Rainbow Brain

Rainbow Brain (Helen Hargreaves Social Work Professional Corporation)

Location:

Primarily virtual (apart from two in person Learning Nights at 859 Millwood Road, Toronto Ontario.)

Description of the practicum site and student activities:

Rainbow Brain (www.rainbowbrain.ca) is a social work group practice that focuses on providing queer, Trans and neurodivergent affirming care. Our therapists serve adults and children as young as 8 years old and use a range of modalities. www.rainbowbrain.ca

• Students in this practicum will have the opportunity to:
  • Learn and practice Emotion Focused Family Therapy by:
    • Attending a core training,
    • observing therapists use this approach with parents and other caregivers
    • Supporting caregivers in a hybrid workshop (pending enrolment)
    • Work with families to hone parenting skills
  • Develop, plan and run a group in the winter of 2027
    • The nature of this group will be co-developed by the students and their preceptor. Depending on the interests of the students this could be an activity group, a peer support group, a psychoeducational group or something else.
  • Observe therapist live and via video tape
  • Participate in peer consultation with the full Rainbow Brain team once a month
  • Attend Learning Nights once a quarter with the Rainbow Brain team
    • At Learning Nights, the team gathers in Helen’s apartment for a meal, and then have a semi-structured discussion around a tricky issue in therapy.
    • Some possible topics include:
      • Exploring PDA
      • Unpacking parent blame
      • Managing energy and avoiding burn out
  • Carry a small case load of clients
  • Be involved in promotion and recruitment
  • Attend individual supervision one hour a week
  • Attend group supervision with one other student once a week
  • Use client management system to manage bookings, billing and note taking while being supported to do so
  • Explore their own needs as a therapist and find ways to work with them to complete all aspect of a psychotherapeutic practice

Practicum Requirements:

☒  Police Reference/Vulnerable Sector Check.

☒ Comfort working with the population being served

☒ Lived experience/Current member of the community being served

☒ Evening attendance

Other requirements:

Candidates are REQUIRED to be interested learning Emotion Focused Family Therapy (EFFT). You can read more about this approach here: https://mentalhealthfoundations.ca/

Ideal candidates will be neurodivergent.  Diagnosed formally, self diagnosed or strongly suspected are all valid. At Rainbow Brain we specifically support: Learning disability, ADHD, Autism, gifted, but are open to all forms of Neurodivergence. Neurotypical candidates will be asked to demonstrate their commitment to a neuro-affirming approach and their experience supporting people of various neuro types. All candidates will be expecting to approach neurodivergent ways of coping with curiosity, ready to explore the ways they work and don’t work for the client.

Ideal candidates will be members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Straight candidates will be asked to demonstrate their experience supporting queer liberation. All candidates must support Trans people’s rights to self determination, and be able to use they/them pronouns.

Since this is a primarily virtual placement, candidates must be able to manage their own time and work independently. They also need to be able to identify when they need help and ask for assistance.

Fields(s) of Study:         

☒ Children and their Families

☒ Social Justice and Diversity

☒ Mental Health and Health

Does your practicum require any previous experience?

Lived experience with being queer, Trans, and/or neurodivergent or familiarity with those communities, see above.

Is this practicum in-person, remote or hybrid?

Remote except for 2 Learning Nights (see above)

Will this practicum involve direct work or a mix of direct and indirect?

Direct work

Number of practicums offered: 2

Field Instructor name and credentials:

Helen Hargreaves MSW RSW (she/her)

Leah Guastavino MSW, RSW

Application deadline: February 27, 2026 at 4pm. Applicants will have a higher likelihood of booking an interview if their resume and cover letter is received before the deadline.

Do you require a resume? Or resume and cover letter?

Both. In your cover letter please describe your commitment to working with queer, Trans, and neurodivergent people, and your interest in psychotherapy.

Accessibility Considerations:

• Will the student have access to a private space for notes or computer use?  No

• Are there breaks between clients/patients/meetings?  Yes

• Is the practicum considered fast-paced?  Medium

• Is there a high noise level in the practicum?   Low

• Is the site wheelchair accessible?  Yes

• What are the physical demands of the practicum?

• Extended periods (up to 1 hour) of sitting at a computer, being viewed over Zoom

• Are there any other accessibility considerations that potential applicants with disabilities should be aware of?  The current location of the two learning nights is in an apartment up two flights of stairs. If this will be an issue please let use know and we will work together to find a better venue.

If you are interested in this practicum, please send a cover letter and resume to alexi.sparaggis@utoronto.ca by 4pm on February 27, 2026. Applications will be forwarded on to the site.