Amber Rutherford MSW, RSW

I have been the parent who struggled silently with mental health following the birth of my children. While I loved parenthood and my children deeply, the personal struggles I faced transformed my parenting journey into something I wasn’t prepared for or enjoying.

I spent countless nights awake with a child who wouldn’t sleep, who cluster-fed and never wanted to be put down. As my children grew, I faced new challenges around managing difficult behaviours. I read every book and listened to well-meaning relatives, but the overwhelming flood of information and advice began to drown out something crucial—my intuition. Learning to trust my gut and set diplomatic boundaries around parenting advice became one of my most valuable parenting skills.

Motherhood changed me forever, and since becoming a mother, my professional mission has been to help other parents find their own voice, trust their intuition, and discover their inner strength. It’s an honour to guide parents through this incredibly rewarding yet challenging journey of raising little humans. Yes, parenting is beautiful and meaningful, but it’s also difficult. It has a way of surfacing our deepest personal issues, especially when we’re navigating identity shifts, children’s challenging behaviors, and mental health concerns that can emerge during this season of life.

In our work together, you can expect a gentle process where you feel deeply seen and understood. We’ll build a therapeutic relationship grounded in trust, authenticity, and respect. You are the expert of your own life—I offer an eclectic, dynamic approach to help you make sense of your challenges, heal, and build resilience in a way that feels authentic to you.

Together, we’ll use compassion, curiosity, and humor to give you the strength and security to believe you’re truly doing your best at one of life’s hardest jobs. I’m a down-to-earth therapist who provides an empathetic, strengths-based approach within an anti-oppressive and LGBTQ+ affirming space. I bring the therapeutic container, the knowledge, research, and evidence-based strategies – you bring the wisdom of what works best for you. Together, we’ll create a plan to help you rediscover yourself, reclaim your voice, and restore joy to your life, your parenting, and your home.