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Melanie Tan (she/her) - Pre-licensed Counsellor
​Languages: English

If you would like to be connected with Melanie, please email her at [email protected]
or
BOOK HERE
Availability
Tuesdays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Virtual)
Wednesdays 3:00 pm - 7:00 pm (Virtual)
Thursdays 1:30 pm - 7:00 pm (Virtual)
Fridays 8:00 am - 5:00 pm (Virtual)
Saturdays 9:00 am - 2:00 pm (In-Person at Ontario and Broadway)


About
Hey, I’m Melanie! I’m a sex therapist, former graphic designer, and storytelling enthusiast. As a bicultural (Singaporean/Canadian), demisexual woman who is personally familiar with polyamory, I bring my whole self to this work so you can feel safe bringing yours.

My ‘way of therapy’ is anchored in the core human experience. I view therapy through an existential lens (often using parts work and narrative therapy)—so basically, I like to look at the "big questions" in addition to your immediate needs.

I work with all types of folks, but I am most effective when we are navigating:
  • Sexual Wellness & Identity: Desire, libido, kinks, painful sex, and exploring gender/sexuality.
  • Shame, Trauma & Compulsion: Healing from assault, religious trauma/purity culture, and compulsive sexual behaviors.
  • Relationship Dynamics: Navigating polyamory, ethical non-monogamy (ENM), and kink dynamics.
  • The Big Stuff: Life’s direction, meaning, and who you are at your core.

Because I am trained in EMDR, we can process trauma at a nervous-system level, not just talk around it. If you’ve ever thought, “I’ve talked in circles about this thing and it just won’t go away,” this might be a way to help clean out the issues that just unlatch it’s claws from you.

Finally, a note on safety: As a survivor of sexual trauma, I’ve done my own healing work to be here. I share this not to center my story, but so you know that I can hold space for yours without flinching. You don't need to protect me from your reality.

Outside of counselling, I can be found playing Dungeons & Dragons or video games (I’m big on RPGs and deck-builders). Otherwise, I’m likely at my stationery desk playing with fountain pens, cross-stitching, or curled up with my kindle!


Approaches
  • Existential 
  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing)
  • Person-Centred
  • Narrative
  • Trauma Focused
  • Feminist
  • Internal Family Systems (Parts Work)

Areas of Focus
  • Anxiety
  • Consensual Non-Monogamy/ Polyamory
  • 2SLGBTQIA+ issues
  • Asexuality
  • Aromanticism
  • BDSM and Kink
  • Communication and Boundaries
  • Erectile Dysfuction
  • Gender Identity
  • Hypersexuality/ Compulsive Sexual Behaviors
  • Infidelity
  • Low Sexual Desire
  • Neurodiversity
  • Orgasm Difficulties
  • Painful Sex
  • PTSD/ CPTSD
  • Rapid/Delayed Ejaculation
  • Relationship Issues
  • Religious Trauma
  • Sexual Identity Concerns
  • Sexual Self-Esteem and Self-Confidence
  • Sexualized and Gender-Based Violence
  • Trauma

Selected Trainings
  • BDSM: Working with Kinky Clients—The Westland Academy of Clinical Sex Therapy
  • Canadian Certified Sex Addiction Specialist—Canadian Addiction Counsellors Certification Federation
  • EMDR Therapy — Alivia Maric, PhD, RPsych and Eve Wilensky, MA, RCC EMDR Training
  • Painful Sex: Working with Genito-Pelvic Pain/Penetration Disorders (GPPD)—Allura Sex Therapy Centre & Provider
  • Sex & Gender 101: The Basics (Mini Course)—The Westland Academy of Clinical Sex Therapy
  • Sex & Trauma: Helping Clients Move Beyond Trauma & Reclaim Their Sexuality—Allura Sex Therapy Centre & Provider

Melanie's Rates
15-min Consultation: No Cost

Individual Counselling
50-min

Standard: $120
75-min
Standard: $170


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