Psychotherapy FAQ

 

What is the difference between trauma therapy and regular therapy?

“Regular therapy” often meaning general talk therapy or supportive counselling, and trauma therapy differ not just in technique, but in the underlying understanding of what is happening and what healing requires.

General therapy tends to focus on the present: current relationships, thought patterns, life stressors, coping strategies. It’s a supportive space to process what’s happening, gain perspective, and develop skills. For many people and many concerns, this is exactly what’s needed.

Trauma therapy operates from a different premise: that the past is still present. Traumatic experiences that weren’t fully processed at the time continue to shape the nervous system, emotional responses, relationships, and sense of self; often in ways the person doesn’t consciously connect to those experiences.

Trauma therapy specifically works to:

• Identify how past experiences are driving present symptoms
• Process unresolved traumatic material rather than simply talk about it
• Regulate a nervous system that has been chronically activated or shut down
• Shift patterns at the level where they were formed and not just manage them at the surface

The other key difference is pacing and titration. Trauma therapy moves carefully as too much activation too quickly can retraumatize rather than heal. A trauma-trained therapist knows how to approach difficult material at a pace the nervous system can integrate, rather than pushing through defenses or encouraging clients to simply “open up.”

Not every therapist who offers general counselling is trained in trauma-specific approaches. If trauma, including childhood experiences, relational wounds, or complex PTSD, is central to what you’re carrying, working with a therapist who specializes in this area makes a significant difference in outcome.

 

Can therapy help with anxiety?

Yes, and the approach matters. Anxiety is not simply a thought problem. It often involves a nervous system that has learned to stay in a state of alert or anticipation, frequently shaped by past experiences of threat, unpredictability, or loss of safety.

Therapy for anxiety at this practice moves beyond symptom management. Rather than only teaching coping strategies, we work to understand what your nervous system is responding to and why. And to shift those underlying patterns at the root.

Many clients notice changes not just in anxious thoughts, but in how their body feels, how they respond to stress, and how they relate to uncertainty.

 

What is complex trauma and how is it different from PTSD?

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is typically associated with a specific traumatic event, such as an accident, assault, or disaster. Complex trauma (often called C-PTSD) develops from repeated, prolonged, or relational trauma; particularly in childhood or within close relationships.

Complex trauma affects identity, relationships, self-worth, emotional regulation, and body experience in ways that go beyond the flashback-and-avoidance pattern of single-incident PTSD.

Signs of complex trauma can include:

• Chronic shame or a deep sense of something being “wrong” with you
• Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
• Emotional dysregulation or emotional numbness
• A fragmented or unstable sense of self

This is a core area of focus in this practice. EMDR, IFS, and somatic approaches are all particularly suited to complex trauma healing.

 

What is EMDR therapy and how does it work?

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a research-backed therapy that helps the brain process traumatic memories that remain “stuck” and continue to affect your present-day reactions, emotions, and body.

During EMDR, we use bilateral stimulation, such as  guided eye movements, butterfly taps, or sound, while you briefly attend to a distressing memory. This process allows the nervous system to reprocess the memory so it loses its emotional charge and integrates as past rather than present. Clients often describe feeling a noticeable shift in how a memory feels lighter, more distant, or simply no longer activated.

EMDR is particularly effective for trauma, PTSD, childhood experiences, and anxiety rooted in past events.

 

What is IFS therapy (Internal Family Systems)?

IFS (Internal Family Systems) is a therapy model developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz that views the mind as made up of different “parts”. Each past with its own feelings, beliefs, and roles. Many of these parts developed to protect you from pain, often in childhood.

In IFS, we work to understand and gently relate to these parts rather than fighting or suppressing them. The goal is to help your core Self, the part of us that is calm, curious, and compassionate, lead your inner system.

IFS is especially helpful for people who experience inner conflict, self-criticism, emotional overwhelm, or patterns they can’t seem to change through willpower alone.

What is somatic therapy and what does it involve?

Somatic therapy works with the body as part of the healing process, not just the mind. Trauma and chronic stress are stored not only as memories or beliefs, but as physical patterns in the nervous system, such as tension, numbness, reactivity, or shutdown.

In sessions, this might involve noticing body sensations, working with breath, tracking how emotions land physically, or titrating (gradually approaching) difficult material at a pace your nervous system can tolerate.

Somatic work helps move stuck survival responses through and out of the body, which is often what cognitive approaches alone cannot reach.

 

What is Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) Therapy?

Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a trauma therapy developed by psychiatrist Dr. Frank Corrigan that works with the brain’s earliest response to threat and shock. It focuses on the subcortical brainstem, the part of the nervous system that registers danger before conscious thought, emotion, or memory fully forms.

In DBR, we gently track subtle physical sensations and nervous system responses connected to traumatic experiences. By working with the orienting response, the instinctive moment of “What was that?” that occurs before the full trauma response, DBR can help process trauma that was encoded before language, before clear memory, or before a person could make sense of what was happening.

DBR can be particularly helpful for developmental trauma, attachment wounds, PTSD, and trauma that feels diffuse, pre-verbal, or difficult to access through traditional talk therapy or memory-based approaches.

  

What is the difference between EMDR and talk therapy?

Talk therapy works primarily through language and insight. You speak about your experiences, explore patterns, and develop understanding. For many concerns, this is genuinely helpful. Insight can shift perspective, and feeling heard has real therapeutic value.

But for trauma and nervous system dysregulation, insight alone often isn’t enough. You can understand exactly why you react the way you do and still react that way. That gap, between knowing and changing, is where talk therapy reaches its limit.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works below the level of language. Trauma is not primarily stored as a story you can retell. It’s stored as a physiological state, a set of sensations, reflexes, and emotional charges held in the body and nervous system. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to engage the brain’s own natural processing system, allowing traumatic memories to be metabolized rather than simply discussed.

The difference clients often notice:

• Talk therapy can produce understanding without relief
• EMDR tends to produce relief that doesn’t require continued effortful management

This doesn’t mean talk therapy has no place. Psychoeducation, building the therapeutic relationship, and making meaning of experiences all matter. But for clients whose symptoms persist despite years of insight-based work, EMDR often reaches what conversation alone could not.

 

What is the difference between EMDR and IFS?

EMDR and IFS are both powerful, evidence-informed approaches to trauma and emotional healing, and they work on different levels of experience. Many clients benefit from both, used together depending on what a session calls for.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) works directly with traumatic memories. When a distressing experience hasn’t been fully processed, the nervous system holds it in a raw, activated state, as if it’s still happening. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess that memory so it can be stored as the past rather than experienced as the present. The shift is often felt as much as it is understood: the memory remains, but its emotional and physical charge diminishes.

IFS (Internal Family Systems) works with the parts of you that formed around those experiences. Trauma doesn’t just leave memories. It creates protective strategies, beliefs, and inner roles. A part that learned to stay hypervigilant. A part that shuts down to avoid feeling. A part that is deeply critical to keep you in line. IFS helps you build a relationship with these parts. Together we understand what they’re protecting, what they need, and how to bring more Self-led calm to your inner system.

A simple way to think about it:

• EMDR processes the memory itself
• IFS works with the parts that formed around the memory

In practice, these approaches complement each other naturally. IFS can prepare the ground, building internal safety and identifying which parts are ready to do trauma work. EMDR can then process the underlying material more efficiently. Many clients find that combining both creates deeper and more lasting change than either approach alone.

 

What is the difference between EMDR and DBR?

Both EMDR and DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting) are trauma therapies that work with the nervous system, but they approach the healing process from different entry points, and they’re suited to different kinds of experiences.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a widely researched protocol that targets the way traumatic memories are stored. Using bilateral stimulation, it helps the brain reprocess a specific memory. This reduces its emotional charge and allowing it to integrate as a past event rather than an ongoing threat. EMDR works well when there is an identifiable memory or experience at the root of symptoms.

DBR (Deep Brain Reorienting), developed by Dr. Frank Corrigan, works at an even earlier level of the nervous system,  the subcortical brainstem. This is the part of the brain that registers shock and threat before conscious thought or memory even forms. DBR begins with the orienting response: the instinctive moment of “what was that?” that precedes the full trauma response. By working at this pre-cognitive level, DBR can reach trauma that was encoded before language, before clear memory, or before the person had the capacity to make sense of what was happening.

A practical distinction:

• EMDR is often the right fit when there are specific memories, images, or events to target
• DBR reaches material that feels more diffuse, pre-verbal, or body-based . Trauma that doesn’t have a clear narrative attached to it

DBR is a newer and more specialized approach, and relatively few therapists are trained in it. For clients with early developmental trauma, attachment disruptions, or trauma that feels “too big” or “too early” for standard memory-based approaches, DBR can access layers of healing that other methods don’t easily reach.

