Is a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist Right for Me? A Self-Assessment

If you've been Googling this question, you're probably already burnt out, already tired of Band Aid solutions and already wondering if the kind of therapy you've tried so far just isn't built for someone like you.

I get asked some version of this question almost every week: what's the actual difference between seeing me and seeing a regular therapist? And underneath that question is usually a second one people don't say out loud , am I the kind of person this will actually work for?

This post is my honest answer to both.

A woman sitting quietly with a journal looking thoughtful.

What Makes an RN Psychotherapist Different in the Room

Something a lot of people don't realize is that in Ontario, psychotherapy isn't limited to one type of professional. There are six regulated colleges whose members can legally perform the controlled act of psychotherapy: the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario, the College of Nurses of Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, the College of Psychologists of Ontario, the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario, and the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers. So when someone asks whether they should see "a therapist" or a Registered Nurse Psychotherapist, it's really a question of which regulated background and training best matches what they need.

Every one of those colleges brings something valuable, and a therapist's depth in any given area often comes down to their individual background, additional certifications and clinical experience, not just which college they belong to. I can only speak to what I bring as a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist: a medical lens layered on top of clinical therapeutic training.

Nurses are trained to build trust quickly, it's baked into how we're taught to work with people. But beyond that, I carry deep knowledge of diagnoses, medications and how the healthcare system actually operates. If you're a caregiver, or you're navigating your own diagnosis, whether that's treatments, medications or follow-ups, I understand that terrain. I can't diagnose you, but I can recognize clinical presentations that may point to something underlying and I know when a symptom you're describing might need medical eyes on it, not just therapeutic ones.

I'm also trained to assess how medications are affecting you, even though I'm not administering anything in a therapy room, and I'm comfortable advocating on your behalf with doctors, or pointing you toward the right part of the medical system when therapy alone isn't the whole answer. I like working collaboratively. Your family doctor your psychiatrist and I can all be on the same team.

Who This Approach Is Not Right For

I'd rather tell you this upfront than have you find out halfway through a session.

If you're significantly unwell, actively suicidal or in crisis, I will support you, but therapy is not an emergency service. In that moment, you need to be directed to emergency care first. That's not me passing you off. That's me making sure you get what you actually need right now.

If what you need most is medication to be prescribed, that's outside my scope. That's a psychiatrist's lane, and sometimes that piece needs to be sorted before therapy can do its job. Part of my role in that free consult is being honest with you about that, and pointing you toward the right resource instead of trying to fit you into my practice anyway.

A Real Client Transformation

One client I think of often came to me as a high-performing woman in an extremely demanding job, dealing with significant anxiety, on medication, and completely burnt out. She'd done group therapy before and picked up some tools, but never actually used them. It felt like a Band Aid. She was ready to go deeper.

No two sessions with her looked the same, because I pull from different modalities depending on what she brought in that day. We'd start every session grounded in her goals.

Working the Cognitive Side

Some days it was TEAM-CBT, looking at a negative thought pattern and actively replacing it, with concrete tools she could take home.

Working the Body

Other days it was Brainspotting, finding where a feeling lived and letting her process it in whatever way was natural, with me there for support if it got uncomfortable. Other days it was Somatic Stress Release, going into the body, feeling what needed to be felt, physically moving what needed to move. Sometimes that looked like literally launching a ball across the room. Sometimes it looked like holding herself in a way she'd never been held before. That kind of moment, showing up for yourself the way no one showed up for you, is powerful in a way words alone rarely are.

The Shift

Over time, she learned to pause and notice what was happening in her mind and what was happening in her body, and how to connect the two. She struggled with panic attacks, and a lot of our work became about understanding panic as an alarm bell. The real question isn't why the alarm is going off, it's what the body is deciding is a threat and whether it's right. Most of the time, the body can't tell the difference between a perceived threat and a real one. Learning to sit with that feeling instead of running from it, to move through it in a concrete way, is where the actual power comes back.

The Self-Assessment: Questions to Ask Yourself

This work isn't for everyone, and that's okay. Ask yourself honestly:

• Am I ready to feel things I've been avoiding feeling?

