Mego Nerses is a Registered Psychotherapist with offices in Toronto and Ottawa, offering virtual psychotherapy to adults and couples across Ontario. His practice is built for people carrying complex histories, whether that means trauma, displacement, questions of identity and sexuality, or the weight of what has never been spoken aloud. Sessions are available in English, Arabic, and Armenian.
Mego Nerses is a Registered Psychotherapist (RP) and Certified Counsellor (CCC) with more than 15 years of clinical experience. His practice is not a general one. It is built at the intersection of trauma, identity, displacement, and dignity, and it is informed by what he has witnessed working alongside some of the most marginalized and resilient people in Ontario and beyond.
Some people have spent years in survival mode. Others have carried stories they have never had the language, or the safety, to speak aloud. Many have moved through systems, legal, medical, social, that addressed their circumstances but not their humanity. Mego’s practice exists for those people. It is built for complexity, for the kind of human experience that does not resolve quickly or fit neatly into a treatment plan. The work spans trauma, identity, displacement, relationships, and sexuality, and it is conducted in English, Arabic, and Armenian, because access to care that actually reaches you begins with being heard in your own language.
In 2017, he received the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association Humanitarian Award for his clinical work with LGBTQ+ refugees. It is the kind of recognition that reflects not a moment but a sustained commitment.
Mego contributes regularly to professional conversations on trauma, refugee mental health, immigration evaluations, and clinical training across Ontario and Canada. Recent work includes workshops, conference presentations, and publications at the intersection of immigration law and mental health practice.
Therapy is not a service delivered to a passive recipient. It is a relationship, and the quality of that relationship is the most consistent predictor of whether therapy works. Research in psychotherapy outcomes has supported this for decades (Norcross and Lambert, 2011). Technique matters, but the therapeutic alliance matters more.
Mego’s practice is built on the conviction that people do not need to be fixed. They need to be understood. Most presenting problems, whether trauma responses, relational patterns, sexual concerns, or existential distress, make sense when placed in the context of a person’s history. The work is to build that context together, clearly and without judgment, and then to identify what change is possible and what it would actually require.
This is not passive work. It asks something of both people in the room. But for those who are ready, it can be among the most meaningful things a person undertakes.
He holds a Master of Education in Counselling from the University of Ottawa (2011) and is registered with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO #001132) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA #3058). Since 2013, he has taught courses in mental health and addiction at Algonquin College.
His clinical work spans trauma and PTSD, sex therapy, sexuality and gender identity, refugee mental health, and immigration evaluations. He has contributed to publications and professional training on LGBTQI+ refugee mental health and received the 2017 CCPA Humanitarian Award for his sustained clinical work with LGBTQ+ refugees. He has completed hundreds of immigration evaluations in support of refugee and humanitarian proceedings across Canada.
Psychotherapy and evaluations are available in English, Arabic, and Armenian.
Psychotherapy, also known as talk therapy, can offer a wide range of benefits for individuals struggling with mental health issues. Some of the potential benefits of psychotherapy include:
It’s important to note that different people may respond differently to different treatments, so it may take some trial and error to find the right one for you. It is best to consult a mental health professional to determine the best treatment plan for you.
REFERENCES: Norcross, J. C., and Lambert, M. J. (2011). Psychotherapy relationships that work II. Psychotherapy, 48(1), 4-8. https://doi.org/10.1037/a0022180
I am an Ottawa-based Registered Psychotherapist and have a full-time private practice. In the past, I worked in social service agencies for many years. I offer individual, relationship, and sex therapy in English, Arabic, and Armenian to adults 18+, and I do not work with minors.
In 2011, I earned a master’s degree in Counselling from the University of Ottawa. I am a Registered Psychotherapist in Ontario (CRPO#001132) with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. In addition, I am a Certified Counsellor with the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA#3058). My clinical training focuses on relationship and sex therapy and trauma/PTSD. Since 2013, I have been at Algonquin College as a seasonal professor, teaching courses in mental health and addiction.
I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to publish peer-reviewed articles and contribute chapters concerning Counselling, coming out, and trauma related explicitly to LGBTQ+ refugees and newcomers to Canada. I have presented numerous workshops and continue to offer trainings nationally and internationally on the mental health of LGBTQI+ and SOGIE refugees and asylum seekers.
Professional Work
Early in my professional career, I specialized in individual therapy and served clients with depression, anxiety, PTSD, and grief. Since then, I have taken my clinical work to a higher level and gained more experience in four areas: PTSD and Trauma, Sexuality and Gender Identity, Sex and Relationship Therapy, and Refugee mental health issues. I have received various trainings in these areas since choosing to specialize. As an example, I received training from Division 56, Trauma Psychology, Physicians for Human Rights, and the Global Institute of Forensic Research in writing immigration evaluations for immigration courts. Furthermore, I have completed multiple trainings in trauma/PTSD therapy and relationship therapy (Poly. Kink). I have participated in numerous training opportunities in the field of sex therapy, sexuality, and gender identity.
I am a LGBTQI+/poly/kink/CNM supportive and informed therapist.
Therapeutic approaches
In addition to Narrative Exposure Therapy for PTSD (NET), I have also been trained in Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and Experiential Therapy and Focusing. I integrate social justice and rights-based principles into my work as a trauma-informed therapist.
Awards
In recognition of my dedication to helping LGBTQ+ refugees and asylum seekers in Canada, I received the 2017 Humanitarian Award from the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA).
AffiliationsI have an international affiliate membership with Division 56, Trauma Psychology, the American Psychological Association (APA), and the Global Institute of Forensic Research.
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