Frank Marchese
Frank Marchese, RP (he/him)
Registered Psychotherapist
Provinces: Ontario, Quebec, Manitoba, Newfoundland, Nunavut
How do you learn to feel happy, connected, and aware in your life with yourself and your loved ones? It starts with building a better relationship with yourself.
As a therapist, a big part of what I do is support people while they learn to trust their guts again (or sometimes for the first time), and to make peace with all the different parts of themselves. I am a registered psychotherapist, I have my Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities with a primary focus on Existentialism and Classical Philosophy. I support folks struggling with a broad range of issues, including panic, anxiety, depression, jealousy and insecurity, life changes (in career, big moves, graduating) as well as people who are just feeling a lack of meaning or connecting in their lives.
I trained in Gestalt therapy, which puts an emphasis on being very real, present and curious
Gestalt therapy appealed to me more than other mental health approaches because there is an emphasis on freedom of choice, responsibility, and acceptance of what is. Gestalt psychotherapy also encourages us to really explore and acknowledge both the beauty and the tragedy of the human experience. It’s not just, how do I improve myself because I might be flawed, but how do these challenges that I face impact my everyday experience and my relationships with others?
Who I am now, is quite different from who I was before becoming a therapist
Like so many guys out there, I held in a lot of feelings growing up. I didn’t talk about depression, fears, insecurities, or the sense of hopelessness I sometimes struggled with. I had friends but we all only got so close, there was just this unspoken rule to not share too much, that nobody would understand anyway. I worried that if they knew how I felt sometimes that they might just not accept me.
As I grew older and went to university, I started to open about my struggles to new friends and with their encouragement, I sought out the support of a therapist. I felt both hope and fear about this step since therapy was very much out of my comfort zone. I’m glad I made the leap. I began to feel seen and heard in a way that I had never known before. Just being allowed to speak my mind without filtering was so freeing and helped me a ton to clarify my life.
What I learned through counselling began to influence how I felt outside of the therapy space.
My interest in becoming a therapist began while I was working in a factory and feeling burned out. The environment was okay, if I had intended to be in a factory for the rest of my life this place was a decent choice… great pay, fair management, but I didn’t feel alive, I just felt like I was existing. In the workplace I saw people who had given up so much to doing the same thing every day, and it was like facing my future every day (and not liking what I was seeing). So, I quit.
By chance, I read a book called The Pathfinder. While reading, I realized that becoming a therapist was a profession that truly felt like the right fit for me. I began to seek out therapy styles and eventually settled on the Gestalt therapy approach as it most aligned with my values and vision. Since graduating nearly 5 years ago from that program, I still carry with me a feeling of gratitude for the ways that I was supported, authentically engaged, and taught to be more present with others. These experiences greatly influenced my way of working with clients.
I am here as a resource to help you find your inner compass, so that you can navigate life’s difficulties with more ease and feel more grounded and present in your life.
Many people who seek me out for therapy support are struggling with finding their place in the world. Fighting against family, or societal expectations and trying to figure out what they really want to do with their lives. Some people come to me angry and resentful about the burden of expectation that has been placed on their shoulders, others are very depressed or dealing with anxiety.
I offer support, an understanding witness to life’s struggles, and provide clarity around next steps and options moving forward. If you are interested in connecting with me, please reach out. I’m accepting new clients.
Areas of Practice and Approach
Individual Counselling
- Gestalt Therapy
Support For
- Anxiety
- Overthinking
- Men’s Issues
- Grief
- Depression
- Life Transitions
- Jealousy & Insecurity
- Self-Esteem
- Disconnection & Aimlessness
- Internet Issues
- Boundaries & Limits
Age Group I Work With:
- 18 and older
Professional Qualifications and Experience
Bachelor’s Degree in Humanities with a primary focus on Existentialism and Classical Philosophy. Wilfred Laurier University (2014)
Advanced Gestalt Psychotherapy Training. Gestalt Institute of Toronto (2020)
Registered Psychotherapist. College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Professional Fees
Consultations
- Initial consultations are FREE
- All consultations are 20 minutes long
Individual Counselling
- $150 + HST
- 50 minute session
Crypto Payments
- Are available, email us for more information
