Rowieda Aboutarie
Rowieda (She/her) is a child and youth care practitioner who cares for the well-being of children. She works from a trauma-informed lens supporting the young people she works with to gain power within themselves.
Rowieda holds an Advanced Diploma and a Bachelor’s Degree in Child and Youth Care and is currently completing her Master’s in the same field. Her goal after graduation is to pursue a PhD in Education. She has over 10 years of experience working with children, youth and their families in a variety of community and educational settings. Rowieda is dedicated to professional competency she obtained her certification in Expressive Art Therapy, Dialectical Behavioural Therapy and Trauma.
Rowieda presently works at the Durham District School Board (DDSB) as an educational assistant and at Toronto Metropolitan University (TMU) as a teaching assistant.
What attracted Rowieda to the field of child and youth care is having the desire and passion to aid and make a positive impact in the lives of others. As a child and youth practitioner, she feels privileged to support children, youth and their families who are experiencing life challenges and identify strategies and tools that will equip them to address the root cause of their challenges which will help them lead a more satisfying.
In her free time, Rowieda enjoys spending time with family, friends, dog Benji and running.
Tsa Alexander
Tsa Alexander grew up in Toronto, Ontario playing competitive soccer for her province, before earning a scholarship in the United States. Tsa Alexander graduated from the University of Akron, (Akron, Ohio) earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science and Criminal Justice. She then returned to Ontario and completed a diploma in Social Service Work at Loyalist College in Belleville, ON.
After graduating, Tsa began a career in social services, where she worked directly with children and families facing a wide array of challenges for over 10 years in the field. Using solution-focused brief therapy and mindfulness-based approaches, she aims to empower her clients with the skills they need to overcome obstacles.
She is a recent graduate of the University of Toronto—OISE, earning her Master of Education, in Counselling Psychology. Tsa is a Registered Psychotherapist (Q) and also a certified guided meditation facilitator. Her passion is working with youth and helping those in need.
Laura Cooper
Laura Cooper is a social worker in healthcare, with experience in managing chronic illness and mental health. She has a longstanding history of working with young people to support their mental health — from running junior leadership programming in summer camps, to mentoring university students in residence life, and more recently working in youth psychiatry and facilitating groups for teens whose parents have cancer. She champions acceptance, empowerment, and values-based therapeutic work. She was one of the original facilitators at Common Compass, and enjoys bringing a sense of authenticity and play to facilitating workshops on challenging and thought-provoking topics.
Lindsay French
Lindsay is a Registered Psychotherapist with a passion for working with youth. She has experience as a camp counsellor, swim instructor, and youth mentor. Lindsay previously worked at an addiction treatment centre, where she facilitated therapy programs for youth and their parents. These programs focused on emotional dysregulation and building coping skills. One of her favourite aspects of the program was the outdoor education component—she even led a week-long canoe trip with the youth.
She currently practices in Collingwood, supporting individuals experiencing anxiety, ADHD, depression, and more. As a queer and neurodivergent individual, Lindsay understands what it feels like to be an outsider, which is why she is committed to providing inclusive therapeutic care. She strives to create safe, affirming spaces for her clients in her work as a therapist.
Lindsay’s favourite part of leading groups is helping to normalize others’ experiences. She believes that fostering emotional awareness in children and youth is key to their success. She is excited to collaborate with Common Compass to bring emotional regulation skills to the broader community.
Shannon Gagnon, MSW, RSW
Facilitator & Mental Health Educator
Shannon Gagnon is a Registered Social Worker and experienced school-based mental health facilitator. She holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto and a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from York University. Shannon brings a deep commitment to the emotional well-being of children and youth, shaped by both her clinical training and her lived experience as a mother of three.
At Common Compass, Shannon designs and facilitates interactive mental health workshops for students, educators, and parents. Her work focuses on key areas such as self-esteem, anxiety, stress management, emotional regulation, and belonging. Shannon is passionate about creating safe, inclusive spaces that foster connection and resilience, helping participants feel seen, supported, and empowered.
Grounded in trauma-informed, culturally responsive, and strengths-based approaches, Shannon’s work reflects her belief in the importance of accessible mental health education. She also supports clients in her private psychotherapy practice, working with individuals navigating anxiety, trauma, identity, and life transitions.
Esmeralda Ismaili
Esmeralda Ismaili holds a doctoral degree in Psychology from the University of Tirana (Albania) with a focus on child problem behaviours and parenting styles. She has extensive experience in teaching and research, in public and private universities in Albania. Esmeralda has taken part in national and international studies, conferences and publications, both as leading author and coauthor, with a focus on assessing children and youth’s emotional and psychological well-being and recommending intervention strategies.