• Am I willing to get uncomfortable, with support? I've had a client compare me to a personal trainer. I'll ask you to drop and give me ten, and I'll be doing it right alongside you.

• Am I willing to be challenged, not just validated?

• Am I ready to evolve into a version of myself with more joy, who can handle hard moments differently?

• Am I willing to do homework? What you practice between sessions matters as much as the session itself. Therapy that lives only in the room is therapy that moves slower.

• Am I willing to be honest, including filling out a questionnaire before and after sessions, and honestly evaluating how the session went, so we can adjust the plan together if something isn't working?

If most of these feel like a yes, even a nervous yes, you're probably a good fit.

The Misconception I Most Want to Correct

A lot of people come in thinking therapy is basically like talking to a good friend, or even to AI. I understand why. Both can feel supportive in the moment. But a friend is going to respond as your friend, shaped by the relationship you already have. And AI is designed to respond in a particular, agreeable way. Neither comes from clinical training.

Therapists are trained to be unbiased, to give you the full picture, not just the version that protects the relationship. A friend already knows how you feel about your parents, your other friends, your choices and their response is always filtered through that closeness. They can't help it. That's what makes them your friend.

AI has a similar limitation, in a different way. It's built to validate, to make you feel like you're right, rather than offering a genuinely critical, clinical lens. And at the end of the day, it's a robot. It can only go so far. A real human sitting across from you, trained to hold empathy and challenge you at the same time, is something neither a friend nor AI can fully replace.

A therapist brings a different lens: real empathy paired with the skill to actually explore your emotions and thought patterns, not just reflect them back to you. That distinction matters more than people expect.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is an RN, Psychotherapist better than a therapist from another regulated college?

Not better, just different. Ontario has six regulated colleges whose members can practise psychotherapy, and each brings its own strengths depending on training and background. As an RN, Psychotherapist, my advantage is medical fluency: understanding diagnoses, medications, and how to advocate within the healthcare system, alongside clinical therapy training.

Can you prescribe my medication?

No. I can assess and recognize how medication may be affecting you, but prescribing medication management stay with your physician or psychiatrist.

What if I'm in crisis right now?

Please seek emergency support first. Therapy is not equipped to be an emergency service, and I'll always point you toward the right immediate resource.

Do I need to already know what modality I want, like Brainspotting, Somatic Therapy, or CBT?

No. We build the plan together based on your goals and what comes up session to session.

Ready to Find Out if This Is the Right Fit for You?

If this resonated with you, book a free 20-minute consultation and we'll figure out, honestly, whether this is the right fit for you.

Can a Registered Nurse Also Be My Therapist?

Laura Agresta. Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist in Nature on a swing.

This is one of the most common questions I receive as a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist.

The short answer is yes.

In Ontario, psychotherapy is a controlled act that can be performed by several regulated healthcare professionals when they have the appropriate education, training and authorization. While many people automatically think of psychologists or social workers when they think of therapy, Registered Nurses can also provide psychotherapy within their scope of practice.

What I find interesting is that the real question people are often asking is not whether a Registered Nurse can legally provide therapy. What they are really asking is:

"What is it like to work with a therapist who also has a nursing background?"

As a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist, I believe the answer goes far beyond credentials.

What Makes a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist Different?

A Nursing Lens on Mental Health

Nursing provides a unique lens into the human experience.

Throughout my nursing career, I have worked with people experiencing medical crises, chronic illness, grief, loss, anxiety, trauma, uncertainty and some of the most vulnerable moments of their lives. I have cared for individuals and families navigating diagnoses, treatments, recovery, birth, death and everything in between.

Nurses don't just learn anatomy and physiology from a textbook. We witness firsthand how physical health, emotional health, stress and life circumstances are deeply connected.

We see how anxiety affects the body.

We see how illness affects mental health.

We see how grief affects sleep, relationships and daily functioning.

We see how chronic stress impacts every system in the body.

Because of this, I don't view mental health and physical health as separate experiences. They are deeply intertwined.

