Welcome to Viriditas Counseling
Therapy for people who want to understand and go beyond coping.
Online therapy for adults in Missouri and across Canada.
This is not a scripted kind of therapy. What happens here depends on you — what you bring, what you're ready for, what actually helps.
I'm Magda Hayton, a psychotherapist offering online therapy for adults in Missouri and across Canada.
My work draws on neuroscience, parts-based approaches, and attachment-informed therapy. But more than any specific method, I'm guided by what's actually happening in the work — what a particular person needs, in a particular moment, to move forward.
Before I trained as a therapist I spent years as an academic — a medievalist — researching, teaching, and publishing across disciplines at universities in Canada and the United States. That work shaped how I think about people. I'm not going to fit you into a framework before I understand you.
Most people who find their way here have some version of the same worry: that if someone really saw and knew them, they would be judged. I want to be straightforward about that. I'm not easily surprised, and I'm not here to evaluate you.
Sessions are available online throughout Missouri and across Canada. I work with adults 18 and up, and I welcome clients of all backgrounds, identities, and orientations.
Magda Hayton, MS (Clinical Mental Health Counseling), PhD (Medieval Studies), LPC, CCC, BC-TMH
My work is grounded in compassion, curiosity, and respect for your unique story.
My Background
I’m a Canadian currently living in Springfield, Missouri. I grew up in Canada — on Vancouver Island and in Vancouver — but I’ve also lived in Toronto and Montreal.
Before becoming a psychotherapist, I earned a PhD in Medieval Studies from the University of Toronto and worked as an academic — researching, publishing, and teaching at universities in Canada and the U.S. During that time I had opportunities to connect with people from around the globe whose cultures and life experiences were at times similar to my own and at times vastly different.
My research and teaching allowed me to explore different times and cultures and engage in rich conversations with people past and present. This background continues to shape my appreciation for meaning-making, identity, and the complexity of human experience. It has also given me a deep respect for us humans: our resiliency and our capacity for change—even when facing the most difficult times.
As a Psychotherapist
I bring the same curiosity and desire to connect with others to my work as a psychotherapist.
My approach is rooted in the necessity of a strong therapeutic relationship and draws from humanistic and neurobiological understandings of human suffering and our ability to heal.
I value research and well-established evidence-based therapies (such as EMDR), as well as innovation and staying up to date on emerging therapeutic approaches and techniques (you will find more information about specialized trainings I have completed here).
Above all, I value the courage and commitment of my clients and the opportunity to walk alongside them as they seek to make changes in their lives.
Specialized Support for Complex Challenges
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Anxiety, Relationship Issues & Stress Management
Therapy for anxiety, relationship issues, and chronic stress using trauma-informed and strengths-based therapeutic approaches tailored to your needs.
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Career & Academic Related Stress
Specialized support for professionals, creatives, and academics navigating career transitions, work-life balance, burnout, imposter syndrome, and the varied stresses of demanding work.
Whether you're in Missouri, Winnipeg, or on Vancouver Island, I provide virtual therapy sessions that are trauma-informed, focused on your strengths, and tailored to your needs.
