You're not alone

Signs you may benefit from trauma therapy

Trauma doesn't always look dramatic. Sometimes it's quiet — a constant hum of anxiety, a sense of disconnection, a feeling that you're never quite safe. If any of these resonate, you're not imagining it.

76.1%

of Canadians have been exposed to at least one traumatic event

9.2%

live with the lifetime consequences of trauma

55%

of Toronto adults rated their mental health "very good" or "excellent" in 2023

3–6

sessions before many EMDR clients begin to notice shifts

You feel on edge most of the time, even when there's no obvious threat.

Certain sounds, smells, or places trigger intense reactions you can't explain.

You have trouble trusting people, even those closest to you.

You feel emotionally numb or disconnected from your own feelings.

You avoid memories, places, or conversations because they feel overwhelming.

You carry a deep sense of shame, guilt, or "something is wrong with me."

Sleep is difficult — nightmares, insomnia, or waking in a panic.

You find yourself in relationship patterns that keep repeating.

You feel constantly in survival mode — exhausted but unable to rest.

Anger, irritability, or emotional outbursts seem to come out of nowhere.

You feel disconnected from your body, or carry chronic tension or pain.

You struggle with intimacy — wanting closeness but pulling away.

These aren't character flaws. They're signs that your nervous system is still responding to something that happened — and with the right support, those responses can change.

What we work with

Types of trauma we treat

Trauma isn't limited to a single catastrophic event. It can be anything that overwhelmed your ability to cope — and what counts as "overwhelming" is different for everyone. You don't need to compare your experience to someone else's to deserve support.

PTSD

Flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and avoidance following a specific traumatic event — an accident, assault, natural disaster, or witnessing violence. PTSD keeps your nervous system locked in a state of threat, even when the danger has passed.

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

The cumulative impact of prolonged or repeated trauma — often from childhood neglect, emotional abuse, or growing up in an unpredictable environment. Many people with C-PTSD don't recognise their experience as trauma because it was "just how things were."

Childhood Trauma

Experiences from early life that continue to shape how you relate to yourself and others as an adult — abuse, neglect, household dysfunction, parental addiction, or loss of a caregiver. Even experiences that seem "not that bad" can have a lasting impact.

Relationship & Domestic Trauma

Emotional abuse, coercive control, physical violence, betrayal, and patterns of toxic or exploitative relationships. It affects your ability to trust, your self-worth, and your capacity for intimacy — and can repeat across multiple relationships.

Medical Trauma

Difficult diagnoses, invasive procedures, birth trauma, ICU experiences, and chronic illness. Often overlooked because the focus is on physical recovery — but feeling helpless or unsafe in your own body can be profound.

Grief-Related Trauma

Sudden or unexpected loss, traumatic bereavement, and complicated grief. When loss happens under traumatic circumstances — or when grief gets stuck — mourning can become intertwined with trauma responses.

Accident & Assault Trauma

Car accidents, physical assaults, robberies, and workplace accidents. Even when the physical injuries heal, the psychological impact can persist — hypervigilance while driving, fear of certain locations, difficulty feeling safe in public.

Racial & Cultural Trauma

The psychological impact of racism, discrimination, intergenerational trauma, and cultural displacement — the cumulative stress of microaggressions, systemic racism, immigration-related losses, and trauma transmitted across generations.

Evidence-based approaches

How we treat trauma

There's no single right way to heal from trauma. What works depends on your history, your symptoms, and what feels manageable for you. Our therapists are trained in multiple evidence-based modalities and will collaborate with you to find the right fit — or the right combination.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing

Helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer trigger intense reactions, using bilateral stimulation while you briefly focus on a memory. One of the most researched trauma therapies and recommended by the WHO for PTSD — most clients notice shifts within three to six sessions.

Explore EMDR →

SOM

Somatic Therapy

Trauma lives in the body as much as the mind. Somatic therapy helps you recognise and release patterns — chronic tension, a frozen feeling, disconnection — by working directly with the nervous system. Especially helpful when talking about trauma alone doesn't shift how you feel.

Explore Somatic Therapy →

CPT

Cognitive Processing Therapy

A structured, 12-session program that helps you identify and challenge the "stuck points" trauma creates — beliefs like "It was my fault" or "The world isn't safe." One of the most effective treatments for PTSD, with strong research support.

Explore CPT →

IFS

Internal Family Systems

Helps you understand the different "parts" of yourself that developed in response to trauma — protectors and wounded parts — and builds a compassionate relationship with them. A gentle, non-confrontational approach many find less overwhelming than traditional processing.

Explore IFS →

EFT

Emotionally Focused Therapy & EFIT

Trauma affects your relationships too. EFT helps couples recognise trauma-driven patterns and rebuild emotional safety. For individuals, EFIT applies the same attachment-based framework to your relationship with yourself.

