Our Team

Monica Forst

Monica has been working as a health care professional for over 20 years. She has been a psychotherapist in private practice since 1997 and is the co-founder of Choices in Action Counselling Services. Specializing in Addictions and Childhood Trauma, Monica does individual and couples therapy. She currently facilitates a long-term group therapy for the Physicians Health Program and a long-term group therapy for women. Monica has facilitated group therapy programs for addictions, anger management and male survivors of childhood sexual and physical abuse.

Monica has received extensive training in Transactional Analysis and Psychodrama. A seasoned trainer and educator, she has presented on numerous psychotherapy issues for other health care professionals, both within the community and in other major cities in North America. She has presented on Transference/Countertransference, Attachment Theory, Male Sexual Victimization, Trauma and Resiliency, Vicarious Trauma and Psychodramatic Techniques.

Monica leads personal growth intensive weekend workshops for clients suffering from childhood trauma. These workshops are facilitated in a group therapy setting.

Monica Forst offers individual and group supervision that is recognized by the College of Registered Psychotherapists (CRPO).

Cost: $175 per hour.

Sara Panuccio

Sara has been working in the area of mental health and addictions since 2008, specifically with the Royal Ottawa Mental Health Care Centre. Her specialties are in substance use and concurrent disorders. She has expert knowledge and experience in using a variety of evidence-based therapeutic modalities including cognitive behavioural therapy, and dialectical behavioural therapy. She has also been trained in schema-focused therapy, transactional analysis, and motivational interviewing. The population served by Sara are youth and adults. She provides individual therapy.

Sara is a Registered Psychotherapist (Registration Number: 004640) and a Canadian Certified Counsellor (Membership Number: 10001412). Her services are covered by most extended health insurance plans.

Cost: $160 per hour.

Gal Koren

Gal is currently taking on new clients in Kanata, and is able to offer sliding-scale fees on a case-by-case basis. His current focus is in working with adults (18+), and he offers individual and couples therapy. He has experience working with complex issues relating to childhood trauma, relationship issues, home-placement changes (i.e. adoption, foster, blended families), developmental disorders, co-morbid diagnoses, and Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders.

Gal has worked rather extensively with children and families in various clinical and community settings, and over the last several years he has focused his education and training on expanding into working with adults. With a background in child development, developmental psychology, social work, research, and counselling psychology, Gal is well-prepared and positioned to help you identify the origins of your challenges and better understand how to work through them so that you are feeling mentally healthy.

Cost: $90 per hour.