Meet The Gatehouse Team
Meet the dedicated individuals who work tirelessly to bring The Gatehouse vision to life.
Maria Barcelos
Since 2011, Maria has been involved in various initiatives at The Gatehouse. She first joined as a volunteer and then became a staff team member in 2011. She became the Executive Director in 2015. Maria believes wholeheartedly in community engagement and the importance of community-based responses to underlying social issues. She motivates, acknowledges and empowers students, volunteers and staff to be part of the change they want to see in the world. An avid believer in the principles of transformative community justice, she values building safer communities through collaborative knowledge sharing, idea and process formulation, and implementation. Maria is an honors graduate of the Yorkville University Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology, a high honors graduate of the University of Guelph-Humber BA Justice Studies, recipient of the Virginia Grey Medal for Academic Achievement, an honors graduate of George Brown College’s HR Management Diploma program. Maria volunteers her time in the community as part of an advisory panel in the Community Development Program at Humber College Lakeshore campus. Maria also volunteers her time as an Advisory member to The Canadian Centre for Men and Families Family Shelter Advisory Board. Maria is also a founding member of the Centre for Transformative Social Change, a collaborative project between The Gatehouse and Humber College Faculty of Community and Social Services Faculty members and post-secondary students. Maria is a founding member of the Survivors Council of Canada. Maria is a Registered Psychotherapist, practicing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Narrative, Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-Informed, Mindfulness-based therapy.
Paula Cordeiro
Since 2005, Paula has been involved with various initiatives at The Gatehouse. She first joined as a volunteer in 2005 and joined the staff team in 2013. Paula coordinates the counselling and the Child Abuse Investigation Support programs. Paula provides individual counselling sessions for C.S.A. survivors. As a proponent of self-care measures, Paula is a Lead Meditation Training Facilitator at The Gatehouse, where she provides moving meditation, deep breathing, and guided imagery meditation training sessions to participants (e.g., individually and/or within the support group process). In addition to her work at The Gatehouse, Paula is also a Registered Trainer for Living Works Education in Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training (ASIST). Paula is a Registered Psychotherapist, practicing Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Solution Focused Therapy (SFT), Narrative, Culturally Sensitive, Trauma-Informed, mindfulness-based therapy. In addition to her professional work, she often contributes her time on a volunteer basis in the community, including having volunteered at the Etobicoke Children’s Centre Walk-In counselling services, and previously volunteered with the Ontario Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services Canada (MCSCSC) in the Probation and Parole sector, the United Nations – Toronto Branch, and Legal Graffiti Art Mural projects in the community. Paula is often a guest speaker on behalf of The Gatehouse at various post-secondary presentations about our programs and services and the impact of childhood sexual abuse. She also delivered Women’s Empowerment and Stress Management groups with The Etobicoke Children’s Centre.
Karen MacKeigan
Karen first joined The Gatehouse team as a placement student in 2020. Since 2021, Karen joined the staff team as a Program Assistant with The Gatehouse, helping with the coordination of intake processes, and the Phase 2 program at The Gatehouse. She is a Registered Social Service Worker with a vast academic history. Karen completed her Masters Degree in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She has attained a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in Psychology with York University. Karen is also a graduate of Centennial College with both an honours diploma in Early Childhood Education and a high honours diploma in Addiction and Mental Health Worker programs. Additionally, she completed a certificate program in Children’s Mental Health with Durham College. Karen believes wholeheartedly in the sentiment that what we put out comes back to us. Furthermore, she believes that empathy, a genuine sense of compassion, and overall love for one another as individuals each braving their own storm are key elements in creating change and healing. In Karen’s personal time, she focuses her time on completing her poetry self-transformational book; playing musical instruments; and spending time with her dog. Karen is a recipient of a LAMP CHC Community Services Award for her work with survivors at The Gatehouse.
Jasmine Lem
Jasmine first joined The Gatehouse team as a placement student in 2020. Since 2021, Jasmine joined the staff team as a Program Assistant, helping with the organization of various programs including Phase 1 Women’s, All Genders, and Young Adult Groups. Jasmine believes in the resilience of every single person and that everyone is capable of positive transformation. Jasmine is extremely grateful for and inspired by every person that she has met and spoken to at The Gatehouse. Jasmine is a graduate of the University of Toronto with a high honours Bachelors of Science, with a major in Psychology, major in Criminal Justice Legal Studies, and a minor in Sociology. Jasmine is also a high honours graduate of the University of Guelph-Humber’s Bachelors of Applied Science for Family and Community Social Services and a Diploma in Social Work. Jasmine enjoys learning and is always trying to better herself by consuming as much information through a critical lens. Jasmine is a recipient of a LAMP CHC Community Services Award for her work with survivors at The Gatehouse.
Stewart Thompson
Since 2011, Stewart joined The Gatehouse as a program participant and then as a volunteer peer support facilitator. In 2021, he became part of the staff team as a Program Assistant. Stewart is a thriver and an advocate. After attending and completing The Gatehouse programs, he was given a chance to give back the same care and love that was given to him by becoming a facilitator. Since 2011, he has been facilitating individual and group peer support programs. In his own words, he describes his journey at The Gatehouse. “The first thing I learned at The Gatehouse was that I was not alone and second I had to help myself (do the work) and third, if did not do the work I would stay stuck in my past never giving me a future. By doing so has given me a new outlook for my future moving forward. Finding my Voice has been a really big part of my journey such as my story in Deb Maybury’s book Unlock lock The Door: Beyond Sexual Abuse. Speaking about voice; I never saw this coming” I started a podcast called Personal Transformation, in 2014, as I wanted to share my story and healing journey also giving others the same platform to do so, including healing practitioners was important nothing wrong with a little help when we could use some extra help in the process of moving forward. I have also shared my story with the World Health Organization “Survivors of child violence tell their stories” Just a short time ago taking my voice and others in this educational documentary around the world. In 2022, I am one of the founding members Survivors Council Canada helping create voices across our country supporting survivors of childhood sexual abuse. I have had the honor to speak in colleges and universities over the years talking about my healing journey and will continue to do so given the opportunity in the future. Today I continue to support others hoping they can find value in them self’s as I have done, peer support has been part of my story, and believe in the process, and watching it help many others, I carry no Fancy titles in my bio just lived experience. I am also a founding member of the Survivors Council of Canada. Thank you for being part of my journey!” Stewart is active on X as @gottogetoutof