Trauma and painful experiences
Support with memories, triggers, shutdown, hypervigilance, shame and changes in safety or trust.
A place to feel understood—and move forward in your own way.
Individual therapy offers private, compassionate support for what you are carrying. Together, you and your therapist can make sense of difficult experiences, build steadier ways of coping and create change that feels meaningful to you.
You do not have to wait until everything feels unmanageable.
People begin individual therapy for many reasons. You may be responding to a recent loss or transition, living with the effects of an earlier experience, feeling stuck in familiar patterns or simply wanting a clearer understanding of yourself.
Therapy is not a test of how well you can explain what is happening. It is a collaborative space where your pace, priorities, identities, relationships and lived experience help shape the work.
Grief and life transitions
Make room for loss while adapting to changes in relationships, health, identity, family or daily life.
Anxiety and overwhelm
Understand worry, panic, avoidance and nervous-system responses while developing steadier coping.
Depression and disconnection
Explore low mood, numbness, exhaustion, self-criticism and the loss of interest or hope.
Relationships and boundaries
Notice recurring patterns, communicate needs and strengthen connection without losing yourself.
Pain, stress and caregiving
Receive whole-person support for chronic pain, parenting stress, burnout and demanding roles.
Therapy begins with relationship, safety and choice.
A strong therapeutic relationship creates room to be honest without having to perform, minimize or have all the answers. Your therapist will take time to understand what brings you in, what matters to you and what would make therapy feel useful.
You remain an active participant throughout the process. Your clinician should explain possible approaches, invite questions and continue to seek your consent as the work develops.
You do not have to share every detail in the first session—or before you feel ready. Trauma-informed therapy can begin with present-day needs, resources, stabilization and building trust.
Support that sees more than a diagnosis.
Your experiences exist within a wider story: relationships, culture, community, identity, health, responsibilities, strengths and the ways you learned to survive.
Individual therapy can help you understand these connections without reducing you to a symptom list. The goal is not to erase every difficult feeling, but to help you have more choice, connection and capacity in the life you are living.
Therapy shaped around you.
Your clinician may integrate one or more approaches according to your goals, preferences, readiness and their professional training. No single method is right for every person.
EMDR
A structured approach that may help the brain process distressing experiences and reduce their present-day intensity.
Explore EMDR →IFS & Parts Work
Approach protective, critical or wounded parts with curiosity and strengthen a more compassionate inner relationship.
Explore Parts Work →Brainspotting
Uses focused attention and body awareness to support processing of experiences that may be difficult to put into words.
Explore Brainspotting →CBT & DBT
Build practical skills for thoughts, emotions, behaviours, distress tolerance, communication and everyday coping.
Explore CBT →ACT
Develop psychological flexibility, make space for difficult internal experiences and move toward personal values.
Explore ACT →Art Therapy
Use art-making and creative expression to explore emotions, understand experiences and communicate what words alone may not capture.
Explore Art Therapy →What individual therapy may look like.
Therapy is not always linear. The process adapts as trust develops, circumstances change and new priorities emerge.
Begin with fit and understanding
Discuss what brings you in, relevant history, present-day needs, strengths, safety and what you hope could change.
Create a shared direction
Develop goals and a treatment approach together, including questions, preferences, benefits, risks and alternatives.
Build capacity and process
Strengthen resources and coping while exploring patterns, emotions or experiences at a pace that supports the work.
Notice and integrate change
Review what is shifting, practise new responses in daily life and adjust the focus as your needs evolve.
Finding the right therapist matters.
Training and experience are important, but fit also includes whether you feel respected, understood and able to ask questions. It is reasonable to explore what a therapist works with and how they approach the concerns you want to address.
Consider the therapist’s areas of focus, populations served and therapeutic approaches.
Ask about session format, availability, fees and virtual or in-person options.
Notice whether the relationship feels collaborative, clear and emotionally safe enough to continue.
Questions about individual therapy.
Yes. All TGI associates and many of our affiliates offer a complimentary meet-and-greet consultation. This gives you and the therapist an opportunity to connect, ask questions and decide whether working together feels like a good fit before moving forward.
The first session usually focuses on what brings you to therapy, relevant context, current needs, safety, goals and practical details. It is also an opportunity to ask questions and begin deciding whether the therapist feels like a good fit.
No. You and your therapist can begin with present-day concerns, coping, stabilization and building trust. You can discuss what feels manageable, and informed consent should remain part of the process.
There is no single timeline. Length and frequency depend on your concerns, goals, circumstances, approach, progress and preferences. Your therapist can review the plan with you as therapy continues.
TGI independent contractors currently offer in-person services in Ottawa, and virtual therapy with eligible clinicians across Ontario and British Columbia. Availability and provincial registration vary by clinician, so use Find Your Therapist to confirm the right match or reach out to us at [email protected].
Coverage depends on your plan and the clinician’s professional designation. Before booking, contact your insurer to confirm eligible provider types, annual limits, referral requirements and reimbursement procedures.