Shift Logo
OUR Story

We help Canadians build the lives they want — one session at a time.

Megan & Jordan, Founders
Founded in 2016 by Megan Rafuse and Jordan Axani, Shift Collab was born to modernize and humanize the online therapy experience.
Megan image

In the early days, it was simply a handful of like-minded therapists in a charming downtown clinic. Not long into our journey, clients began to tell us that there was a tangible difference between the feel of our practice and others. We felt it too - but couldn’t quite put our finger on it.

It took us a long time to realize that it wasn’t just a keen focus on the relationship between the therapist and the client. What made Shift extra special was the little things: the warm greetings and laughter in the waiting room, the fact that we didn’t skimp on cheap coffee and tea, the friendships that would come from our community workshops, and the idea that a place where we explore our deepest wounds could also be a place of joy. 

We’ve evolved since into a virtual practice, but our appreciation of the little things hasn’t. It has shaped our fresh approach to therapy, prioritizing connection, creativity, and being solution-focused. We want to make mental wellness a routine part of daily life, like going to the gym, seeing your physician, or getting a massage.

Our online therapists are people first. In other parts of their lives, they’re artists and athletes, teachers and lifelong students, travel lovers and advocates for social change. They use their own humility as a bridge to yours. 

Throughout our journey of supporting thousands of clients and growing to include over 125 team members from coast-to-coast, we are focused on establishing a new norm for quality and care experience.


It took us a long time to realize that it wasn’t just a keen focus on the relationship between the therapist and client. What made Shift extra-special was the little things: the warm greetings and laughter in the waiting room; the fact that we didn’t skimp on cheap coffee and tea; the friendships that would come from our community workshops; and the idea that a place where we explore our deepest wounds could also be a place of joy.

We’ve evolved since, but our appreciation of the little things hasn’t. It has shaped our fresh approach to therapy, An approach that prioritizes connection, creativity, and being solution-focused. We want to make mental wellness a routine part of daily life, like going to the gym, seeing your physician, or getting a massage.

Our therapists are people first. In other parts of their lives, they’re artists and athletes, teachers and lifelong students, lovers of travel and advocates for social change. They use their own humility as a bridge to yours. 

Throughout our journey of supporting thousands of clients and growing to include nearly 100 team members from coast-to-coast, we are focused on establishing a new norm for quality and experience of care.

Our Vibe

Family-owned and operated in an industry dominated by venture capital and private equity.
Proudly led by mostly women in a space where male leaders are the norm.
Championing inclusivity and psychological safety so that team members can bring their full selves to work.
A living wage employer, providing great compensation and benefits to our team.

Our Timeline

Fall 2016
We opened our doors as a small clinical practice in Toronto’s Yorkville neighbourhood with a team of 7 therapists.
Spring 2017
We joined forces with a mental health education company, creating what is now Shift People.
Spring 2018
We partnered with Maple, Canada's leader in virtual care, to launch on-demand therapy across Canada.
March 2020
We moved all of our operations online during COVID-19, figuring out new ways to serve our clients and community.
September 2021
We launched our Fit Guarantee and proprietary client-therapist matching process.
Spring 2022
We launched our new brand, reflective of the company we are growing into.
Today
We’re family-owned, proudly women-led, an advocate for representation in mental health, and a living wage employer. We’re proud to support over 10,000 Canadians through therapy.

Our Values

COLLABORATION

We aren’t here to tell you how to live your life. You’re the expert on you. We’re here to collaborate with you and provide support catered to your needs and preferences.

OPENNESS

There’s no right or wrong time to come to therapy. No matter where you’re at, we’ll meet you there. Bring your full self. We’re here for it.

EXCELLENCE

Our team works tirelessly to be exceptional as clinicians. With strong ethics and a commitment to continual learning, we strive to bring you our very best, every time.

Our Staff

Headshot of Danielle Cupido from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Danielle Leonard

Therapist Marketing Lead

Creative thinker, people enthusiast, cat mama, and mediocre wife.

