feelings, making the changes, taking calculated risks, and problem solving are all part of this process."