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Trauma can change how you feel in the world and how you see yourself, and it may be holding you back from living your life fully.


The aftermath of a traumatic experience may harm an individual's sense of safety, self-esteem, and ability to feel in control of emotions and their relationship with others. Even when the traumatic event is long over, people may feel intense fear, shame, powerlessness, and helplessness.
 

Trauma can be caused by a variety of events or experiences that are perceived as dangerous, threatening, or overwhelming to an individual. Some common causes of trauma include: 


 
**You do not need to have a formal diagnosis or to have experienced a life-threatening event to seek trauma-informed care. 
 

Safe and effective trauma therapy does not require patients to verbally process or recount the trauma in order to process it.
 


Experiences and feelings can be processed effectively using brain-based therapies ( Deep-Brain Reorienting ) and arts based therapies ( Expressive Arts Therapy )  helping you to reclaim your sense of safety and  rebuild a healthy connection with yourself and others. 


You can schedule a free consultation call here

Trauma can have many physical, emotional, and psychological effects on individuals.

Common signs of trauma:

1. Intrusive Thoughts: Recurrent, involuntary, and distressing thoughts, memories, or
images related to the traumatic event.

2. Avoidance Behaviours & Isolation: Efforts to avoid people, places, or situations that may trigger memories of the traumatic event.

3. Hyperarousal: A state of heightened awareness, fear, or anxiety, including symptoms
such as irritability, difficulty sleeping, or being easily startled.

4. Numbness or Dissociation: Feeling detached or disconnected from one's surroundings,
emotions, or thoughts.

5. Physical Symptoms: Trauma can cause physical symptoms such as headaches, stomachaches, and chronic pain.

6. Substance Abuse or Other Risky Behaviours: Trauma can lead to substance abuse or
other risky behaviours as a way to cope with overwhelming emotions.

7. Depression or Anxiety: Trauma can cause symptoms of depression or anxiety, such as
feelings of sadness, hopelessness, or panic attacks.

8. Relationship Problems: Trauma can impact an individual's ability to form and maintain
healthy relationships.

9. Flashbacks: Vivid, intense, and often distressing memories of the traumatic event that
can feel like the event is happening again.

10. Emotional Reactivity: Strong emotional reactions (internal or external) to situations or events that may seem confusing or unrelated to the original trauma.

It's important to note that not everyone who experiences trauma will exhibit all of these
signs, and the effects of trauma can vary from person to person.
Read more about Trauma here
 
If you're experiencing signs of trauma it's important to seek professional help from a
therapist trained in trauma treatment. Please reach out today!

Our approach to Trauma Treatment

Effective trauma therapy is guided by neuroscience and follows three distinct stages (referred to as the TripPhasic Treatment Model) to prevent overwhelm and build a stronger foundation. 

We use this phased approach, based on Psychiatrist and Researcher Dr. Judith Herman's work, to structure therapy and provide a supportive framework for treating complex trauma and PTSD. 

 

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We see Trauma recovery as a gradual process, prioritizing stability, gentle processing, and long-term reintegration.

Our focus is on providing a consistent, stable, safe space to process and manage trauma and loss while also supporting your day to day functioning.

We will not force you to express or relive details of your trauma (many trauma informed modalities do not even require directly talking about the trauma), invalidate or judge your experience or emotional responses, or create a sense of pressure or urgency to work with traumatic material. You and your nervous system set the pace.

Effective care focuses on building resilience, regulating your nervous system, and restoring a sense of agency.


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Trauma Therapy Toronto is located in Tkaronto.

We respectfully acknowledge that we are uninvited settlers living and working on the traditional, stolen, and unceded territories of the ᐊᓂᔑᓈᐯᐗᑭ (Anishinabewaki), Wendake-Nionwentsïo, Ho-de-no-sau-nee-ga (Haudenosaunee), Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation, Anishinaabemowin (Ojibwe) Nations.

 

What we now refer to as Canada was also built on the labour of many immigrant and migrant communities. We remember those who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the trans-Atlantic slave trade and slavery. This city was built on stolen land and stolen labour of Black, Indigenous, and racialized people.

 

We are committed to understanding the ongoing impacts of colonization and working towards decolonization, both inside and outside the therapy room. Please visit native-land.ca to learn about whose lands you are on.

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