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Alessandra Duggan, MSW RSW
Registered Social Worker + Psychotherapist
Hey there! I’m glad you stopped by. My name is Alessandra, but you can call me Allie (she/her). Whether this is your first time reaching out for support or you’ve been searching for the right fit, it takes strength and courage to be vulnerable enough to take this first step.
I value creating a space that feels safe, grounding, and reflective. I know how important it is to feel heard and understood as we work to build a trusting relationship. I aim to ask thoughtful, intentional questions that make space for the complexities of each person’s unique journey.
In sessions, I invite clients to slow down, reflect, and explore their thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment. I collaborate with clients and their families to build greater self-awareness, better understand their emotions and experiences, and strengthen their inner resources.
I offer sessions to children and adolescents (ages 8–17), adults, parents of the youth I support, and families navigating relationships with their loved ones. In my practice, I support challenges such as depression, anxiety, stress, ADHD, relationship conflict, childhood trauma and attachment, suicidal thoughts, and self-harm.
I have had the privilege of working in a variety of mental health settings and roles, including crisis response teams, intensive community mental health programming, Day Treatment and Live-In Treatment, and system-level project development. In addition to my private practice work, I provide crisis stabilization and counselling to children and adolescents experiencing acute mental health challenges at Grand River Hospital (Waterloo Regional Health Network @ Midtown) in Kitchener. These experiences have demonstrated the importance of a client-centred approach while bringing warmth and professionalism to each interaction.
Throughout my personal journey, schooling, and career, I have had opportunities to reflect and learn from my own experiences. I strive to be the person my younger self would have gone to for support, and in that, I hope I can offer that same sense of guidance and support to others.
When I’m off the clock, you can usually find me on a hike with my two puppies, Sora and Wellington, watching a psychological thriller, expanding my hobbies by attempting to stay on a horse, or packing my weekends with family and friends.
Beginning this process and finding the right fit with a therapist can feel overwhelming at times. If you’re interested in how we could work together, I’d be happy to offer a free 15-minute consultation.
Availability
Tuesday: 6pm-9pm (in-person + virtual)
Friday: 5pm-9pm (in-person + virtual)
My Full Circle Story
Growing up, I found myself naturally drawn to supporting others. I was often known as the “mom” of my friend group — the person who checked-in on friends, the one they came to when they needed someone to listen, work through a problem, or simply feel understood. I didn't know then that these early experiences were laying the foundation for the work I would eventually feel called to do.
My professional journey began with the Distress Centers of Toronto, where I volunteered as a crisis support and suicide prevention responder. Being present with people during some of their most difficult and vulnerable moments, deepened my understanding of the importance of connection, empathy, and providing space to talk about the hard things. I wanted to do more — to better understand the complexities people were experiencing and to develop the skills to make a meaningful difference.
That desire led me to pursue studies in psychology and mental health and disability management, eventually bringing me to an intake role at Homewood Health. I began to recognize the many different factors that could shape an individual's mental health, and overall wellbeing. I found myself wanting to move beyond helping people access support and toward being part of the therapeutic process itself.
This motivated me to pursue social work, with the hope of supporting people not only through counselling and therapy, but also within the broader systems and communities that shape their lives. Following my master's degree, I worked within an intensive community mental health program, supporting complex families with significant and often longstanding needs. I had the honour of walking alongside some families for a year and a half to two years. This work deepened my understanding of the layers that can contribute to mental health — and how much courage, persistence, and support it can take to create meaningful change. This experience reinforced the idea that mental health cannot always be separated from relationships, family dynamics, finances, systems, and the many circumstances that influence our lives.
From there, my work transitioned to where I am today in my professional career. I have the privilege of working in the child and adolescent outpatient psychiatry unit at WRHN (formally Grand River Hospital), where I continue to develop my skills supporting individuals with acute psychiatric and complex mental health needs. This work is complementary to the work I continue to do in private practice. At Full Circle Psychotherapy, I have found a different and equally meaningful opportunity: to build intentional therapeutic relationships and create a space where people can slow down, feel heard, understand themselves more deeply, working toward meaningful change.
When I look back, I can see how each chapter has brought me closer to where I am today. The young person who was the “mom” of her friend group, the crisis worker sitting with people in moments of distress, the intake worker connecting people to care, the social worker walking alongside complex families, the clinician supporting people through acute mental health challenges — each experience and role has shaped how I understand the importance of being present with people in the moments that matter.