Trauma-Focused Care
Trauma Therapy and Trauma-Informed Counselling in Hamilton & Online
Our team provides trauma-focused therapy and trauma-informed counselling to help you build resilience, process overwhelming experiences, and move toward healing. We support clients in Hamilton, Dundas, and across Ontario through both in-person and online trauma therapy options, offering a safe, compassionate space to recover at your own pace.
What Is Trauma-Focused Therapy?
Trauma-focused care is a specialized approach to therapy that acknowledges and treats the impact that trauma can have on an individual’s mental health and well-being. It differs from other types of therapy in that it focuses specifically on trauma-related symptoms and experiences. This type of care often utilizes evidence-based techniques such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help individuals process and heal from their traumatic experiences. The goal is to reduce trauma-related symptoms, improve coping skills, and promote overall healing and recovery.
How to Know If Your Care Is Trauma-Informed
When looking for a trauma-informed therapist, there are a few important details to consider. First and foremost, explore whether the therapist has any specific training or experience in trauma therapy and which evidence-based treatments they offer. Does the therapist focus on what’s “wrong” with you versus what happened to you? Are they creating a safe and supportive environment that respects your boundaries and autonomy? Lastly, ask if they follow the five guiding principles of trauma-informed care:
Safety
Ensuring physical and emotional safety through safe spaces and awareness of a client’s discomfort or unease.
Choice
Ensuring the client has choice and control. Individuals are provided with full and accurate information about what is occuring in therapy and what they can anticipate to happen next.
Collaboration
Making decisions with the client and sharing power in the therapeutic relationship. Individuals are provided a significant role in planning and evaluating services.
Trustworthiness
Decisions are made with transparency, with the goal of building and maintaining trust
for all.
Empowerment
Recognizing, validating, and building on strengths with the client as well as encouraging active participation in their own care.
In-Person and Online Trauma Therapy Options
With our new office location at St. Joseph’s Villa in Dundas, Ontario, clients local to the area now have the option to meet with a therapist for in-person sessions.
We understand that everyone’s comfort level and needs may vary, so we offer both options (therapist-dependent) to ensure flexibility and accessibility. Whether you prefer the convenience of online therapy or the in-person experience, our goal is to provide a safe and supportive environment for your therapeutic journey.
Evidence-Based Trauma Treatments We Offer
We offer trauma-focused therapies like Brainspotting, EMDR, and the Rewind Technique — each designed to gently support your healing without forcing you to relive the pain.
Brainspotting works by helping you access deep emotional processing through eye position and felt sense. It’s especially effective when words aren’t enough, and can support healing at a body-based, intuitive level. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements or tapping, to help the brain reprocess and release stuck trauma responses. The Rewind Technique offers a non-intrusive, imagery-based way to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories — without needing to retell your story in detail.
Each of these approaches is safe, paced, and personalized. And you’ll never walk through them alone — we’re here to meet you with care, attunement, and respect for your story.
Brainspotting Trained Therapists
EMDR Trained Therapists
Victoria Kim
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Jennifer Hines
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Michelle Stockwell
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Internal Family Systems (IFS) Informed Therapists
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Beth Lewis
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Kate McDermott
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Jennifer Hines
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Victoria Kim
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Rachel Galbraith
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Heather Rivlin
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
REWIND Technique Trained Therapists
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Cree Lambeck
CLINICAL DIRECTOR
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Shabana Omar
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Beth Lewis
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Amy Commanda
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
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Jennifer Joseph
ASSOCIATE THERAPIST
Frequently Asked Questions
Have more questions?
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Trauma refers to deeply distressing or disturbing experiences that have a lasting impact on an individual’s emotional, psychological, and physical well-being. It can result from various events, such as:
abuse, violence, and neglect
accidents
medical trauma
developmental trauma
intergenerational trauma
natural disasters; and/or
witnessing traumatic events
Trauma can significantly affect a person’s sense of safety, trust, and overall functioning.
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Being trauma-focused means the primary focus of care and treatment is specifically on addressing and resolving trauma-related symptoms and experiences. It involves using evidence-based interventions and techniques that directly target trauma and its effects.
On the other hand, being trauma-informed means that the approach to care and treatment takes into account the impact of trauma on individuals, regardless of whether trauma is the primary focus. It involves creating a safe and supportive environment that recognizes the prevalence of trauma, avoids retraumatization, and promotes healing and resilience.
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Yes. We support clients navigating the impacts of birth trauma, miscarriage, and reproductive loss with care and compassion. One approach we often use is Rewind Trauma Therapy — a gentle, non-invasive technique that helps reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories without requiring you to re-tell or re-live the experience. This can be especially helpful when the body holds the pain even if the mind wants to move forward. You don’t have to go through this alone — we’re here to support you at your pace.
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Yes. Medical trauma, whether from past procedures, chronic illness, or emergency care, can leave lasting effects on both the body and nervous system. We offer trauma therapies like EMDR, Brainspotting, and the Rewind Technique to help process stuck fear, panic, or helplessness related to these events. These approaches are tailored to be safe, paced, and client-led. Whether you're dealing with PTSD symptoms or lingering distress from a medical experience, healing is possible — and we're here to walk with you.
Connect with us today.
We’re ready to support you.