In this practice, DBR is used selectively, when the clinical picture suggests that the roots of distress live deeper than memory and cognition can reach.

 

What is the difference between somatic therapy and CBT?

CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and somatic therapy represent genuinely different philosophies about where distress lives and how change happens.

CBT works from the top down, starting with thoughts. The premise is that changing how you think about a situation will change how you feel and behave. CBT is structured, skill-focused, and works well for specific thought patterns, mild to moderate anxiety, and concerns where cognitive distortions are central to the problem.

Somatic therapy works from the bottom up, starting with the body. It’s grounded in the understanding that trauma and chronic stress are not primarily cognitive problems. They live in the nervous system as physical patterns: chronic tension, collapse, hypervigilance, numbness, or a persistent feeling of unsafety that no amount of rational reframing resolves. Somatic therapy works with breath, sensation, posture, movement, and nervous system states to shift these patterns at their root.

The practical difference:

• CBT asks: What are you thinking, and is it accurate?
• Somatic therapy asks: What is your body holding, and what does it need to feel safe?

For clients who have already done significant cognitive work and still feel stuck in their body, somatic therapy often reaches what CBT could not. They may understand their patterns intellectually and still feel reactive, dysregulated, or unable to fully rest. The two approaches aren’t mutually exclusive, but they are solving for different things.

 

Is EMDR or somatic therapy better for trauma?

Neither is universally better. Framing it as a competition misses what actually matters in trauma treatment: matching the approach to where the trauma lives in a particular person’s system.

EMDR is often the right fit when:

• There are specific memories, images, or events that remain emotionally charged
• Symptoms are clearly linked to identifiable past experiences
• The nervous system has enough baseline stability to approach traumatic material directly

Somatic therapy tends to be the right fit when:

• Trauma feels more diffuse, physical, or pre-verbal, and is not tied to one clear event
• The body is the primary symptom site: chronic tension, shutdown, pain, numbness, or dissociation
• A client needs to build nervous system capacity and felt safety before approaching specific memories

In practice, the most effective trauma treatment often draws on both. EMDR processes specific memories; somatic work builds the nervous system regulation that makes that processing possible. This helps the body integrate what the mind has begun to release.

At this practice, sessions are tailored to where you are and what your system needs. The modality follows the client, not the other way around.

 

Do I need a referral to see a psychotherapist in Ontario?

No referral is needed. You can book directly without going through your family doctor or a psychiatrist first.

This makes accessing therapy straightforward: if you feel ready to start, you can simply reach out and book a consultation. Some insurance plans may ask for a physician’s referral before reimbursing sessions. It’s worth checking your specific plan before your first appointment.

 

What is the difference between a Registered Psychotherapist and a psychologist in Ontario?

In Ontario, both Registered Psychotherapists (RP) and Registered Psychologists (C.Psych.) are regulated mental health professionals. However they have different training backgrounds and regulatory bodies.

	Registered Psychotherapist	Registered Psychologist
Regulated by	CRPO	CPO
Training focus	Psychotherapy	Psychology, assessment, diagnosis
Can diagnose	No	Yes
Insurance coverage	Often covered	Often covered

A Registered Psychotherapist specializes in the practice of psychotherapy. This is the relational, depth-based work of facilitating emotional and psychological change. This is the core of the work, not an add-on.

 

What happens in the first therapy session?

The first therapy session focuses on understanding you, not just your symptoms, but the patterns, experiences, and goals that have brought you to therapy.

During our first session, we will:

• Discuss what brings you to therapy

• Explore your emotional, relational, and behavioural patterns

• Clarify what you are hoping to change, heal, or better understand

• Begin identifying therapy goals and possible treatment approaches

• Determine whether working together feels like the right fit

Some clients arrive in crisis. Others come seeking deeper self-understanding or a sense that something is quietly off. Both are completely appropriate starting points.

You are not expected to know exactly what to say or how to describe what you are experiencing. Part of my role is to help you make sense of your experience and find the words for what has been difficult to articulate.

Therapy is a collaborative process. As I get to know your history, patterns, and goals, I will share my observations and recommendations for treatment. Together, we will discuss what feels most relevant and create an approach that is tailored to your needs rather than following a one-size-fits-all model.

The first session is also an opportunity for you to ask questions about psychotherapy, my approach, and what working together might look like. Fit matters, and you deserve to leave feeling heard rather than evaluated.

 

How do I know if we are a good fit?

