PARTNER, CLINICAL DIRECTOR

As HopeStart Foundation's Clinical Director, Terence To provides the clinical leadership that guides our counselling services, ensuring every client receives compassionate, evidence-based care that is personalized to their unique needs and goals.

With more than seven years of clinical experience, Terence has dedicated his career to helping individuals overcome anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), depression, relationship challenges, and behavioural addictions. His approach goes beyond symptom management—helping people understand the underlying patterns that keep them feeling stuck while empowering them to build meaningful, lasting change.

Many of the individuals Terence works with are high-functioning professionals, students, and adults who appear to be managing well on the outside but internally struggle with anxiety, intrusive thoughts, overwhelming self-doubt, or persistent emotional distress. Through evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and Mindfulness-based approaches, he helps clients develop practical skills while reconnecting with their values, strengths, and sense of purpose.

As Clinical Director, Terence plays a vital role in shaping HopeStart's clinical standards, mentoring our team, and ensuring our services reflect current best practices in mental health care. His leadership helps foster a client-centred environment where individuals feel safe, heard, and supported throughout their therapeutic journey.

At HopeStart, we believe that mental wellness is an essential part of building a fulfilling life. Whether someone is navigating anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, or other mental health concerns, Terence's clinical expertise helps ensure that every client receives care grounded in professionalism, empathy, and proven therapeutic approaches.

Terence believes that meaningful change begins with understanding—not perfection. Seeking support is often the first courageous step toward healing, and his goal is to help individuals move beyond simply coping to creating lives that align with their values, aspirations, and personal definition of well-being.

PARTNER, GROUP THERAPY LEAD

As HopeStart's Group Therapy Lead, Marsaye Treen provides the clinical leadership behind our group therapy programs, creating safe, trauma-informed spaces where individuals can heal, connect, and grow alongside others. Her expertise ensures our groups are grounded in evidence-based practice while fostering meaningful personal development and emotional resilience.

With extensive experience supporting individuals living with trauma, mental illness, and complex emotional challenges, Marsaye has dedicated her career to helping people navigate anxiety, depression, grief, PTSD, childhood attachment wounds, relationship difficulties, and life transitions. She believes that healing is strengthened through both individual insight and the shared support found in therapeutic groups.

Marsaye integrates somatic (body-based) and psychodynamic approaches with specialized training in Body-Centred Psychotherapy, EMDR, Havening Techniques®, Psychodrama, Attachment-Focused Therapy, Family Constellations, and the Grief Recovery Method. This diverse clinical foundation allows her to develop engaging, effective group experiences that address the whole person.

Known for her warm, client-centred approach, Marsaye creates environments where people feel safe, seen, and heard. She believes meaningful change begins with connection, compassion, and meeting individuals where they are, empowering them to build resilience, strengthen relationships, and move toward lasting well-being.

Her commitment to dignity, inclusion, and personalized care continues to shape HopeStart's group therapy services, helping individuals discover that healing is something they don't have to face alone.

PARTNER, SERVICE DIRECTOR

Matthew is the Service Director at HopeStart, bringing over 15 years of experience supporting adults with developmental disabilities, mental health challenges, concurrent disorders, and dual diagnosis. His career has been defined by a deep commitment to dignity, inclusion, and person-centered support across social services, community mental health, and employment programs.

With extensive experience in intake, case management, crisis intervention, trauma-informed support, and collaborative service planning, Matthew has worked alongside individuals, families, and interdisciplinary teams to build pathways toward stability, wellness, and meaningful community participation. His background includes facilitating groups, designing specialized programs, supporting individuals through crises, and documenting care with precision and clarity.

Across his roles in case management, employment services, developmental services, and residential support, Matthew has consistently championed self-determination and equitable access to care. He is known for his ability to build rapport quickly, communicate with compassion, and navigate complex systems with both professionalism and heart.

Matthew oversees service coordination at HopeStart, ensuring that each individual and family experiences responsive, well-organized, collaborative support. While our subcontracted service delivery specialists lead the day-to-day operations, Matthew remains closely connected to every case—guiding service planning, communicating with individuals and families, and ensuring that HopeStart’s trauma-informed, strengths-based values are upheld.