Explore EFT →

Structured · 12 sessions

Our 12-Session CPT Program for PTSD & Trauma

For clients dealing with PTSD or trauma that has created persistent negative beliefs about themselves or the world, our structured Cognitive Processing Therapy program provides a clear, evidence-based path to recovery. Over 12 weekly sessions, you'll work through a step-by-step process designed to help you:

Understand how trauma has shaped your beliefs about yourself, others, and the world
Identify your "stuck points" — the thoughts that keep you trapped in trauma responses
Learn to evaluate and challenge these beliefs using structured exercises

Process the traumatic event in a supported, paced way
Build new, balanced beliefs that reflect who you are today — not who trauma told you to be
Develop strategies for maintaining progress after the program ends

By the end of the 12 sessions, most clients report significant reductions in PTSD symptoms and a renewed sense of control. CPT isn't the right fit for everyone — your therapist will help you decide whether this program or a different approach makes more sense.

Explore the program → Book a free consultation

What to expect

Starting can feel daunting. Here's what actually happens.

You might worry about being overwhelmed, being judged, or being pushed to talk about things you're not ready for. Trauma therapy is built to prevent exactly that.

Your first session

It's about building safety and getting to know you — your history, your current symptoms, and what you're hoping to achieve. You will not be asked to dive into traumatic material right away. The first few sessions focus on trust, understanding your nervous system, and coping strategies.

The pace is always yours

Your therapist will never push you to share more than you're comfortable with. Trauma therapy is not about re-traumatising you — it's about helping your brain and body process at a pace that feels safe. If something feels like too much, you say so, and your therapist adjusts.

You don't have to tell every detail

Approaches like EMDR and somatic therapy let you process trauma without narrating the full story. Your therapist can work with what your body and emotions are telling them, even if you can't or don't want to put it all into words.

Insurance & accessibility

Therapy that's within reach

Most Ontario extended health plans cover our sessions
Direct billing available with select providers
Free initial consultation — no commitment
In-person (455 Spadina Ave, downtown Toronto) and online sessions available
Evening and weekend appointments offered

Most extended health insurance plans in Ontario cover psychotherapy sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist (RP). If your plan includes psychotherapy or mental health coverage, our sessions are likely covered.

We offer direct billing with select insurance providers, so you may not need to pay out of pocket and wait for reimbursement. Contact us to verify your specific coverage before booking.

We also offer a free initial consultation so you can ask questions, learn about our approach, and make sure we're the right fit — with no commitment required.

Book a free consultation Direct billing →

Common questions

Frequently asked questions about trauma therapy

Trauma therapy is a specialised form of psychotherapy that helps people heal from the emotional, psychological, and physical effects of traumatic experiences. Unlike general talk therapy, it uses specific evidence-based techniques — like EMDR, somatic approaches, CPT, IFS, and EFT — designed to help your brain and body process what happened so you can move forward rather than staying stuck in survival mode.

You might benefit if you experience flashbacks or intrusive memories, emotional numbness, hypervigilance, difficulty trusting others, chronic anxiety or depression that hasn't responded to other treatment, or a persistent sense that something is wrong even when things are objectively fine. You don't need a formal PTSD diagnosis to benefit from trauma-focused work.

PTSD typically develops after a single traumatic event and involves flashbacks, avoidance, and hyperarousal. Complex PTSD results from prolonged or repeated trauma — often in childhood — and includes additional symptoms like difficulty regulating emotions, a persistently negative self-image, and challenges in relationships. C-PTSD is recognised in the ICD-11 and is widely understood by trauma-informed therapists.

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — usually guided eye movements — while you focus briefly on a traumatic memory. This helps your brain reprocess the memory so it no longer triggers intense reactions. Think of it as helping your brain file away an experience that got stuck in "active threat" mode. It's one of the most researched trauma treatments and is recommended by the World Health Organization for PTSD.

It depends on the type and severity of trauma. Single-incident trauma may resolve in 8 to 12 sessions with EMDR. Our structured CPT program runs for 12 sessions. Complex trauma from childhood often requires longer-term work — typically six months to a year or more. Your therapist will give you a realistic estimate after the initial assessment, and you're never locked into a fixed timeline.

No. Approaches like EMDR and somatic therapy allow you to process trauma without narrating every detail. Your therapist can work with your emotional and physical responses without requiring a full verbal account. Many people find this a relief — especially those who feel unable or unwilling to put their experience into words.

Most extended health insurance plans in Ontario cover sessions with a Registered Psychotherapist. We also offer direct billing with select providers, which means you may not need to pay upfront. Contact us to verify your specific coverage before your first appointment.

Yes. Trauma often shows up in relationships as difficulty trusting, emotional withdrawal, reactivity, or repeating unhealthy patterns. Our therapists use Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) to help couples understand how trauma is affecting their connection and rebuild emotional safety together. For individuals, EFIT helps you understand how trauma has shaped your attachment patterns and emotional responses.

Take the first step toward healing

You just need to be ready to stop carrying it all on your own.

You don't need to have a diagnosis, a clear narrative of what happened, or everything figured out. Book a free consultation and let's talk about what you're going through and how we can help.

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