Milaina Manganaro

Registered Social Worker,
Ontario, Canada

Professional Development, Certifications & Trainings

  • Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills Training Intensive Track (36 hours over 18 weeks) provided through DBT HOUSE in 2023.

  • Comprehensive training including training on assessing for Autism and ADHD and regular clinical supervision on providing counselling and psychotherapy with Autistic and ADHD individuals provided by the ADHD & Spectrum Centre in 2022.

  • Bringing the Energy and All of the Autism Level UP! Tools to Regulate It workshop provided by Autism Level UP! in 2023.

  • Completed training and workshops on trauma-informed 2SLGBTQ-affirming care and counselling, along with regular clinical supervision through the 519 Community Centre in Toronto, as part of a competitive practicum placement for the Master of Social Work program at the University of Toronto from 2019-2020.

  • Webinar on providing 2SLGBTQ-affirming therapy by Registered Social Worker, Max Denley, MSW, RSW attended in 2024.

  • Several workshops hosted by Our Landing Place on topics related to 2SLGBTQ+ mental health including informed psychotherapy, race and identity, neuroatypicality in queer communities, impacts of ableism, eating disorders, and systemic trauma attended in 2022.

  • Grief counselling workshop titled Walking with Grief - Helping Others Deal with Loss presented by John Koop Harder, MSW, RSW with the Crisis & Trauma Resource Institute attended in 2024.

  • Completed a Narrative Therapy course over a duration of four months, totalling approximately 36 hours of instruction through the University of Toronto as part of the Master of Social Work program in 2019.

  • Brief Solution-Focused Therapy (BSFT) training module completed as part of Homewood Health’s onboarding training program in 2020.

  • Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST) provided by LivingWorks in 2019.

  • Comprehensive education and training program offered by the Centre for Addictions and Mental Health (CAMH) completed in 2020.

I hold a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Toronto, with a focus on social justice and diversity, which I completed in 2020. Additionally, I earned a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with Honours and High Distinction from Toronto Metropolitan University in 2017. I have also received specialized training in neurodiversity-affirming and LGBTQ-affirming therapy.

I actively engage in regular clinical supervision with a PhD-level Registered Social Worker who specializes in neurodiversity-affirming therapy, identifies as neurodivergent and queer themselves, and is recognized as a leader in the community. I am committed to life-long learning and I consistently attend trainings and workshops on a wide variety of topics related to mental health.

I have been actively participating in my own therapeutic journey for several years and continue to engage in ongoing therapy. This experience has allowed me to address internalized ableism, recover from Autistic burnout, learn how to work with my brain and nervous system, and build genuine, meaningful relationships.

As an individual who is queer, Autistic and ADHD identified later-in-life, I am uniquely positioned to support others within neurodivergent and queer communities, including those who are questioning their identities. I support the validity of self-diagnosis and provide care to folks at any stage of their identity journeys. Some of my special interests are listed below.

Special Interests & Hobbies

  • human psychology, mental health, and behaviour

  • neurodivergence, particularly late-identified Autism and ADHD in high-masking women and non-binary folks

  • farm animals and domestic pets — I have two cats!

  • cozy gaming on the Nintendo Switch including games like Animal Crossing, Stardew Valley, Cozy Grove, Sims, Spiritfarer, and more

  • board games, card games, and DVD games

  • movies and series I like to watch on repeat

  • people watching, reality TV, and YouTube channels

  • musical theatre including Wicked, Hamilton, and The Lion King

  • Fall and spooky season

  • drawing, painting, arts & crafts

  • Disney and Nickelodeon franchises from my childhood

  • collecting stuffed animals and vinyl figures related to my special interests