TRAUMA THERAPY · OTTAWA & WESTBORO · VIRTUAL ACROSS ONTARIO

Trauma Therapy Ottawa

What happened is over, but it still affects how you feel, react, and live today. Get support in person in Westboro, Ottawa, or online anywhere in Ontario.

You know you’re safe, but you don’t always feel safe.

It doesn’t take much. Someone raises their voice and you freeze. Someone comes up behind you and you jump. A small comment hits you harder than it should, and suddenly you’re angry, crying, or completely shut down.

You know what’s happening right now isn’t the same as what happened before. But in the moment, your body reacts like it is.

So you stay on guard. You notice every change in someone’s voice or face. You try to keep people happy so they don’t get upset with you. Or you keep yourself busy because slowing down means having time to think.

And sometimes you wonder, “Why is this still affecting me? It happened years ago.”

Trauma Therapy helps you understand why the past still shows up in your life today and start changing the way you respond to it.

You don’t have to tell us everything at once. You don’t have to force yourself to talk about something you’re not ready to talk about. We start where you are and go at a pace that feels right for you.

The goal isn’t to forget what happened. It’s to get to a place where what happened doesn’t have so much control over your life now.

Does Any Of This Sound Like You?

You can tell someone’s mood
changed before they say a word.

You notice the smallest shifts in people's voice or face and wonder if they're mad at you.

You notice the smallest things. Their voice sounds different. Their face changes. They get a little quieter.

Right away, you start wondering, “Are they mad at me? Did I do something?”

You’ve gotten very good at reading the room because knowing how everyone feels helps you know what to expect.

Trauma Therapy helps you stop hyper-vigilantly reading the room and feel safe in your relationships.

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You say yes when you
really want to say no.

You agree to things or apologize just to keep peace, then feel angry with yourself later.

You don’t want someone to be upset with you, so you agree.

You take on the extra work. You go to the event. You let something slide. You apologize even when you didn’t do anything wrong.

Then later, you’re angry with yourself because you wish you had just said what you wanted.

Trauma Therapy helps you build genuine boundaries without the overwhelming fear of people being mad at you.

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Someone gets upset and
your mind goes blank.

The second a conversation gets tense, your words disappear and you completely shut down.

You know what you want to say until the conversation gets tense.

Then the words disappear.

You get quiet. You agree just to end the conversation. Or you completely shut down.

Three hours later, you’re thinking, “Why didn’t I say that?”

Trauma Therapy helps you stay grounded and speak up even when things feel tense.

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You have a hard time
letting people get close.

When someone gets close, you start looking for signs they'll hurt, change, or leave you.

You want close relationships, but trusting people is hard.

When someone gets too close, you start looking for signs that something is wrong. You wonder when they’ll change, leave, or hurt you.

Sometimes it feels easier to depend on yourself than risk being let down.

Trauma Therapy helps you let safe people in without expecting immediate disappointment.

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You’re always waiting for
the other shoe to drop.

Even when life is calm or going well, a part of you is constantly waiting for bad news.

Things are going well, but you can’t fully enjoy it.

Part of you is waiting for something to go wrong.

A good relationship feels suspicious. A quiet week makes you wonder what’s coming next. Even when life feels calm, you have a hard time trusting that it’ll stay that way.

Trauma Therapy helps your brain learn that calm is safe, not a setup for bad news.

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You stay busy because
you hate slowing down.

You keep your calendar full so avoided thoughts and feelings don't have room to show up.

Your calendar is full. You work. You clean. You exercise. You make plans.

From the outside, you look productive.

But when everything gets quiet, the thoughts and feelings you’ve been avoiding have room to show up. So you find something else to do.

Trauma Therapy helps you process what you're running from so you can truly rest.

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Sometimes you
just check out.

You lose track of time, zone out during talks, or feel like you're watching yourself from far away.

Someone is talking to you and suddenly you realize you haven’t heard the last few minutes.

You lose track of time. Things around you feel far away. Sometimes you feel numb or like you’re watching yourself go through the day.

It’s hard to explain. You just know that sometimes you don’t feel fully there.

Trauma Therapy helps you gently stay present in your body and mind.

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You don’t know if what
happened was “bad enough”.

You keep comparing your pain to others and telling yourself you're just being dramatic.

You keep comparing your experience to other people’s.

“Other people had it worse.”
“My parents did the best they could.”
“It wasn’t that bad.”
“Maybe I’m just being dramatic.”

You don’t need to decide whether what happened was “bad enough” before you ask for help. If it’s still affecting you, we can talk about it.

Trauma Therapy gives you a safe space to honor your feelings without comparison or judgment.

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You don’t understand why
you react the way you do.

You pull away, get angry fast, or panic over minor things and wonder why you did that.

Sometimes your reaction surprises even you.

You get angry fast. You pull away from someone you care about. You panic when someone is upset with you. You feel uncomfortable when things are going well.

Then you look back and think, “Why did I do that?”

Trauma Therapy can help you make sense of reactions that don’t always make sense to you right now.

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Recognize yourself in any of these? That's worth a conversation.

Meet Our Ottawa Trauma Therapists

Work with caring therapists who understand how the past can still affect you today and helps you feel safer, calmer, and more in control of your life.

Caitlin Kemmett

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Trauma, Neurodiversity, & Burnout Specialist

Helping adults process past hurts, calm physical threat responses, unlearn self-blame, and feel safe in their own skin.

Book with Caitlin

Jessica Muziramakenga

Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Trauma, Boundaries, & Overwhelm Specialist

Helping adults navigate past trauma, extreme people-pleasing, hyper-vigilance, and rebuilding trust in safe relationships.

