PTSD & Trauma Therapy in Toronto, North York, Mississauga & Across Ontario

Trauma is a normal emotional and physical reaction to an event (or events) that is deeply distressing or disturbing and that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope. Such experiences might include stressors like abuse, neglect, or assault and events like accidents, losses, natural disasters, or racism, sexism, and other forms of systemic oppression. Trauma has an impact not just on your mind, but also on your nervous system, body, relationships, and sense of safety.

If you are seeking a Toronto trauma therapist or PTSD treatment in Toronto, therapy can help you gently work through and recover from trauma at your own speed.

Our prices are flexible and depend on the therapist’s qualifications and the issues that the client brings to therapy. Sessions can range from $150 to $195 for a 50-minute session. We also provide low-cost therapy options and free 15-minute consultations to help you find the best fit. Unfortunately, we are unable to offer direct billing at this time. However, we do provide you with a receipt for reimbursement if you are covered for Registered Psychotherapists or Social Workers through your plan.

Yes, PTSD is accepted and considered a psychological disability in this country and can be eligible for disability benefits under the Canada Pension Plan (CPP), WSIB or insurance plans. Symptoms like reliving trauma, anxiety, dissociation and numbing can greatly interfere with people’s everyday lives.

Documentation and services require a diagnosis from a certified medical expert. At Evolution Psychotherapy, we have a team of psychologists and psychiatrists who can work with you to determine if you meet the criteria for a PTSD diagnosis. 

Trauma therapy can help you understand, process, and recover from traumatic life experiences. It helps your brain and body learn how to re-regulate, soothe distress, while building healthier coping skills. It can also improve your relationships, diminish symptoms like anxiety or depression and restore your sense of safety and self worth.

Whether you are searching for trauma therapy Toronto (or Mississauga) or elsewhere, and are coming in for in-office therapy, or scheduling online trauma therapy from afar across Ontario, you will find our approach is built for deep and lasting healing.

1. Fewer flashbacks, nightmares and reduced anxiety
2. Improved mood and emotional regulation
3. Healthier relationships and boundaries
4. Better sleep and focus
5. Increased self-compassion and resilience
6. A feeling of closure and peace over things that have happened.

The pain might surface if it’s brought up but subsequently dissipate as a natural dynamic of the therapeutic process. An experienced trauma therapist will provide guidance so that you can go at a safe pace and feel accompanied every step of the way. At Evolution Psychotherapy, we have trauma-informed practitioners and are aware of the risks and associated dangers of re-traumatization and will work to minimize and avoid it.

In the three-stage model of trauma therapy, the structure of trauma therapy usually follows a three-phase process model: stabilization, processing, and integration. First, you will learn tools for managing distress, and next revisit and reprocess traumatic memories using methods such as EMDR or CBT. Therapy, ultimately, helps you reconcile these things within your life without them defining or dominating you.

You may start noticing that you have fewer flashbacks, better sleep, less emotional reactivity, and greater self-awareness. Gradually, you will feel more grounded and will be able to manage your thoughts and behaviors.

Success with PTSD treatment is typically gradual but accumulating, and your therapist can track progress with you through time.

Stabilization—discussing safety, trust, and coping strategies.

Processing trauma: the reframing of traumatic memories (e.g., through EMDR or narrative therapy)

Integration and Reconnection: Getting Back to Yourself After Trauma.

This really depends on the trauma, length of time, and what’s right for you. Some clients feel relief after as few as a couple of sessions; others benefit from longer-term work. Progress tends to be an 8–20 session prospect on average, particularly if the model of treatment is EMDR or CBT.

There is no one-size-fits-all, but some of the most successful therapies include:

EMDR (The eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)

Somatic Therapy

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Trauma-Focused Therapy (TFT)

An approach will be advised by your therapist based on your symptoms and goals.

You can get EMDR, CBT, DBT, somatic therapy, or trauma-informed talk therapy. Hybrid works for some. Our Toronto trauma therapists will personalize your treatment plan to fit you.

Trauma therapy specifically targets the healing of trauma that has been stored in the brain and the body, often incorporating specialized techniques such as EMDR or somatic approaches. When the therapy is trauma-informed, the therapist is experienced in not re-traumatizing the client, while that is not the case with general therapy, which doesn’t work to address the source of the trauma.

Both work — in different ways.

EMDR “processes the intensity level and appropriateness of the unresolved memory at the neurological level, measuring the outcomes in SUDs and VOCs.” It is commonly used for single-incident trauma and PTSD.

CBT is great for reframing your thoughts and behaviors, especially when trauma is what causes you to become anxious or depressed.

Most therapists combine elements of both for best results.

It’s difficult to heal from trauma if you don’t feel safe, supported, and validated. Therapy can help you understand how trauma has shaped your body, your mind, and your relationships—and how to process it and let it go. Healing is not about forgetting; it is about reclaiming your power and peace.

Trauma-focused therapy; it can be modalities such as EMDR, TF-CBT, Somatic Experiencing or IFS. Every treatment has different methods but they aim to achieve the same goal: to help you process and move past trauma in a safe way.

EMDR is a type of trauma therapy, while not all trauma treatment is EMDR. EMDR is one of the most powerful tools for treating P.T.S.D. and distressing memories. Trauma therapy interventions vary from talk therapy, CBT, EMDR, Prolonged Exposure, and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). Our PTSD Therapists in Toronto and North York frequently use EMDR when it is best suited to the client.

The research says these are some of the most effective trauma treatments: EMDR, CBT, and Somatic Therapies. The “best” of which will depend on your trauma history, your specific symptoms, and your personal preferences.

At Evolution Psychotherapy, your care is customized to incorporate the latest evidence-based practice and your own experience of life.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a subset of CBT that focuses on changing unhelpful or irrational beliefs about the trauma, versus EMDR which is actually targeting the memories themselves. EMDR — a type of one-on-one therapy developed to treat single-event trauma — can work more quickly for some people, but both techniques are effective and can be integrated for people who need both.

DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy) is especially useful for functioning with clients exhibiting emotional dysregulation, self-harming behaviors, or borderline traits, usually due to trauma.

CBT is more about challenging thoughts and changing core beliefs. Both can work, and a trauma-informed therapist might incorporate a mix of both into your treatment.