Fit is one of the most important factors in effective therapy. Research consistently shows that the therapeutic relationship. The sense of safety, trust, and feeling genuinely understood, predicts outcomes more reliably than any specific technique or modality.

The free consultation before committing to ongoing sessions exists for exactly this reason. It is a chance to ask questions, share what you are looking for, and notice how the conversation feels in your body, not just your head.

A few signs the fit is working:

• You feel safe enough to be honest, even when it is uncomfortable
• You do not feel judged or rushed
• The approach makes sense to you, even if it also challenges you
• You leave sessions with something to sit with, not just a sense of having vented

There is no pressure to continue if something does not feel right. Finding the right therapist is part of the process, and I would rather you find the right fit than stay out of obligation.

 

How long does therapy take?

The honest answer is: it depends on what you are bringing and what kind of change you are looking for.

Some clients come for a focused period of work around a specific experience or transition, often 3 to 6 months. Others are doing deeper work on longstanding patterns, relational dynamics, or complex trauma, and choose to stay longer.

What shapes the timeline:

• The nature of what you are addressing. A recent stressful event requires different work than decades of complex trauma or attachment wounds.
• Your goals. Symptom relief and deep pattern change are both valid, and they take different amounts of time.
• How your nervous system responds. Some people shift quickly once they find the right approach. Others need more time to build the internal safety that makes deeper work possible.

The aim is always meaningful change as efficiently as possible. At the same time, rushing depth work tends to produce surface results. Progress will be something we discuss together throughout.

 

How often should I attend therapy?

Most clients begin with weekly sessions, and there is good clinical reasoning behind that. Meeting weekly gives your nervous system enough consistency to build momentum. Change does not only happen in session. It happens in the days between, as your system integrates what was activated and processed. Weekly contact keeps that process moving rather than allowing patterns to resettle.

As therapy progresses, session frequency can be adjusted based on your goals and how your system is responding. Some clients move to bi-weekly sessions once core patterns begin to shift. Others transition to occasional maintenance sessions to support longer-term stability.

The frequency that is right for you is something we will figure out together, based on where you are and what the work requires.

How much does therapy cost in Toronto?

Individual psychotherapy sessions are $250 for 50 minutes.

This length allows enough time to work meaningfully while maintaining emotional integration between sessions. Therapy is an investment in lasting emotional and nervous system change rather than short-term symptom relief. 

Is psychotherapy covered by insurance in Ontario?

Many extended health benefits plans cover Registered Psychotherapists in Ontario. Coverage varies depending on your provider.

Common providers that often include psychotherapy coverage:

• Manulife
• Sun Life
• Canada Life (formerly Great-West Life)
• Blue Cross
• Desjardins
• Green Shield

You will receive a receipt after each session that you can submit for reimbursement. Please check directly with your insurance provider for details of your plan.

What payment methods do you accept?

Payment can be made by e-transfer or credit card.

What is the cancellation policy?

Appointments require 48 hours notice to cancel or reschedule. Sessions cancelled within 48 hours are charged the full session fee. This policy protects reserved clinical time.

 

Do you offer virtual therapy in Ontario?

Yes. Virtual psychotherapy sessions are available to anyone located in Ontario. Sessions take place over a secure, PIPEDA-compliant video platform and follow the same structure and clinical approach as in-person sessions.

Many clients find virtual therapy convenient and equally effective, particularly for ongoing work once the therapeutic relationship is established. In-person sessions are available at the Toronto office for those who prefer face-to-face contact.

 

Is online therapy as effective as in-person therapy?

Research consistently supports that virtual therapy is as effective as in-person therapy for the majority of concerns, including anxiety, depression, and trauma.

What matters most is the quality of the therapeutic relationship and the approach, not the medium. That said, some clients find in-person sessions valuable for somatic and body-based work, where physical presence can deepen the sense of safety and co-regulation. Both options are available, and many clients move between them depending on their circumstances.

 

What should I do if I’m in crisis right now?

Therapy sessions are not a crisis service and cannot provide immediate emergency support.

If you are in crisis, please reach out to:

• Distress Centres of Greater Toronto: 416-408-4357 (24/7)
• Crisis Services Canada: 1-833-456-4566 (24/7)
• Text “HELLO” to 686868 (Crisis Text Line Canada)
• 911 or your nearest emergency room if you are in immediate danger

Once you are safe and stable, therapy can be a powerful space to understand and work through what brought you to crisis — and to build the internal resources that make future crises less likely.