Dr. Marie Hooper, C.Psych. (Supervised Practice) (She/Her)

Director & Founder

Marie is a Beaches mother of two, Sloane (12) and Ashton (9), and a Clinical Developmental Psychologist who completed her Ph.D., M.A., and B.A. at York University. Her clinical work is strengths based, evidence based, neurodivergent affirming, gender affirming, relational, and trauma assumed. She is committed to creating spaces where individuals and families feel respected, understood, and genuinely supported.

As a late diagnosed autistic and ADHD (AuDHD) clinician, Marie integrates lived experience with clinical expertise. This dual perspective deepens her understanding of neurodivergence while maintaining objectivity, precision, and individualized care. She is especially dedicated to ensuring that autistic girls, women, and 2SLGBTQIA+ individuals receive accurate, affirming, and meaningful assessment and support.

Marie serves on the Board of Directors for PDA North America, contributing to international education, advocacy, and research on Pathological Demand Avoidance. She is known for promoting trauma assumed, low demand approaches and for supporting families, schools, and clinicians in developing flexible, autonomy based learning pathways for children with PDA profiles.

As the Founder and Director of Flourish Health Services, Marie leads a neurodiversity affirming, trauma assumed, interdisciplinary teaching clinic that provides comprehensive assessment and therapy for toddlers, children, teens, and adults. She introduced the Whole Child Assessment at Flourish, as well as the Integrated Developmental Assessment approach. Each is a distinct framework, yet both share the same strengths based, fully integrated lens that looks at the whole person rather than isolating skills or difficulties. She also co-created Club AuSome, an affirming social-emotional group for autistic girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth.

Marie is a contract undergraduate professor at York University’s Glendon Campus. Teaching is one of her deepest professional passions. She is committed to mentoring emerging clinicians and ensuring they enter the field equipped with gender affirming, neurodivergent affirming, and trauma assumed approaches that honour the lived experiences and strengths of the clients they will serve.

Marie co created Club AuSome and Autism Reframe. Club AuSome provides affirming group spaces for autistic girls and 2SLGBTQIA+ youth, supporting confidence, connection, self expression, and self advocacy. Autism Reframe reflects her dedication to reshaping how autism is understood, assessed, and supported through a strengths oriented, neuroaffirming, and lived experience informed lens.

Marie is also leading the development of North America’s first school exclusively for autistic girls, inspired by Limpsfield Grange School in the United Kingdom. This future school will offer a therapeutic, sensory friendly, neurodiversity affirming environment with integrated supports for 2SLGBTQIA+ and transgender students. Her vision is to create an educational ecosystem where neurodivergent girls can thrive academically, emotionally, and socially.

Her Ph.D. research examined the psychosocial outcomes of siblings of children with disabilities, adapting the SibWorkS intervention into a virtual format known as iSibWorkS. The study demonstrated reductions in distress and improvements in resilience and social connectedness, highlighting the value of accessible, family centred supports. This work continues to shape her relational, contextual, and holistic clinical style.

Marie maintains strong partnerships with Strides Toronto, the Bloorview School Authority, the Children’s Aid Society, and Help Ahead. Through these collaborations she works to expand access to neuroaffirming, trauma assumed care across systems and communities.

Marie practices under the supervision of Drs. Alex Porthukaran, Kerry Wells, and Stephanie Lavoie while completing the final stages of her supervised practice as a Clinical Psychologist. Her work centres on empowering diverse and marginalized communities in ways that honour their strengths, identities, and whole selves.

As a clinician, educator, and advocate, Marie is dedicated to creating ecosystems where neurodivergent individuals are not only supported but truly celebrated.