Before coming to Canada, Esmeralda had developed a rich portfolio of training and workshops in raising awareness on mental health issues, domestic violence, bullying in school settings, diversity and inclusion, as well as empowering youth and women. Esmeralda believes that raising mental health awareness and training resilience skills in children and youth is an important conversation to be held in schools. She is excited to continue her work and professionally grow with the Common Compass community.
Sara Kazi
Sara Kazi is a social impact strategist and educator with extensive experience designing and leading equity-centred programs across education, gender justice, and community development. As a Fulbright Master’s Scholar in Psychology from NYU, Sara has built and scaled student support systems in schools and universities, pioneered college and career readiness programs, and led international partnerships to expand access to higher education. Her work is grounded in empathy, research, and systems thinking, driven by a commitment to creating inclusive learning environments and opportunities for left-behind communities.
Asma Lafir
My name is Asma Lafir, and I am currently completing my placement with Common Compass as part of my Master of Arts in Child and Youth Care program at Toronto Metropolitan University. I bring a strong background in program development, intercultural competence, and conflict resolution, with experience supporting children, youth, and communities through both local and international placements. My work has focused on creating safe, inclusive, and developmentally responsive spaces where individuals can grow, connect, and thrive. Through this placement, I am excited to contribute my skills, deepen my practice, and support Common Compass’ mission of empowering young people and communities.
Dion LaFleur
Bio on the way!
Natalie Mangialardi
Natalie Mangialardi (she/her) is a Master of Social Work candidate at the University of Toronto. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Bachelor of Education with a specialization in at-risk youth from Queen’s University. Natalie is passionate about youth mental health, with a particular focus on education and community engagement.
Through her work, Natalie draws on her lived experience with type 1 diabetes and mental health challenges to inform and advocate for the co-design of programs and resources that support the diverse needs of youth. She is committed to advancing health equity, reducing stigma, and promoting inclusive approaches that empower young people to thrive both inside and outside of the classroom.
Kim McLaren
Kim McLaren has been an educator for thirty years and has served as a teacher, department head, vice-principal, and principal at various schools, including a business and technical institute, a school for English language learners, a highly academic collegiate, a school for students with learning differences and neurodivergence, and a 7-12 school in Melbourne, Australia.
Kim retired from the Toronto District School Board in June 2022 and began training and working at Pine River Institute, a live-in treatment program for adolescents with mental health struggles and addictive behaviours. Kim is pursuing further training through the Mindsight Institute, founded by Dr. Dan Siegel. In addition, Kim is a passionate outdoor enthusiast who strongly believes in the healing power of nature. She is the Ontario Director for the Outdoor Council of Canada where she volunteers to help eliminate systemic barriers and make outdoor experiential programs accessible for everyone.
Throughout her career, Kim has been a compassionate leader who prioritizes the socioemotional well-being of her students and staff. She has worked with countless students who experience anxiety, depression, and emotional dysregulation. Her training and work in mental health have helped her better understand and attune to adolescents and teach others how to manage life’s issues with greater insight and empathy. In retirement, Kim has had the opportunity to return to schools with her new learning and mindset. Her paradigm shift has been a game-changer in creating more inclusive, more responsive learning environments where students and staff thrive.
Sharon Nolan
Sharon is an OCT registered teacher, a Mindfulness teacher and is currently completing a Diploma in Psychotherapy. She is passionate about promoting positive mental health and wellbeing in youth, equipping students with tools and skills needed to navigate life’s challenges so that they can reach their full potential. She is also passionate about supporting parents wellbeing so that they can be emotionally healthy adults who can raise emotionally balanced kids.
Sharon is originally from Ireland and moved to Toronto 11 years ago after teaching in Abu Dhabi for 6 years. In her spare time she loves to play sports, spend time outdoors and go for coffee with friends.
Sharon’s work and values resonate profoundly with Common Compass’s mission, and she is thrilled to collaborate with them in fostering positive mental health and wellbeing among students, parents, and teachers.
Jill Pulford-Thorpe
Jill Pulford-Thorpe is a recently retired high school teacher from the Toronto District School Board. Jill is fortunate to say that she loved her job for over 30 years as a phys ed and science teacher. The best part of the job included the challenge of motivating young people to strive to achieve. It is not uncommon to feel distracted and overwhelmed in high school. As a teacher, Jill attempted to follow the subject curriculum but managed to fit in as much about life and coping skills as time allowed. Much of her focus over the past few years has been in developing the grade 12 leadership course and thereby, mentoring seniors to lead workshops aimed at encouraging healthy social and emotional learning with attention on gender-based relations. She feels that there is more information and support needed at the high school level and hopes to share some of that research based knowledge during the workshops that she leads.
