Trauma and PTSD Therapists in M6G

Hi! How are you?… How are you really? :) My name is Ahilia and I love being a therapist, it is such a honour and a privilege to do this work. Please feel free to set up a consult and let’s see if we are a good fit. In my practice I specialize in supporting adult survivors of childhood trauma, PTSD, C-PTSD, Anxiety, Depression, Grief and I support BIPOC and LGBTQI communities. I use an eclectic and compassionate approach to therapy based on my clients concerns and personalities. I am a MSW, RSW and Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Talk soon! Have a beautiful day! :)

Hi there. Whether you are seeking therapy during a time of crisis, looking to address an acute issue or wanting to better understand yourself and what has shaped you, I would be honoured to walk along side you and guide you on your healing journey. I have spent the last 10 years specializing in the field of trauma and attachment. My work oscillates between assisting you to develop strategies to feel more grounded in your day to day life, as well as, tuning into the bigger picture of what shaped you and the meaning you have made of these experiences in order to lead to more meaningful healing and balance.

Managing intense emotions, impulsive behaviours, and interpersonal relationships can, at times, feel incredibly challenging. I have extensive experience supporting clients with borderline personality disorder, mood and anxiety disorders, a history of trauma, and substance use challenges. I have worked specifically within the LGBTQ2S+ community, helping clients navigate sexuality, gender, and relationship issues.

Remedy is a vibrant and open-minded clinical practice that is committed to the personal growth of our clients. Our philosophy is to innovate mental health care and to work with our clients to amplify and support the lives they want to live. People seek therapy for a number of reasons, including to pursue personal exploration and an enhanced experience of life, as well as to address specific mental health concerns. However your goals for therapy may look, we are here to hold space for you. We believe that you are the expert in your own life, and we will work collaboratively with you to design a therapy plan that meets your needs.

Embarking on the journey to embodying your truest self is filled with complexity and uncertainty, and we all need a haven to decipher our place and chart our course. Specializing in assisting individuals grappling with addiction, trauma, and ADHD, my focus is on guiding you towards your vision with empathy and expertise.

Are you new to counselling and therapy? Are you unsure of where to begin, feeling nervous, or perhaps even skeptical? Does it feel easier to be self-reliant, down-play your own needs while focusing on others, or just accept that you’ll always feel misunderstood? If so, therapy might feel like a big leap. We all learn to cope in ways that are completely understandable given life’s many challenges - if you are experiencing general anxiety, grief, or depression, or facing acute challenges in integrating back into a a post-pandemic world, or grappling with the realities of climate change, you do not have to go on this journey alone.

Life can feel too intense, sometimes. We all deserve support. Psychotherapy can be a powerful way to work through those moments in life when we can’t see a way forward- when we feel stuck, alone, disconnected, overwhelmed, and small. I specialize in helping with feelings of low self-worth, isolation, and shame, and support folks in regaining a sense of safety and presence in their bodies, choices, and relationships. Whatever you may be struggling with, you don’t have to do it alone. In the context of a strong therapeutic relationship, we can make sense of your experience and help you work through it, together.

I work with adults, teens, and couples who are experiencing a variety of life transitions and challenges. A stressful life event, sudden change, or recent loss can make it feel like the ground has fallen out from under you. My work is centred around helping you increase self-understanding, process difficult feelings, memories or experiences, and expand your coping abilities. Together we will establish a therapeutic space that feels safe to explore how to move towards a more balanced present.

I treat adolescents and adults whose thoughts, emotions, behaviours, senses of self, and/or relationships are dysregulated. I use evidence-based therapies like Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Prolonged Exposure (PE) – to support clients with borderline personality disorder (BPD), complex trauma, substance use, and other difficulties (like anxiety and depression). I balance acceptance and change-based strategies to reduce clients’ suffering and to make their lives more meaningful.

