About Elena Darmos
Elena Darmos is the founder and Clinical Director of Toronto Mental Health Clinic. With doctoral and graduate training at the University of Toronto, she brings a rare combination of neuroscientific rigour and compassionate psychotherapeutic practice to her clinical work.
Elena's approach is rooted in the understanding that the brain and body are inseparable — that psychological distress has measurable neurobiological correlates, and that effective treatment must engage both. This conviction led her to build a clinic where cutting-edge neuroscience informs every clinical decision.
Clinical Approach
Elena draws on a range of evidence-based modalities, integrating them according to the specific needs and goals of each client:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) — structured, skills-based work targeting thoughts, behaviours, and emotional responses
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) — building psychological flexibility and values-driven living
- Somatic and body-based approaches — addressing how chronic stress, pain, and trauma are held in the nervous system
- Neuroscience-informed psychoeducation — helping clients understand the biology behind their experience
This integrative framework allows Elena to work effectively with complex, overlapping presentations — for example, a client navigating ADHD alongside chronic pain and anxiety simultaneously.
Areas of Expertise
Elena has developed particular depth in several areas that are often under-served by generalist practices:
ADHD and Executive Function
Elena understands ADHD not as a deficit of attention, but as a difference in self-regulatory architecture. She works with adults who have struggled for years — often without diagnosis or support — to build the strategies, routines, and self-knowledge that allow them to function at their best.
Functional Neurological Disorder (FND) and Post-Concussion
Her neuroscience background gives Elena a distinct perspective on conditions like FND and post-concussion syndrome, where the line between neurological and psychological is blurred by design. She works collaboratively with clients and, where appropriate, with medical teams.
Chronic Pain and Health Conditions
Chronic pain reshapes identity, relationships, and daily life. Elena's approach to chronic pain integrates pain neuroscience education with psychological strategies that reduce suffering and improve function — even when the underlying condition is not fully treatable.
Insomnia and Sleep
Using evidence-based CBT for Insomnia (CBT-I), Elena addresses the cognitive and behavioural patterns that perpetuate poor sleep, offering a highly effective alternative to medication for most presentations.
Training and Background
Elena completed her graduate studies at the University of Toronto, where she developed expertise in neuroplasticity, learning, and the neuroscience of stress and recovery. She holds both a research doctorate and a professional graduate degree in psychotherapy, giving her an unusually broad foundation for clinical practice.
She is a member in good standing of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO).
Working with Elena
Elena works with adults across Ontario via secure video and in-person at the clinic's Yonge Street location. She offers a complimentary 15-minute consultation for all new clients — an opportunity to discuss your situation, ask questions, and determine whether her approach is the right fit.