When not involved with Common Compass or occasional teaching back at her high school, Jill enjoys physical activity like skiing, running and fitness training at home or at the cottage. She has two children, both at university and a new black lab puppy that makes her family complete.
Lisa Schwartz
Lisa Schwartz is a social worker who has over ten years of experience working with children, youth and families. After graduating from the University of Toronto, Factor Inwentash Faculty of Social work, she spent the first several years working at SickKids Centre for Community Mental Health (formerly the Hincks-Dellcrest Centre). Here she provided both brief and longer term individual and family therapy to children experiencing challenges relating to anxiety, mood, self harm, suicidality, learning disabilities, behavioural issues, school refusal, gender identity, trauma, and family conflict. She enjoyed collaborating with teachers, other school professionals and parents to ensure young people were being supported in all necessary areas to ensure success. One of her favourite parts of her role was leading group programs, in particular, a CBT-based anxiety management group for elementary school aged children. She has also led various caregiver workshops on helping caregivers to strengthen relationships with their children and help their children to manage anxiety, hardships and regulate emotions.
Lisa currently has her own private practice in Toronto where she works with teens, families, and young adults. She is excited to be part of the Common Compass team to help develop and facilitate group workshops on various mental health related topics for students, teachers and parents. Even though it is her job to provide useful information and coping tools, she finds it important to use a collaborative approach, which leaves her learning so much from the students and schools. She is always inspired by their wisdom, creativity and resiliency!
Nisha Vashi
Originally from Calgary, Alberta, Nisha Vashi is currently a PhD student in the Clinical-Developmental Psychology program at York University. She has completed clinical practica at Hamilton Health Sciences and the Syl Apps Youth Centre, where she has provided assessment and intervention to children and adolescents with a range of mental health challenges. She is also passionate about conducting research exploring the factors that promote the positive mental health and well-being of autistic youth. She has a particular interest in supporting ethnically and linguistically diverse families through both her clinical and research endeavours.
Nisha is excited to collaborate with Common Compass because she is passionate about fostering positive outcomes for children and youth through working within multidisciplinary teams of teachers, administrators, and co-facilitators. She hopes that through this work, she is able to build upon her clinical skills while learning about providing equitable, accessible, and supportive care to students across Ontario.
Maria Wallis
Dr. Maria Wallis is a community capacity builder, an academic/scholar, and a registered Social Worker. Dr. Wallis is also currently in the second of a three-year Program at the Toronto Institute of Contemporary Psychoanalysis in her eventual certification as a Psychotherapist. She has over twenty years of community engagement experience in the immigrant and settlement sector and in feminist organizing in Toronto. Dr. Wallis has a Bachelor of Arts from McGill University, a Masters of Sociology from McMaster University, a PhD, and a Master of Social Work from York University. In 2019, Dr. Wallis completed a Master Certificate in Project Management through The Schulich Executive Education Centre, The Schulich School of Business, York University.
Dr. Maria Wallis has over twenty years of academic teaching as a contract faculty at York University and has co-edited three academic books. Dr. Wallis has also taught at Ryerson, McMaster, Wilfried Laurier, Western, and the University of Calgary. She has conducted diversity, discrimination, and social inclusion work including Diversity training in organizations that include the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), the City of Hamilton, Centennial College, and the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. Dr. Wallis is a subject matter expert in systemic/ institutional discrimination and harassment, and interventions to address these barriers. She has also worked with individuals from marginalized communities to build resilience and the capacity to develop to their full potential despite systemic, structural barriers.
Dr. Wallis has worked with “at-risk” youth and children at the Toronto and North York District School Boards and the former Ontario Anti-Racism Secretariat. She has worked to be both a mentor and role model to students as she works with them on projects to develop their full potential and, specifically, their anti-racism skills and leadership capacities. Dr. Wallis identifies as a South Asian-Canadian woman for Employment Equity purposes.
Ahlam Yassien
Ahlam is a recent Health Studies and Political Science graduate from McMaster University and is in the process of applying to get her Masters in Public Health. Her research interests look at the impacts of migration and policy on health outcomes and resettlement experience. Moreover, her senior thesis investigated the impact of intersectionality on the Healthy Immigrant Effect (HIE) in Toronto, a phenomena coined to explain the declining health of migrants with extended stay in their host country. She intends to further her research on this in her graduate studies.
She has a diverse background working for several nonprofit organizations to support youth with capacity building in various areas including, education, entrepreneurship, and food security. While on her gap year, she aims to use workshop facilitation and her personal experiences in education as a second generation immigrant to support migrant families with resettlement by fostering a sense of understanding and community amongst students and teachers.
Aside from workshop facilitation and research, she loves practicing mindfulness through yoga and has a passion for tacky reality TV, her favourites include Real Housewives of Salt Lake City and Flavour of Love.