Issues We Treat

Trauma & PTSD Therapy

Something happened — or many things, over time — and the world has not felt entirely safe since. You may not even be able to name it clearly. But you feel it: in the way your body tightens in certain situations, in the relationships that feel impossible to navigate, in the part of you that is always slightly on guard. Trauma therapy at Newmarket Therapy Centre creates a space where that can begin to change.

Understanding Trauma & PTSD

Trauma therapy and PTSD treatment at Newmarket Therapy Centre
Trauma therapy at Newmarket Therapy Centre — in person and online across Ontario.

Trauma is not defined by the event. It is defined by what the experience left behind — in the nervous system, the body, and the way you relate to yourself and others. Two people can go through the same event and be affected very differently. What matters is not what happened, but how it was processed — and whether it was processed at all.

Unprocessed trauma does not stay in the past. It continues to shape the present — through hypervigilance, emotional reactivity, numbness, intrusive memories, difficulty trusting, chronic tension, and a nervous system that cannot fully settle. This is not weakness. It is the natural result of an overwhelmed system doing its best to protect you.

At Newmarket Therapy Centre, we bring a trauma-informed approach to all of our clinical work. Our therapists include specialists in EMDR, somatic therapy, and IFS — and every aspect of the work is paced by your nervous system's capacity, not by a fixed protocol.

70%
of adults worldwide have experienced at least one traumatic event in their lifetime (WHO)
20%
of people who experience trauma go on to develop PTSD — but many more carry unprocessed trauma that affects daily life
EMDR
is recognised by the WHO, APA, and UK NICE as a first-line treatment for PTSD — available at Newmarket Therapy Centre

Signs of Trauma & PTSD

Trauma and PTSD show up in many ways. Not everyone who has experienced trauma develops PTSD, but many carry the effects of unprocessed trauma in ways that significantly affect their lives. Common signs include:

Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about past events
Hypervigilance — always scanning for threat, unable to relax
Emotional numbing, detachment, or feeling disconnected from yourself
Avoidance of situations, people, or feelings that trigger reminders
Intense emotional or physical reactions to seemingly small triggers
Difficulty trusting people or feeling safe in relationships
Chronic tension, physical pain, or somatic symptoms without clear cause
Shame, guilt, or a pervasive sense that something is fundamentally wrong with you
Sleep difficulties — trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or nightmares
Dissociation — feeling detached, unreal, or outside your own body

Types of Trauma We Work With

Single-Incident Trauma

A specific overwhelming event — an accident, assault, sudden loss, medical emergency, or natural disaster — that the nervous system has not been able to fully process.

Complex & Developmental Trauma

Repeated or prolonged traumatic experiences, often beginning in childhood — neglect, abuse, domestic violence, or growing up in an unsafe environment. Often the most pervasive in its effects.

Relational Trauma

Trauma arising from close relationships — betrayal, abandonment, emotional abuse, or the absence of consistent care from attachment figures.

Medical Trauma

Trauma related to serious illness, invasive medical procedures, childbirth complications, or medical experiences that left a lasting imprint on the body and nervous system.

Secondary & Vicarious Trauma

Trauma experienced through exposure to others' traumatic experiences — common in first responders, healthcare workers, therapists, and family members of trauma survivors.

Attachment Trauma

Early experiences of inconsistent, frightening, or absent caregiving that shaped how the nervous system learned to relate — to itself, to others, and to the world.

Trauma is not what happened to you. It is what happened inside you as a result of what happened to you. And what happened inside you can be healed.

Newmarket Therapy Centre

Trauma Therapy Approaches

Our therapists draw on a range of evidence-based trauma treatments — never rushing toward traumatic material, always working within what your nervous system can manage. Safety and stabilisation come before processing, and processing is always led by your pace.

Gold Standard

EMDR Therapy

EMDR is one of the most rigorously researched trauma treatments available, recognised internationally as a first-line intervention for PTSD. It helps the brain complete the processing that was interrupted at the time of the trauma — so the memory loses its charge and becomes something you remember rather than relive.

