Karrie Carlos, BA, CYW, MACP

Kindness costs nothing, but can be the most valuable thing you give to someone.

Hello and welcome! I’m Karrie, an associate therapist here at Counselling & Co., and I focus on working with children, families, and individuals navigating challenges such as ADHD, addiction, emotional dysregulation, and family conflict. I come to this work not only with over 17 years of experience in children and adult mental health, but also with the lived experience, growing up around family dysfunction and addiction. My personal and professional background deeply inform the way I show up for my clients: with compassion, openness, and respect for each person’s unique story.

My passion for helping others began at a young age. Growing up in a family affected by dysfunction and addiction gave me a deep, personal understanding of how pain can impact relationships, emotions, and self-worth. I learned that healing begins with feeling truly seen and supported. That experience became the foundation for my journey into helping others.

As a Child and Youth Worker and mom to three boys in my 40’s, I have learned to approach life with patience, empathy, and a deep appreciation for the everyday challenges families face. Postpartum and parenting has taught me as much about connection, regulation, and resilience as any formal training and it continually shapes the way I show up, both as a therapist and a human being.

What Therapy With Me Is Like

I’m warm, down-to-earth, and collaborative, and I’ve been told I’m pretty funny, so you can expect some humour to find its way into our sessions.

You can show up as you are. We’ll get curious about what you’re experiencing, make sense of the emotions and patterns underneath it, and work together toward greater understanding and connection.

Whether I’m working with a child, teen, adult, or family, I tailor our sessions to the person in front of me rather than expecting you to fit into a particular box.

What We Can Work On Together

• Navigate ADHD, neurodivergence, and emotional dysregulation

• Support children and teens through emotional, behavioural, school, or peer challenges

• Strengthen connection between children and their parents or caregivers

• Navigate family conflict and changing family dynamics

• Understand and work through the impact of addiction

• Support loved ones affected by someone else’s substance use

• Explore anxiety, difficult emotions, and relationship patterns

• Build greater emotional awareness, connection, and self-understanding

My Training & Approach To Therapy

I bring more than 17 years of experience working in children's and adult mental health, autism services, live-in and day treatment programs, and schools. My background as a Child and Youth Worker has given me extensive experience understanding children and teens within the context of their development, relationships, families, and environments.

I hold a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from the University of Waterloo and a diploma in Child and Youth Work from Mohawk College. I am currently completing my Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology through Yorkville University and am a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying).

My therapeutic work is grounded in an emotionally focused and relational approach, helping clients better understand their emotions, relationships, and the patterns that can keep them feeling stuck.

A Little More About Me

• Talking with friends, reading a good book, hiking, paddleboarding, and being outside are all a part of my self-care menu.

• I love escape rooms. Apparently, solving problems under intense time pressure is relaxing to me!

• My husband and I first met when we were 10 years old. We found our way to each other a few years later, and have now been together for more than 30 years. Today, we’re raising three boys together.