Trauma and PTSD Therapists in L2S

I am happy to offer individual counselling/therapy for adults, and my services are supervised by a licensed Psychologist. I am completing a Doctoral Program in Clinical Psychology and a practicum placement at Brookside Psychologists in St. Catharines. My services are supervised by Dr. Lesley Miller, Psychologist and Dr. Cheval Chez-Roy Birchwood, Psychologist.

Taking the step to talk to a therapist can be difficult, but if you find yourself contemplating this, I would encourage you to take the next step and reach out. It is not easy to go through difficult times on your own and having an experienced therapist to help guide you, provide you with alternative perspectives, develop coping strategies, or challenge you in your thoughts or behaviour patterns can really help to gain some ground in feeling better and working through life’s hard times. I am an experienced therapist with over twenty years experience working with people in a variety of situations.

Taking New Clients! I am a Registered Psychotherapist (qualifying) with experience supporting people with a wide range of concerns from depression, anxiety, phobias, and relationship issues. If you are feeling stuck, have negative thoughts, anxiety, depression, self-esteem issues, grief, trauma, interpersonal challenges or re-defining yourself in an unsatisfactory relationship I work through a holistic and culturally sensitive therapy approach to aid in reaching your desired goals.

Fertility, pregnancy loss, perinatal mental health, birth trauma and trauma can impact your sense of self. This journey may not be what you expected. I am here to support you during this chapter of your life. You are not alone. We will process and reflect on your story in therapy to promote healing. We will develop strategies that are authentic to your needs and feel realistic. It would be my honour to be part of your circle of support. I bring 18 years of experience in the field and my motherhood journey.

Take charge of your health! No more late-night symptom searches or spending time & money in talk therapy that just goes over your symptoms & memories without telling you what to do about them. Our team of Psychotherapists goes beyond the symptoms to treat the root cause of your trauma & deliver long-term healing. We’re Mapping the Way Forward in the Face of PTSD & Trauma, Anxiety, & Depression with a Science-Backed, Clinically - Proven Approach. We get to really know you & dedicate time to understanding your history & your goals.

I focus heavily on your individual values and helping you discover a meaning-centered life. I believe that therapies and the therapeutic relationship are as unique as the individual, while one style may suit you, it may not suit others. I am mindful of each individual who walks through the door.

In my work, I think about the honour it is to support people on their mental health journey. It is hard enough to reach out for support and thank you for checking out my profile. Clients who come to see me have various goals that they wish to work on. Many of my clients seek me for support with trauma, anxiety, depression, or various other mental health concerns. A lot of times, I work with people on ways to increase the quality of life and support their various mental health goals. In fact, I use the "whatever it takes" method, meaning I am happy to do whatever it takes to support your goals. It's a real method, check it out!

Art therapy is an ideal way for individuals or groups to explore therapy and find healing and support. Therapy can be joyful and creative. My ideal client is open to discover positive and supportive creative and client-focused approaches. Whether you require talk, expressive (non-verbal), brief, long-term, individual or group art therapy, it is a realistic goal. Art-making can explore your stuck or painful feelings, alter any thoughts or behaviours affected by fear, abuse, uncertainty, trauma, grief, loss, diminished moral, or work-stress and anxiety. I look forward to discuss your treatment goals and explore our journey together.

I firmly believe in the inherent capacity for individuals to lead fulfilling lives. I value the art of developing a strong therapeutic relationship, and fostering authenticity, to help people recognize and unravel the unique hardships of their own stories and acknowledge their strengths. As an EMDR trained therapist, I want to meet you wherever you are in your healing journey to help you better understand yourself and work through any emotional difficulties that leave you feeling stuck to restore balance and connection.

Do you feel like your anxiety stops you from living your life? Like self critical thoughts are always running through your mind and your brain won't "shut off"? Or maybe you've been through trauma that you feel like keeps affecting you in the present? I specialize in supporting teens and adults to help you have more confidence, feel more in charge of your own life and finally feel hopeful about your future again. My work is rooted in compassion and together we can equip you with the tools to cope with life's challenges, understand yourself better, and go from surviving to thriving in order to create the life that you deserve.

If you're feeling disconnected, distracted, and detached from your life, it may be time to look at why. Why can't I connect, why am I not able to just "get over" my past, or why does it all feel so meaningless? Maybe there are other questions, like “what am I doing with my life” or “who do I want to be?”. It’s okay to take time that's just for you, to look at your life and see both the big picture and explore the often overlooked details. With the right support, you can feel more present, connected, and in control of your life.

It can be a difficult process finding the right therapist, and I am here to help. I'm Dr. Lesley Miller, a Clinical Psychologist licensed by the College of Psychologists of Ontario. At Brookside Psychologists, we have many experienced, licensed psychotherapists and psychologists available to work with you. We're located in St. Catharines and Burlington.

Help for Helpers: “How are you, really?” Is taking care of others, responding to constant demands at work and juggling responsibilities at home leaving you on high alert, feeling disconnected, exhausted, resentful and lost in your sense of self? Putting your emotions on hold, compartmentalising your life, minimising the impact of your work and your responsibilities at home and simply pushing through can lead to burn out, symptoms of anxiety, depression and PTSD. You do not have to do this alone, I am here to support you.

Now Accepting New Clients! You're tired of walking on eggshells. Your inner critic is relentless, overanalyzing your every move. Your body feels tense, especially your shoulders. You chronically apologize, feeling like a burden to everyone around you. You've tried all the things - medication, mental health walks, journaling, positive thinking, breathwork...maybe you've even tried therapy before, but you still feel stuck. You want to understand WHY you are the way you are so you can break the patterns that keep you stuck. You know your childhood wasn't perfect. You're now seeing how it impacted you and are finally ready to change it.

On the surface, you are the one who has it all together, but you know deep down that something has to change. You feel burnt out from constantly accommodating other people, and ignoring your own needs. You feel anxious, overwhelmed, and exhausted from keeping your emotions bottled up. You are tired of trying so hard and getting so little in return. Feelings of unworthiness, shame, and fear are holding you back from becoming the kind of person you have always wanted to be.

I know you want to feel empowered on the path to recovery. In order to do that, you need coping skills to manage your everyday life. I help people who feel stuck in some areas of their lives. There are many different ways that we can get stuck. Maybe it is a behaviour that you are having a hard time changing. Maybe it is an emotional state you can't get rid of. Or perhaps you have relationship difficulties that won't go away even though you've tried everything.

I have vacancy to supervise a few counsellors/ therapists. My style is to follow your individual style and provide suggestions to fit your treatment methodology of choice. I believe supervision can effectively support continuous professional growth whether a new or already seasoned therapist.

Relationships are hard, and as men we do not always know how to effectively work through turbulence. Sometimes, we can act in ways that push others away. Other times, we can get pushed away for seemingly no rhyme or reason. In both situations it can feel impossible to find peace, whether that means working towards mending the relationship, or in some circumstances learning how to let go. These complex situations consume a great deal of our time and can leave us feeling sad, anxious, angry, and not like ourselves. Together, we can build healthy and satisfying relationships and get you back to feeling like YOU.

Life is nothing short of amazing. It's amazing how much we can go through and live to tell about it. It's amazing how fast kids grow up and time flies, how angry a co-worker can make you, how much compassion we can seem to have for others when we struggle to offer any to ourselves. It's amazing how much we put on our plates when all we need is to rest. It's amazing how much we can long for understanding and connection and how much opportunity can be missed right in front of our eyes. It's amazing how short life is. It's also amazing how much we can learn in the time we have, and how little steps can amount to such massive change.