Trauma Therapy
When experiences from the past continue to shape how you feel, relate, and move through the world.
Trauma can take many forms. For some people it's a single overwhelming event; for others it's something that unfolded slowly over time: neglect, chronic instability, repeated harm, or living for years without feeling safe or seen.
You may notice trauma showing up as:
A constant sense of being on edge
Intrusive memories or nightmares
Emotional numbness or shutdown
Difficulty trusting others or feeling close
Intense emotional reactions that feel hard to control
Many people come to trauma therapy not because they want to revisit the past, but because they're tired of how it continues to affect the present.
Trauma therapy isn't about reliving what happened. It's about helping your nervous system and emotional world learn that you are safer now.
How Trauma Therapy Can Help
Depending on your needs, this work may help you:
Reduce the intensity and frequency of trauma responses
Build skills to manage overwhelming emotions without shutting down or escalating
Understand how trauma has shaped patterns in your relationships and behaviour
Increase your sense of safety in your body and daily life
Process traumatic experiences in a way that is paced, structured, and supported
This is not quick-fix work. It is careful, intentional, and grounded in respect for how much you've already survived.
DBT-PE: Evidence-Based Trauma Treatment
DBT-PE (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Prolonged Exposure) combines DBT skills with trauma processing techniques. Unlike standard exposure therapy, DBT-PE first builds emotion regulation and distress tolerance skills so you're equipped to handle trauma memories without becoming overwhelmed. Once you have the skills, you work through traumatic memories at your own pace.
Research shows DBT-PE is highly effective for PTSD and complex trauma — particularly for people who also struggle with emotion dysregulation, self-harm, or suicidal ideation. It is structured, collaborative, and designed to help you face what happened without being retraumatized.
You build skills first. DBT-PE ensures you have emotion regulation tools before processing trauma. You won't be thrown into painful memories without the skills to manage them.
Effective for complex cases. Specialized for adults and teens with trauma alongside co-occurring challenges like self-harm, eating disorders, or BPD.
Whole-person care. Trauma affects your body, emotions, relationships, and sense of self. Treatment addresses all of it, not just symptoms.
Your Trusted Trauma Therapist in Pickering & Durham Region
I'm Maggie Stein Jamieson, an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker trained in DBT-PE for trauma. I understand what it takes to heal from what you've survived. If you're ready to stop letting the past control your present, let's talk.
What to Expect From Trauma Therapy
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1. Free Consultation Call
A 15-20 minute conversation about what you've been through and whether trauma therapy is right for you. No pressure to share details you're not ready to discuss.
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2. Assessment and skills building
The first phase focuses on understanding your trauma history and building DBT skills. You won't be asked to process trauma until you have the tools to handle it safely.
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3. Trauma processing
Once you're ready, we work through traumatic memories using DBT-PE techniques at your pace, with skills to manage distress throughout.
Ready to heal from trauma?
You've carried this long enough. Book a free 15-minute consultation to start the conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Eventually, yes, if you want to process the trauma. But not right away. We start by building skills so you're equipped to handle difficult emotions and memories. You control the pace, and you're never forced to share more than you're ready for.
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Many people have tried traditional talk therapy or exposure therapy without success. DBT-PE is different because it teaches you emotion regulation skills first, so you're not overwhelmed when processing trauma. If previous therapy felt retraumatizing or you weren't ready, DBT-PE's structured approach might be a better fit.
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Yes. DBT-PE was specifically designed for people with co-occurring issues like self-harm, suicidal ideation, and emotion dysregulation. You don't have to be "stable" to start. We work on safety and skills first, then trauma processing when you're ready.
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It varies depending on your history and goals. The skills-building phase typically takes several months, and trauma processing can take several more months depending on the complexity of your trauma. This isn't quick work, but it's effective.
Related therapy services
Depending on your family’s needs, other services within the practice may also be helpful:
Adult Therapy - Individual therapy for adults navigating trauma, PTSD, and emotion dysregulation.
Child & Teen Therapy - trauma-informed care for adolescents who've experienced abuse, loss, or ongoing trauma
Group Therapy - skills-based and therapeutic groups supporting regulation and connection
DBT Programming – comprehensive DBT for trauma plus co-occurring mental health challenges.