My nursing background allows me to understand medications, disease processes, health concerns and healthcare navigation while also helping clients understand how their nervous system, emotions, thoughts and body responses interact with one another.

Why I Chose to Become a RN, Psychotherapist

One of the reasons I pursued psychotherapy was a desire to help people address root causes rather than simply manage symptoms.

Healthcare often does incredible work in helping people through acute challenges. At the same time, many people continue to struggle with anxiety, stress, overwhelm, self-doubt or emotional patterns that affect their quality of life long after the immediate crisis has passed.

I became fascinated by what helps people create lasting change.

What helps someone move from constantly worrying to feeling more grounded?

What helps someone stop being controlled by anxiety?

What helps someone finally feel safe in their own body again?

Over time, I realized that insight alone is often not enough.

Understanding why you feel anxious can be helpful, but understanding something intellectually does not always change how your nervous system responds.

That realization led me to train in TEAM-CBT, Brainspotting, Somatic Stress Release and other approaches that help bridge the gap between awareness and transformation.

why Insight Alone Isn't Always Enough

Understanding Top-Down and Bottom-Up Approaches

Many of my clients have spent years trying to think their way out of anxiety.

They know where their stress comes from.

They understand their patterns.

They have read the books.

They have listened to the podcasts.

They may have even attended therapy before.

Yet they still find themselves stuck.

One of the biggest lessons I have learned through both professional training and personal experience is that symptoms are often messages, not enemies.

For example, many people experience anxiety as something they need to fight against or eliminate.

What if anxiety is not actually the problem?

What if it is information?

What if your body is trying to communicate something important?

Through somatic work, I learned that many of the sensations I once labeled as anxiety were simply body sensations that I had learned to fear. Once I became curious about them instead of fighting them, my relationship with those sensations began to change.

This is one reason I often integrate both top-down and bottom-up approaches in therapy.

Top-down approaches help us understand our thoughts and beliefs.

Bottom-up approaches help us understand how emotions, experiences, and stress are stored and expressed through the body and nervous system.

When those two approaches work together, meaningful change often becomes possible.

A Client Story: When Nursing and Psychotherapy Came Together

Judy's Experience With Health Anxiety

To protect confidentiality, details have been changed.

Let's call this client Judy.

Judy came to therapy struggling with significant health anxiety. She had a history of medical concerns and found herself trapped in a cycle that many people with health anxiety will recognize.

An ache would appear.

A physical sensation would show up.

A symptom would catch her attention.

Almost immediately, catastrophic thoughts would begin.

Her body would respond with fear.

Her mind would search for evidence that something terrible was happening.

The cycle would continue for days, weeks, or sometimes months.

Because of my nursing background, I understood the medical diagnosis she was living with and could view her concerns through both a healthcare and psychological lens.

What became clear was that the issue wasn't simply the physical symptom.

The issue was the meaning her nervous system had learned to attach to that symptom.

Over time, we used a combination of TEAM-CBT, Brainspotting and somatic approaches to help her recognize the connection between the body sensation and the emotional response that followed.

Gradually, something shifted.

Instead of immediately assuming catastrophe, she began noticing sensations with greater awareness and less fear.

She learned that a body sensation could simply be information rather than evidence of impending disaster.

The symptom itself wasn't always what changed.

Her relationship to it changed.

That shift transformed how she experienced her daily life.

Who Benefits Most From Working With a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist?

The High-Functioning Client Who Feels Stuck

In my practice, the people who tend to resonate most with my approach are often high functioning individuals who appear to have everything together on the outside.

They are professionals.

Leaders.

Caregivers.

Helpers.

Parents.

High achievers.

From the outside, they look successful.

Inside, they are exhausted.

They often tell me:

"I'm tired all the time."
"My mind never shuts off."
"I'm always thinking about what's next."
"I can't enjoy the present moment."
"I've tried therapy before, but I still feel stuck."
"I know what my issues are, but nothing seems to change."

Many have spent years carrying stress, responsibility, and pressure while continuing to perform at a high level.