Book with Jessica

What Can Feel Different In Your Day-to-Day Life

You’re not trying to forget what happened. You just want it to stop affecting how you feel, react, and live your life today.

You don’t feel on edge all the time

Relax at home without listening for every sound or constantly staying alert.

You’re at home and you can just relax. You’re not listening for every sound or wondering what could go wrong.

Your body doesn’t feel tense all day. You can sit down, watch TV, take a nap, or enjoy a quiet moment without feeling like you need to stay alert.

✓ Feel relaxed and safe in your body

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You don’t get thrown off as easily

Loud voices or sudden changes no longer ruin your whole day or trigger panic.

Someone raises their voice. Your partner seems annoyed. Plans change at the last minute.

You still notice it, but it doesn’t ruin your whole day. You can take a second, figure out what’s actually happening, and decide what you want to do next.

✓ Pause and respond calmly to sudden changes

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You don’t check out when things get hard

Stay present during tense talks, say what you need, and stop going blank.

You can stay in the conversation instead of going blank or shutting down.

You can hear what someone is saying, figure out how you feel, and say what you need to say. And you don’t have to spend the next three hours thinking about everything you wish you had said.

✓ Stay present and speak your mind

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You stop expecting everyone to hurt you

Let safe people get close to you without constantly looking for signs of betrayal.

Someone can be kind to you without you wondering what they want.

You can let people get close without looking for signs that they’re going to leave, change, or let you down. You can trust the people who have shown you that they’re safe to trust.

✓ Trust safe people with confidence

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What happened doesn’t run your life anymore

Think about the past without feeling right back in it or letting it dictate choices.

You don’t choose where you go, who you trust, what you say, or how you live based on what happened to you.

You can think about the past without feeling like you’re right back in it. What happened still matters. It just doesn’t get to make every decision for you.

✓ Live freely on your own terms

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Start With a Free Consultation

Questions About Trauma Therapy

Was what happened to me bad enough to count as trauma?

You don’t have to compare what happened to you with what someone else went through.

People come to therapy after many different experiences. It could be something that happened once, or things that happened over and over for years.

If something from your past is still affecting your life today, it’s worth talking about.

Do I have to tell you everything that happened?

No.

You decide what you want to talk about and when you’re ready to talk about it. You don’t have to sit down in your first session and tell your therapist every painful detail.

We can start with what’s bothering you now and go from there.

Why don’t I remember much of my childhood?

There are many reasons people don’t remember parts of their childhood. Having gaps in your memory doesn’t automatically mean something bad happened.

You also don’t need to remember everything about your past for therapy to help.

We can work with what you remember and what you’re dealing with today without trying to fill in the blanks.

Why do I know I’m safe but still feel on edge?

Because knowing you’re safe and actually feeling safe aren’t always the same thing.

You can know there’s nothing wrong and still jump at a loud noise, tense up when someone gets angry, or feel like you need to keep your guard up.

Therapy can help you understand these reactions and learn what helps you feel safer in the moment.

What if talking about it makes me feel worse?

You don’t have to jump straight into the hardest thing that happened to you.

We start by getting to know you, what you’re dealing with now, and what you want help with.

You’re allowed to slow down, take a break, or tell your therapist you’re not ready to talk about something.

Why do I freeze when someone raises their voice?

Sometimes your body reacts before you have time to think.

Someone gets angry and suddenly your mind goes blank. You can’t find the words. You get quiet or agree with them just to make the conversation end.

Therapy can help you understand why this happens and work on staying present and speaking up when things get tense.

Can trauma affect how I feel physically?

Yes. Stress after difficult experiences can show up physically too.

You can notice things like tense shoulders, a tight jaw, headaches, trouble sleeping, a racing heart, or feeling tired.

Physical symptoms can have many causes, though, so new or ongoing symptoms are also worth talking about with your doctor.

Why do I keep ending up in relationships that hurt me?

Sometimes what feels familiar can be easier to recognize than what’s actually good for us.

You can find yourself putting up with things you don’t want, ignoring red flags, or staying with someone longer than you know you should.

Therapy can help you understand those patterns, decide what you want from your relationships, and notice when something doesn’t feel right.

What’s the difference between trauma and PTSD?

Going through something traumatic doesn’t automatically mean you have PTSD.

PTSD is a diagnosis with a specific set of symptoms. You can still struggle after something painful or frightening without having PTSD.

You don’t need a PTSD diagnosis to come to trauma therapy.

What actually happens in trauma therapy?

We start with what’s happening in your life now.

We talk about what’s been hard, what sets you off, what you avoid, and what you want to change.

Your therapist will help you understand your reactions and work on ways to handle them differently. You won’t be pushed to talk about something before you’re ready.

How long does trauma therapy take?

There isn’t one set amount of time.

It depends on what you want help with, what you’ve been through, and what you want to get out of therapy.

We’ll check in along the way so you know what you’re working on and whether therapy is helping.

How do I start trauma therapy with your Ottawa team?

Start with a free 20-minute call.

Tell us a little about what you’ve been dealing with and what you’re looking for. You don’t have to tell us your whole story on the call.

We’ll answer your questions and help you find a therapist who fits what you need.

You don’t have to keep carrying this with you.

You’ve found ways to live with what happened. You’ve kept going, built a life, and learned how to get through the hard days. But getting through it isn’t the same as being okay with how much it still affects you.

You don’t have to wait until things get worse. And you don’t have to know exactly what you want to talk about before you come in. You can start with what’s bothering you right now.

We’ll meet you there and work from there, at a pace that feels right for you.

What happened is part of your story. It doesn’t have to keep getting in the way of the life you’re living now.