- Online Therapy For Toronto And Throughout Ontario
- 865 York Mills Rd #20, Toronto, ON M3B 1Y6
- Online Therapy For Toronto And Throughout Ontario
- 865 York Mills Rd #20, Toronto, ON M3B 1Y6
Save Time on Commute
No Waitlist
Evenings and Weekends Availability
Affordable Therapy Available
Therapists are also available in BC, Edmonton, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba
Trauma isn’t only what happened to you. It’s the imprint left in the mind and body afterwards. Therapy here moves at the pace your nervous system sets.
Book a Free 20-Minute Consultation
No forms, no intake, no obligation.
Secure online sessions across Ontario, from Toronto and the GTA to rural communities. Registered psychotherapy, trauma-informed throughout.
What is trauma therapy?
01 / The foundation
Trauma therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that helps people process traumatic memories and calm a nervous system stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. It is not simply retelling what happened. It is building enough safety that your system can let go of what it has been holding, then developing the capacity to stay steady afterward.
What counts as trauma
No trauma is too small or too big. If it impacts you, it matters. Clinicians generally describe three patterns: acute trauma, a single distressing event; chronic trauma, ongoing experiences such as neglect or an unstable environment; and complex trauma, multiple or prolonged events, often early and often within close relationships. That last pattern is sometimes called C-PTSD.
How trauma affects the mind and body
Trauma does not only live in memory. It embeds in the nervous system. Even when the mind moves on, the body can keep holding it as muscular tension, chronic pain, digestive symptoms, or fatigue that no test explains. It also disrupts ordinary processing, leaving people stuck in fight, flight, or freeze. That is why we work with thoughts and body together rather than treating them as separate problems.
01
Restoring safety
Feeling secure in your body and your environment comes first. Nothing useful happens in a nervous system that is still bracing for impact.
02
Processing the past
Gently addressing what happened so the memory can be held without the same charge running through the body.
03
Rebuilding connection
Strengthening the relationship with yourself, and with the people you want to be closer to.
04
Empowering growth
Practical tools for triggers, sleep, and daily life, so resilience is something you carry out of the room.
Mind-body modalities
EVIDENCE-BASED · NERVOUS SYSTEM FIRST
We use science-based therapies matched to what your system responds to, not a fixed protocol. Most clients receive elements of more than one. All are delivered through secure online sessions across Ontario.
01 / EMDR THERAPY
Reprocesses distressing memories so they can be recalled without the same charge in the body.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain finish processing what it could not at the time. Effective for PTSD, anxiety, childhood trauma and trauma-related chronic pain. A 2024 meta-analysis found EMDR performs comparably to other front-line trauma treatments.
02 / DEEP BRAIN REORIENTING
Follows the brainstem sequence that ran in the first moments of a shock, before emotion arrived.
DBR reaches layers held below the emotional system, which is why it is often chosen for attachment trauma and emotional neglect. A 2023 Canadian randomized controlled trial delivered DBR entirely by videoconference and reported that 52% of participants no longer met criteria for PTSD at three-month follow-up.
03 / BRAINSPOTTING
Uses a fixed point of gaze to reach where trauma is stored below conscious thought.
Where you look affects how you feel. Holding a relevant eye position lets the deeper brain locate and discharge what it is holding, with very little need to narrate the event out loud. Useful when talking about what happened feels impossible or unhelpful.
04 / SOMATIC & MIND-BODY THERAPY
Regulation through the body rather than through talk alone.
Grounding, breathwork and body awareness that release the physical tension trauma leaves behind, and give the nervous system somewhere steady to return to between sessions. Often the first work we do, before any processing begins.
05 / PAIN REPROCESSING THERAPY
For trauma that presents as chronic pain, migraines or gut symptoms.
When symptoms have been medically investigated without clear answers, PRT works with the brain’s alarm signal rather than with the tissue. Frequently paired with our brain-gut work for IBS and stress-sensitive digestive conditions.
06 / INNER CHILD & PARTS WORK
Meets the protective parts of you that formed early, rather than arguing with them.
We get to know the strategies that kept you safe, and the younger parts still carrying fear or shame, so that self-criticism softens into something more like care. Often the piece that makes the other work hold.
07 / EMOTIONAL AWARENESS & EXPRESSION THERAPY
For pain and physical symptoms that trace back to emotion that never had anywhere to go.