Eventually, they reach a point where enough is enough.

They aren't looking for someone to simply agree with them.

They want tools.

They want accountability.

They want meaningful change.

They want to understand why they keep getting pulled into the same patterns and what they can do differently.

The Importance of the Therapeutic Relationship

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Therapist

If you are searching for a therapist, I believe the most important question is not:

"What designation does this person have?"

A more important question is:

"Can this person understand my experience and help me move forward?"

Credentials matter.

Training matters.

Competence matters.

But the therapeutic relationship matters too.

I often encourage people to ask potential therapists questions such as:

• What is your approach to therapy?
• What types of clients do you typically work with?
• How do you measure progress?
• What happens if therapy doesn't feel helpful?
• How do you incorporate feedback?

One thing I appreciate about the TEAM-CBT framework is that client feedback is built directly into the process.

Clients are required to tell me how therapy is going after each session.

Did they feel understood?

Did they feel heard?

Did they feel supported?

Did I miss something?

Those conversations matter.

I am human.

I will not always get everything perfectly right.

Therapy should be a collaborative relationship where clients feel safe enough to express what is working and what is not.

My Perspective as a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist

At the end of the day, I don't believe therapy is about hierarchy.

I don't see myself as someone who sits above my clients because of my education or professional designation.

I see therapy as a human connection.

A space where someone can show up exactly as they are.

A space where they can be understood, challenged, supported, and encouraged.

A space where they can develop greater awareness, learn practical tools, and create meaningful change.

Sometimes my role is to hold space.

Sometimes my role is to teach a skill.

Sometimes my role is to help a client notice what they are resisting.

And sometimes my role is to gently challenge them because I can see potential they may not yet see in themselves.

Whether your therapist is a Registered Nurse, Social Worker, Psychologist, or another qualified professional, the most important thing is finding someone whose experience, approach, and personality align with what you need.

The right therapeutic relationship can be one of the most powerful catalysts for change.

What Is Brainspotting? How does it worK?

Brainspotting is a body based therapy that helps people process anxiety, stress, trauma, burnout and emotional overwhelm by accessing deeper parts of the brain and nervous system. Developed by Psychotherapist Dr. David Grand, Brainspotting is based on the understanding that where you look can influence what you feel.

A Brainspot is a specific eye position that may be connected to an emotional experience, physical sensation, memory or stress response. During a Brainspotting session, a therapist helps identify a Brainspot while you focus on an issue you would like to work through. As you maintain focus on that eye position, you are invited to notice thoughts, emotions, body sensations or memories that arise.

Unlike traditional talk therapy, Brainspotting does not rely solely on discussing or analyzing a problem. Instead, it combines focused mindfulness, somatic awareness and the therapist's attunement to support the brain and body's natural ability to process and heal.

Many people seek Brainspotting therapy when they feel stuck in patterns of anxiety, stress, emotional overwhelm or trauma despite understanding their experiences intellectually. By working with both the mind and body, Brainspotting can help clients develop greater emotional regulation, resilience, and a sense of wellbeing.

At Healing with Love Therapy in Hamilton, Ontario, Brainspotting is offered as part of an integrative approach to psychotherapy that supports anxiety, burnout, stress management, trauma recovery and nervous system regulation.

Why I Chose to Train in Brainspotting

As a Registered Nurse, Psychotherapist, I am always looking to deepen my understanding of how stress, trauma and emotional experiences can affect both the mind and body.

My interest in Brainspotting began while exploring the connection between the nervous system, stored emotional experiences and body based approaches to healing. As I learned more about somatic therapies and nervous system regulation, I was introduced to the work of Dr. David Grand, the founder of Brainspotting.

During my Level 1 Brainspotting training, I had the opportunity to experience the approach firsthand. What stood out to me was how Brainspotting created space for processing beyond traditional cognitive discussion alone. This experience deepened my appreciation for the ways healing can occur through both awareness of the body and focused therapeutic presence.

Today, Brainspotting is one of the approaches I integrate into my work with clients experiencing anxiety, stress, burnout, trauma and emotional overwhelm.