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Therapy for Trauma and Complex Trauma (PTSD and C-PTSD) in Ontario
Trauma can affect how you feel, think, connect with others, and move through everyday life. At Gibson & Associates, our trauma-informed therapists in Ontario provide compassionate trauma therapy for adults, children, youth, couples, and families.
Whether you're navigating the effects of a past experience, ongoing stress, relationship difficulties, or patterns that feel difficult to understand, therapy can provide a supportive space to explore what you're experiencing and work toward meaningful change.
Therapy is available in person in London, Toronto and Barrie, and virtually across Ontario.
What is trauma-focused therapy?
Trauma therapy is a form of counselling that can help you explore the ways difficult or overwhelming experiences may continue to affect your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and sense of safety.
Trauma doesn't look the same for everyone. You don't need to have experienced one specific type of event, or have a formal diagnosis, to seek support.
A trauma-informed therapist can work with you at a pace that feels appropriate, helping you better understand your experiences while developing tools and strategies that support your wellbeing.
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How does trauma-informed therapy work?
There isn't one single way to provide trauma-informed therapy. Instead, trauma-informed care is guided by principles such as safety, collaboration, choice, trust, and respect. Depending on your needs and your therapist's training, sessions may include:
- Exploring patterns that developed in response to past experiences
- Building awareness of emotions, thoughts, and body-based responses
- Developing strategies for managing stress and difficult emotions
- Understanding how past experiences may affect present-day relationships
How do I know if trauma therapy is right for me?
You don't have to have a specific diagnosis or be certain that you've experienced "trauma" to reach out.
You might consider trauma therapy if you're experiencing:
- Experiences of childhood trauma
- Relationship or interpersonal trauma
- Complex trauma
- Grief and loss
- Anxiety and persistent worry
- Panic and fear
- Emotional overwhelm
- Difficulty with trust or relationships
- People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
- Shame or self-criticism
- Feeling disconnected from yourself or others
- Stress following a difficult or overwhelming experience
- Patterns that may be connected to past experiences
You don't need to know exactly why you're feeling the way you do before starting therapy. Exploring those patterns can be part of the therapeutic process.
Our approach to trauma therapy
At Gibson & Associates, our approach to trauma therapy is trauma-informed, collaborative, and person-centred.
Rather than asking you to simply move past difficult experiences, therapy can provide space to understand how those experiences may have shaped your thoughts, emotions, relationships, and responses.
Your therapist will work collaboratively with you to determine what approaches best fit your needs and goals.
Depending on your therapist and what you're looking for, trauma therapy may incorporate approaches such as:
- Internal Family Systems (IFS)
- EMDR
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Somatic approaches
- Attachment-based approaches
If you’re not sure which approach is right for you, that’s completely normal. Your therapist will work with you to figure it out. You can also explore all our therapy approaches to learn more.
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Trauma Therapy for Adults, Children & Families
Trauma Therapy for Adults
Trauma can continue to affect your relationships, work, confidence, boundaries, and everyday life long after an experience has happened. Therapy can provide space to explore these patterns and develop a greater understanding of yourself. We also offer support for first responders.
Trauma Therapy for Children & Youth
Children and teens may respond to difficult experiences in ways that aren't always easy to recognize. Our therapists provide age-appropriate support to help young people understand and navigate difficult emotions and experiences.
Trauma Therapy for Couples & Families
Past experiences can influence how we communicate, connect, and respond to one another. Couples and family therapy can provide space to explore these patterns and build more supportive ways of relating.
Find a Trauma Therapist in Ontario
Our therapists offer trauma-informed care for individuals, couples, families, children, and youth across Ontario, with both in-person and virtual options. Our Client Care Team can help you find a therapist whose expertise and approach match your needs.
Tracy Shuster
FAQs
Trauma-informed therapy recognizes that past experiences can influence how people experience themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. A trauma-informed therapist considers safety, choice, collaboration, and individual experiences throughout the therapeutic process.
Trauma therapy can provide support for people experiencing difficulties related to past or overwhelming experiences. Your therapist can help you explore these experiences and develop an approach based on your individual needs and goals.
No. People can be affected by many different experiences, and you don't need to determine whether something "counts" as trauma before seeking support. A therapist can help you explore what you're experiencing and whether trauma-informed therapy may be appropriate.
Yes. Gibson & Associates offers virtual therapy throughout Ontario, allowing you to connect with a therapist online.
Still have questions?
Finding the right therapist can take a little time. If you're not sure whether trauma therapy is right for you, or you have questions about our approach, we're here to help.
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