EAET treats persistent pain as a pattern the brain has learned, and works directly with the anger, grief and fear left behind by trauma and unresolved conflict rather than around them. In a 2024 randomized trial, 63% of participants reached at least a 30% reduction in pain severity, against 17% in cognitive behavioural therapy, and the benefit was largest in people who started with higher depression, anxiety and PTSD symptoms (Yarns et al., 2024). That combination is why we reach for it when trauma and persistent physical symptoms are tangled together.
Evidence
Does this actually work?
52%
no longer met the criteria for PTSD three months after eight sessions of Deep Brain Reorienting, in a 2023 trial delivered entirely over video. Kearney et al., 2023
Fewer sessions
A 2025 systematic review found EMDR generally runs shorter than trauma-focused CBT with a lower burden on patient time, and the one economic model available rated EMDR the most cost-effective of eleven PTSD treatments compared. Simpson et al., 2025
Same success rate
You get the ease of meeting from your own home, and the results hold up just the same. Trauma therapy delivered by video has been measured against the same therapy in a room and holds its own, in randomized trials run well before the pandemic made remote care ordinary. Bruce et al., 2024
Group findings, not a promise about any one person. No therapy works for everyone.
Who trauma therapy helps
03 / Who we support
Trauma therapy at Sky Therapies is for people whose difficult experiences still shape how they feel, think, or move through daily life. These are the situations we work with most.
01
Complex trauma (C-PTSD)
Repeated or prolonged experiences, often early and often within close relationships, that shaped how you see yourself long after they ended.
02
Childhood attachment wounds
Neglect, unpredictability, or caregivers who could not be relied on, showing up now as people-pleasing, fear of abandonment, or difficulty trusting.
03
PTSD and single-incident trauma
A specific event, an assault, a collision, a medical emergency, or a birth experience, that still intrudes through flashbacks, nightmares, or avoidance. More on PTSD therapy
04
First responders and operational stress
Cumulative exposure on the job. Hypervigilance that does not switch off at end of shift, sleep that never fully restores, and a culture that rarely makes room to say so. Therapy for first responders
05
Trauma held as physical symptoms
Chronic pain, migraines, IBS and gut symptoms, or fatigue with no clear medical cause. The nervous system’s alarm can keep running through the body. Chronic pain therapy
06
Feeling stuck after years of talk therapy
You understand your history and can explain it clearly, yet the reactions have not changed. Body-based work often reaches what insight alone cannot.
Symptoms trauma therapy addresses
Anxiety or panic that arrives out of nowhere. Reactions that feel far larger than the situation. Feeling disconnected, numb, or far away. Trouble trusting others. Constant overwhelm. Chronic pain or gut symptoms that worsen with stress. Emotional flashbacks and intrusive memories. A persistent sense of not being good enough, or not being safe.
If several of these sound familiar, a free 20-minute consultation is the simplest way to find out whether this work fits.
What to expect in trauma therapy
04 / Your journey
We move at your pace, not faster. You stay in control throughout, and you are never asked to share details you are not ready to share.
Consultation call
A short phone call. What brings you here, what you are hoping for, and any questions about how we work. No history-taking.
Getting oriented
Confidentiality, pace and consent come first. We map your history at whatever level of detail feels workable, and agree where to start.
Building capacity
Grounding and regulation skills you can use between sessions, so the nervous system has somewhere steady to return to.
Somatic processing
Once there is enough steadiness, we work with the memory or the body’s response directly, in small and tolerable amounts.
Reviewing together
We check what is working and adjust openly. Slowing down or pausing is always an available choice rather than a setback.
Why clients choose Sky Therapies
Healing from trauma requires safety, physical and emotional, and our trauma-informed practice is built around that. Our team includes Registered Psychotherapists and a Registered Social Worker (RSW), so we can match you to a clinician your benefits plan actually covers. Some extended health plans reimburse social work but not psychotherapy, and others do the reverse, which is worth checking before you book. We treat mind and body as one system, and our founder’s dual training in psychotherapy and dietetics brings particular insight when trauma is presenting as physical symptoms.
Sessions are online across Ontario. We work with clients in Toronto and the GTA, Ottawa, Hamilton, and rural communities, so a trauma therapist in Toronto is available to you wherever in the province you live. Evenings and weekends are available seven days a week, and most extended health plans cover psychotherapy with a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker.
Trauma therapy questions
05 / Questions people ask first
Will I have to talk about what happened?+
No. EMDR, Deep Brain Reorienting, and Brainspotting can all work without a detailed verbal retelling. You decide what you share, and when you choose to.
How long does trauma therapy take?+
It depends on whether the trauma was a single event or repeated over years. Single-incident work is often shorter. Complex trauma usually needs a longer arc because safety and stabilization come first. We review progress openly rather than committing you to a fixed number of sessions.
