MEET OUR TEAM
Tamara Lynn Robert, RP
Registered Psychotherapist, Creator and Founder of U&I
My Pronouns: She / Her
Hi, my name is Tamara. I’m a relational psychotherapist with a specialization in couples and relationship therapy. Additionally, I serve as a faculty member at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy, where I find great joy in teaching, training, and supervising new therapists. One of the most gratifying aspects of my teaching career has been guiding emerging therapists toward the intricacies of couples therapy.
I’m also a lover of love, and not just the romantic kind—although a slow jam or a well-written romcom can get me in the feels from time to time. Moreso, I am passionate for the kind of love that transforms, heals, and creates change. It’s the kind of love that beckons us towards our growth and our greatness; it calls on us to be brave, courageous and to embrace our complete humanity—both the brilliance and the messiness. This kind of love honors the strength it takes to reveal our vulnerability and the grit it takes to cultivate our resilience. As Terry Real says: “Love is not for the faint of heart.”
I’m excited to announce more team members in the coming months.
I am foundationally trained as a relational psychotherapist through the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy (TIRP).
Additionally I’ve also been trained in several complementary modalities including:
- Psychobiological Approach to Couples Therapy (level 1 and 2)
- Relational Life Therapy (level 1), Ego To Eco with Terry Real
- Men’s Intensive Workshop with Terry Real
- Healing Trauma in Couples Therapy (Janina Fisher and Terry Real)
- Rekindling Desire with Esther Perel.
- Integrative Sex and Couples Certification Training with Dr Tammy Nelson
I am currently completing training in:
- Esther Perel’s Transformative Approach to Couples Therapy in Action
I am a member of Sessions with Esther Perel and The Erotic Freedom Club with Jaiya where endless opportunities exist to continue to learn and grow.
Azaria Thornhill
Registered Psychotherapist, Facilitator & Trainer
My Pronouns: She / Her
Hey, I’m Azaria!
I’m a relational psychotherapist trained at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy and a University of Toronto alumni. I support individuals, couples, and relationships of all configurations as they navigate life and love. As a body of culture with Afro-Caribbean roots, a fundamental part of my work is to move toward collective liberation and healing.
I have a curious mind, an eclectic soul, and a big heart that is captivated by the intricate narratives of love and the growth it invites us toward. From the excitement of meeting someone new to the heartbreak of loss, the emotional depth relationships bring to our lives is unparalleled. Our relationships, in all of their forms, offer a space for vulnerability, self-discovery, care, and connection. As the late bell hooks shared “The choice to love is a choice to connect, to find ourselves in the other.” No matter the outcome, love has the ability to heal, inspire, and transform us.
Tate Sameshima
Registered Psychotherapist
My Pronouns: He/Him
Hi, I’m Tate. I’m elated and deeply honoured to be a part of the U & I team. I’m dedicated to supporting the deepening of connections, within ourselves and to each other, while centering love and all its transformative qualities. My journey
has led me through rigorous training at the Toronto Institute for Relational Psychotherapy, where I currently serve as a faculty member, nurturing the development of aspiring therapists.
Immersed in the unabridged tapestry of human experience, I approach each connection with authenticity, empathy, and unwavering compassion. I whole heartedly believe that leaning into love can be transcendent; akin to an expedition through emotional landscapes with stirring feelings, unveiling raw truths, and challenging entrenched patterns. Amidst the tumult lay opportunities for change, healing and relational vitality. As a trans-masculine individual of colour, my therapeutic approach is firmly rooted in an anti-oppressive framework, cultivating a space where the dignity and resilience of those navigating marginalized identities are affirmed and celebrated. As Esther Perel has said, “Love is at once an affirmation and a transcendence of who we are… when you pick a partner, you pick a story. So what kind of story are you going to write?”
OUR VISION
To help foster and deepen connections, cultivating relational intelligence and nurturing relationship skills that contribute to healing and fortifying love.
Our Mission
Our Values
Love is love is love is love is love
From vanilla scoops to leather straps,
And everything in between and beyond,
From opposites attract to rainbow kisses,
And unions that defy definition.
From “I only have eyes for you” to “lovers aplenty,”
To aces, friendships and metamours,
Chosen families and polycules
However you define yourself and construct your relational world,
May you choose love.
We affirm our commitment to establishing an inclusive space that recognizes the impacts of racial and systemic oppression and
that honors:
- All genders,
- All sexual, romantic, and erotic orientations,
- All relationship structures, including monogamy, ethical non-monogamy (ENM), and polyamory,
- All forms of kink and BDSM,
- Embracing and celebrating diverse bodies, abilities, and disabilities
We pledge to persistently grow and learn, continuously advancing our efforts towards racial and social justice.
The land we are on is the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit, and the Williams Treaties signed with multiple Mississaugas and Chippewa bands.
