Therapy in Hamilton & Online Across Ontario for Trauma, PTSD, and Grief
Experienced support to help you feel safe, grounded, and supported
Trauma
Trauma occurs when an experience overwhelms the nervous system’s ability to cope. It’s less about what happened and more about how the body and mind were affected. After trauma, the nervous system may stay on high alert or shut down.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD develops when the nervous system remains stuck in survival mode after trauma. This may include intrusive memories, avoidance, heightened anxiety, or emotional numbness.
Complex Trauma
Complex trauma usually results from repeated or long-term trauma, often beginning in childhood or within close relationships. It can affect emotional regulation, self-worth, and relationships.
Grief
Grief is a natural response to loss — including the loss of people, safety, identity, or a hoped-for future. It often comes in waves and doesn’t follow a set timeline
Helping you move forward after trauma
Dr. Jennifer Barbera, PhD, and her team offer compassionate, evidence-based therapy to adults & adolescents as they resolve trauma, navigate grief, & work to restore a sense of safety, meaning, balance & resiliency.
What Is Trauma, PTSD, & Grief Therapy?
Trauma and grief can affect how you feel, think, and relate to the world even long afterwards. You may feel overwhelmed, disconnected, on edge, numb, or stuck — even when you’re doing your best to cope.
Trauma, PTSD, and grief therapy focus on helping the nervous system recover from overwhelming experiences and losses.
How We Heal Trauma, PTSD, and Grief
Our approach skillfully addresses common impacts of trauma and loss, such as:
- Hypervigilance, anxiety, or feeling constantly on edge
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
- Emotional numbness, detachment, or shutdown
- Guilt, shame, or self-blame
- Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe
- Grief that feels overwhelming, stuck, or isolating
- Changes in sleep, mood, or concentration
Compassionate, skilled help for Trauma, PTSD, and Grief
We work with adults and adolescents (15+) experiencing a range of trauma- and loss-related concerns, including:
- Complex trauma, developmental or childhood trauma
- Trauma related to abuse, neglect, or violence
- Single-incident trauma (e.g., accidents, assaults, medical trauma)
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
- First Responder traumatic exposure (including WSIB & VA)
- Grief and bereavement following the death of a loved one
- Complicated or prolonged grief
You do not need to have all the details clear — or even words for your experience — to begin therapy.
What to Expect in Trauma and Grief Therapy
Starting therapy after trauma or loss can feel overwhelming, so we help make things clear and supportive with:
- An initial intake appointment: To understand your experiences, symptoms, strengths, & goals
- A safe, non-judgmental space to process experiences at your own pace
- Evidence-based therapy approaches, tailored to your specific needs- paced carefully & collaboratively to ease distress, improve coping & help you feel grounded, connected, & hopeful
- Ongoing support: compassionate experienced relapse prevention to strengthen prolonged recovery
Healing after trauma & loss is possible — We are here to help. Contact us Today!
FAQ
No. Many people seek therapy because they feel impacted by past experiences or losses, even without a formal diagnosis. Therapy can help whether your trauma feels clear, complex, or hard to define. If needed or desired, we can also assess you to determine if you are experiencing PTSD, complex trauma, an adjustment disorder, other trauma-and-stressor disorder or an adjustment disorder but this is not necessary to offer treatment.
No. Therapy does not require detailed retelling of traumatic events unless and until it feels appropriate. We focus on safety, stabilization, and helping your nervous system feel more regulated. We can also offer trauma processing therapy that does not directly involve any re-telling of events such as IFS or EMDR therapy.
We don’t believe in a “one size fits all approach”. We also believe that trauma treatment and grief work is complex and requires specialized training in a number of modalities to be safe and effective.
We help identify how your system responded to loss or trauma using an IFS approach, and then use a combination of CBT (including cognitive processing), ACT, DBT and EFT approaches to help you improve coping, and resolve distressing feelings and memories. Some of us are also EMDR trained. Learn more about modalities we use.
Yes. Trauma and grief can continue to affect people even many years later. Our bodies and nervous systems do not know time in the same way that our thinking mind does. Therapy can help reduce the impact of trauma, even if the experience occurred in the distant past.
Many people say, “just give it time,” but trauma doesn’t always improve on its own. Symptoms can worsen when the nervous system stays stuck in survival mode. Stress, reminders, or life changes can intensify reactions — even years later. Healing happens not through time alone, but with experienced, effective support.
Contact Us
Taking the first step can feel difficult – we will make it easier. We’re here to guide you with care and professionalism.
905-407-5758
"*" indicates required fields