Headshot of Stefania Oliveti from waist up smiling in a business causal top.

Stefania Oliveti

Partnerships Coordinator

Coffee at sunrise and sunset kind of gal. Dog lover, curious, human-connector, and always down for anything outdoors. Often found cooking something new with a playlist on shuffle. Therapist in training.

Désirée Jones

Clinical Manager

Helena Schaper

Design & Content Coordinator

Buffy the Vampire Slayer historian, donkey enthusiast, edible arrangement hater and always down to clown.

Micha Pashley

People Operations Manager

Sunday roast aficionado, lover of Cavalier King Charles spaniels and appreciator of vintage aesthetics. Can be found travelling, sipping a French martini or watching Mad Men.

Lucy Ford

Social Media & Community Manager

Globetrotter. Vitamin D appreciator. Champion of justice and laughter. 99% pasta.

Headshot of Alara Santacroce from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Alara Santacroce

Care Coordinator

Open-minded, bookworm, yogi. Favourite pastimes include watching terrible reality TV and soaking up the sunshine.

Headshot of Megan Rafuse from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Megan Rafuse

Chief Executive Officer

Headshot of Jordan Axani from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Jordan Axani

Chief Growth Officer

Dad, mental health speaker turned entrepreneur, tech geek, guitar lover.

Headshot of Jennifer Burt-Yanoff from waist up smiling in a business causal top.

Jennifer Burt-Yanoff

Clinical Operations Advisor

Lisa Cowan

Clinical Director

Mental health leader, therapist supporter, dog-lover, non-recipe-following amateur chef and new Mom to be.

Zeinab Alifarah

Care Coordinator

Lover of all forms of art, driven by the curiosity of human nature. My favourite memories involve being immersed in palm trees, sunshine, and the ocean.

Robert Cinapri

Chief Financial Officer

Danielle looking straight ahead and smiling looking at the camera

Danielle Figov

Client Experience Manager

Croissant Connoisseur. Aspiring Cellist. Drinks coffee at any time of the day. Always up to date on the latest reality TV gossip. Loves traveling to remote destinations. Enjoys a good spin class. Has never met a cat or dog she didn't want to be friends with.

Headshot of Tracy Horner from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Tracy Horner

Data & Systems Manager

Will happily talk your ear off about spreadsheets. Lover of mystery, true crime & Task Master.

Headshot of Claudia Aguilar from waist up smiling in a business casual top.

Claudia Aguilar

Finance Manager

Headshot of Nadia McNairn from waist up smiling in a business causal top.

Nadia McNairn

Lead Care Coordinator

Painter, jewellery maker, magazine editor-in-chief, amateur boxer, yogi. Serial hobbyist, perhaps. Passionate about bolstering health, well-being, and joy.

Diana Chukarska

Care Coordinator

An empath who loves music, learning, and laughter! Passionate about mental health care.

Our Advocacy

REPRESENTATION IN THERAPY
We recognize that systemic racism contributes to a significant lack of representation in fields like social work and psychotherapy. Shift Collab is committed to actively un-doing this at an institutional level. We pledge a sincere, long-term commitment to becoming an anti-racist organization.
TEACHING THE NEXT GENERATION
Each year we bring on ten graduate students to provide direct experience in counselling and clinical operations, often creating employment opportunities for these students after graduation.
INSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
Our team is active within provincial and national regulatory bodies to advocate for more inclusion of therapy benefits in healthcare plans, and advocating for more publicly-funded mental health services.
PRIORITIZING ACCESSIBLE CARE
We design and launch new products and services aimed at providing more equitable access to individual and group therapy to at-risk and marginalized populations (eg. rural Canadians in partnership with Maple, or postsecondary students as part of our Real Campus program).

Join the Shift Collab team!

We're always on the lookout for innovative humans who are ready to shape the future of therapy.

@theshiftcollab