Is online trauma therapy as effective as in person?+
For most trauma work, yes. Sessions run over secure video, and many clients find their own home a steadier place to do this work than an unfamiliar office. Our therapists are registered to practise across Ontario.
What if a session feels like too much?+
We slow down or stop. Building capacity comes before processing, and pausing is always an available choice rather than a setback. Your therapist will also give you grounding tools to use between sessions.
Are sessions covered by insurance?+
Psychotherapy delivered by a Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker is covered by most extended health plans in Ontario. OHIP does not cover psychotherapy in private practice. Check whether your plan lists Registered Psychotherapist or Registered Social Worker, and we can provide receipts for reimbursement.
How much does trauma therapy cost in Ontario?+
Fees vary by clinician. Sky Therapies also runs a reduced-rate stream at $120 per session, delivered by a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) working under clinical supervision. Current rates are confirmed on your free consultation call.
What is the difference between trauma therapy and regular talk therapy?+
Talk therapy works largely through insight and meaning. Trauma therapy adds methods aimed at the nervous system and at memory processing, which is why some people who understand their history perfectly well still do not feel better. It also puts specific emphasis on pacing, consent, and stabilization.
Is EMDR or DBR better for my situation?+
Neither is universally better. EMDR has the larger evidence base and is often the starting point for discrete traumatic memories. Deep Brain Reorienting works with the earliest orienting layer and is frequently chosen for attachment trauma and emotional neglect. Many clients receive elements of both.
Can trauma therapy help with chronic pain or gut symptoms?+
It can be part of the picture when symptoms are stress-sensitive and medical investigation has not found a clear cause. Pain Reprocessing Therapy and Brain-Gut Therapy target that pathway. We do not diagnose medical conditions, and we recommend keeping your medical team involved alongside psychotherapy.
What qualifications does a trauma therapist in Ontario need?+
Psychotherapy is a controlled act in Ontario. Practitioners must be registered with a regulatory college, most commonly the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO) or the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW). Trauma work additionally calls for specific post-graduate training in the modality being used, plus ongoing clinical supervision. Registration can be verified on the public register of the relevant college.
How do I start trauma therapy at Sky Therapies?+
Book a free 20-minute consultation. It is a short call to hear what you are dealing with, answer questions, and work out whether we are the right fit. There is no obligation to book a session afterward, and if another service would serve you better we will say so.
Related therapy services
Trauma rarely arrives on its own. These pages cover the conditions and approaches most often worked on alongside trauma therapy at Sky Therapies.
EMDR TherapyDeep Brain ReorientingBrainspottingSomatic & Mind-Body TherapyPain Reprocessing TherapyInner Child TherapyPTSD TherapyChildhood & Complex TraumaTrauma-Informed TherapyAnxiety TherapyDepression TherapyChronic Pain TherapyFibromyalgia TherapyBrain-Gut TherapyDialectical Behaviour TherapyFirst Responders & Front-Line WorkersTherapy for TeenagersTherapy in Toronto
06 / Begin
Healing begins with a single step
Trauma does not define you. It is one part of your story. If you are ready to begin, or simply curious about what this work might look like, a free 20-minute consultation is the easiest place to start. You do not have to do this alone.
Sky Therapies provides virtual psychotherapy across Ontario. We do not diagnose medical conditions or prescribe medication, and psychotherapy is not a crisis service. If you are in immediate distress, contact 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline, available 24/7 in Canada) or go to your nearest emergency department.
CLINICALLY REVIEWED
Written and clinically reviewed by Anna Skomorovskaia, Registered Social Worker (RSW) and Registered Dietitian, founder of Sky Therapies. Registration verifiable on the OCSWSSW online register.
LAST UPDATED
10 August 2026. This page is reviewed at least twice a year and whenever our clinical approaches or fees change.
SCOPE OF PRACTICE
Psychotherapy is a controlled act in Ontario. We provide psychotherapy only. We do not diagnose medical conditions or prescribe medication.
Serving the following areas: Toronto, Ontario, North York, Ontario, Markham, Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Vaughan, Ontario, Guelph, Ontario, Brampton, Ontario, Windsor, Ontario, St. Catharines, Ontario, Oshawa, Ontario, Kingston, Ontario, Timmins, Ontario, Scarborough, Ontario, Oakville, Ontario, Peterborough, Ontario, RIchmond Hill, Ontario, Whitby, Ontario, and all of Ontario online