My practice is steeped in compassion, understanding, connection, and hope. With years of experience working with young adults, teens, adolescents, and families in the public mental health system I bring real-world therapeutic skills in supporting people of all ages to tackle some of life’s biggest challenges, such as family breakdown, self-harm, grief, and trauma. I collaborate with clients to build a vision of their future and self, uncovering and developing the pathways needed to build these visions into reality and live out their hopes and values behaviourally.

Welcome! Seeking out support can be a hard first step to make, but it is a sign of listening to your wise inner self. Getting to this step is honourable. Here’s a bit of who I am. I've been practicing for over 22 years, working in the social services field, specifically in community and hospital-based settings. My practice includes Mindfulness, Narrative, Psychodynamic, Trauma Focused, as well as Body Oriented Therapies. I specialize in treating survivors of trauma, as well as individuals experiencing mental health, relationship, parenting, academic stressors, life transitions, and substance use issues.

I am a cisgender woman, with Mi’kmaw and Settler roots; as a result, the holistic therapy I provide is rooted in an anti-oppression approach. I was lucky enough to earn a Master of Social Work from the University of Buffalo. I chose that program because, unlike most other programs, it offered a specialty in utilizing a Trauma-Informed Focus. I was also trained in using EMDR. I have six years’ experience providing therapy; first in the USA and now in Canada. I’ve also provided services in community settings like the youth justice system and a community task force created to help deal with the human trafficking epidemic.

*Now accepting clients* For so many, the hardest part of therapy is putting themselves first. When you’ve come to the point of accepting that you need support in overcoming challenges in your life, you may feel overwhelmed, beat down, tired, and low. Many of my clients feel a sense of relief following the first session where they’ve taken the first step in improving their life, relationships, and happiness. Therapy is work, and requires dedication to the process and to yourself.

A strong and trusting relationship with your therapist is an important part of your therapy experience. My approach is non-judgmental, caring, authentic and collaborative. I will help you learn to validate your emotions, gain insight, and develop healthy coping strategies in order to achieve meaningful change. Since 2002, I’ve been helping individuals who struggle with a variety of difficulties stemming from emotion dysregulation including impulsivity, relationship conflict, self-harm, anxiety and depression. I have extensive experience from nearly 20 years as a therapist in the BPD clinic at CAMH where I primarily offered DBT.

I believe in people before problems. My view is that we have abilities to overcome challenges, even when they seem insurmountable. What often stops us from living our lives the way we want to, is getting caught up by the problem, rather than finding solutions. I don’t shy away from problem talk, but I also encourage space for finding what works to live a more fulfilling life.

Welcome, courageous human. If you recognize your patterns (& still struggle to change the harmful ones) . . . if you find yourself overwhelmed/triggered all over the place by the state of this world, or your family, or your relationships, I see you. Come in to the courage room. (The good news: you're already there, in the courage room of your brain-body-spirit.) If you want to heal: betrayal trauma (including sexual assault, incest); anxiety or stuckness; or require support during a big transition, please reach out. (FYI, my hypnotherapy work is different than regular therapy. Learn more about both here: www.karenconnelly.ca).

Are you feeling overwhelmed by life's challenges, struggling with your mental health or in relationships? I am here to help.

All stages of the parenting journey come with rewards and challenges. From fertility treatments to becoming a new parent, you might feel like you’re on a rollercoaster of emotions. You didn’t think it would be this hard and you’ve never felt so alone. Family members are stressing you out and you can’t shake the feeling that somehow you’re doing it all ‘wrong’. If you’re struggling with grief, loss, birth trauma, or defining yourself as a parent, counseling can help you start to feel like yourself again. With specialized training in perinatal mental health, I can offer you support wherever you are on your parenting journey.

I have worked in the field of mental health for 30 years. This includes more than 20 years of experience working with individuals in a private psychotherapy practice. Said simply, I believe the intention of psychotherapy is to help people feel better and feel better equipped to live well. These objectives are determined by each client, as they consider their own context, influences, hopes and goals. I try to approach each person and each psychotherapy with intellect, curiosity, creativity and respect.