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Body-Based

Somatic Therapy

Trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind — in patterns of activation, bracing, and shutdown that talk therapy alone often cannot reach. Somatic Experiencing works directly with the nervous system's held responses, helping them complete and discharge at a pace the system can manage. Particularly valuable for complex and developmental trauma.

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Parts-Based

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

IFS offers a compassionate, precise way of understanding how trauma organises the internal system — the wounded parts that carry the pain, and the protective parts that have been working so hard to keep them hidden. IFS approaches these parts with curiosity and care, building the safety needed for genuine healing.

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Relational

Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT)

For relational and attachment trauma, EFT helps access and process the primary emotions — fear, grief, shame, anger — that were never safe to feel at the time. Working at the level of emotional experience, rather than just narrative, produces deeper and more durable healing.

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Brain-Based

Neurofeedback

For trauma with a significant neurological dimension — chronic hyperarousal, freeze states, or a nervous system that cannot settle regardless of insight — neurofeedback works directly with brainwave patterns to support regulation. Often used alongside EMDR and somatic work for complex presentations.

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Values-Based

ACT for Trauma

For trauma survivors who have become consumed by avoidance and the management of symptoms, ACT helps reconnect with values and begin moving toward life — even in the presence of trauma responses. Particularly useful in combination with other trauma-focused approaches.

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What to Expect

Trauma therapy at Newmarket Therapy Centre is never rushed. Your therapist will work within what your nervous system can manage — building safety and stabilisation before any processing begins.

  • 01

    A free intake call with Susan

    Our Client Care Manager will listen carefully to what you are carrying and match you with the right trauma-specialist therapist — considering not just clinical training but the relational fit that trauma work requires.

  • 02

    Safety and stabilisation

    Before any processing of traumatic material, your therapist will help you build grounding resources, regulation tools, and a therapeutic relationship that feels genuinely safe. This phase can take several sessions — and it is not wasted time. It is the foundation everything else rests on.

  • 03

    Processing at your pace

    When you and your therapist are both ready, the processing work begins — using whichever approach fits your presentation, your nervous system, and your goals. You are always in control of the pace.

  • 04

    Integration and recovery

    As traumatic memories lose their charge, the nervous system begins to settle. You may notice changes in your body, your relationships, your sleep, and your sense of safety in the world. Integration continues long after the formal processing work ends.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?
No — and for many trauma presentations, a detailed verbal account is not the most effective or appropriate starting point. Approaches like EMDR and somatic therapy work with the body and nervous system directly, without requiring you to narrate events in detail. You will never be pushed to go somewhere you are not ready to go.
What is the difference between trauma and PTSD?
Trauma refers to the experience of overwhelming events and their lasting effects on the nervous system and psyche. PTSD is a specific clinical diagnosis with intrusive symptoms, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and hyperarousal persisting for more than a month. Many people carry significant trauma without meeting full PTSD criteria — and both are equally worth addressing.
How long does trauma therapy take?
It depends significantly on the type of trauma. For single-incident trauma, EMDR can produce significant relief within 6–12 sessions. For complex and developmental trauma, the work is usually longer — often 6 months to 2 years or more — and is usually more thorough and transformative as a result.
Is EMDR available at Newmarket Therapy Centre?
Yes. EMDR-trained therapists are part of our clinical team. Please mention that you are specifically seeking EMDR when you contact us, so we can match you with an EMDR-trained therapist.
Can trauma therapy make things worse before they get better?
It is normal to feel some increase in distress at the beginning of trauma work. However, your therapist is trained to work within what your nervous system can manage — titrating the work carefully so that you are never overwhelmed. If things feel too hard, the pace is adjusted. Your wellbeing always comes first.
Can I do trauma therapy online?
Yes. Many trauma approaches, including adapted EMDR, somatic therapy, and EFT, are available online to clients anywhere in Ontario. For some trauma survivors, the sense of control and privacy that comes with being in their own space is actually supportive of the work.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

Our intake team will match you with the right trauma therapist at Newmarket Therapy Centre — carefully and at your pace. No commitment required.

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