Question 1

What is psychotherapy?

Accepted Answer

Psychotherapy offers a supportive, confidential space where you can explore your thoughts, emotions, and experiences in a way that feels safe and respectful to you. The process is collaborative, paced with care, and grounded in choice, transparency, and informed consent—honouring your sense of control and readiness.

Question 2

What is the difference between trauma therapy and trauma-informed therapy?

Accepted Answer

Trauma-informed therapy recognizes that trauma may be part of a person’s history and prioritizes safety, choice, and collaboration in all therapeutic work, while trauma therapy also goes a step further by directly focusing on processing and healing the impacts of traumatic experiences. Trauma therapy specifically works with the effects of trauma when it’s a central focus of treatment.  The goal of trauma therapy is to get to the root of the issues that are having a negative impact on your life so you can feel free to live a peaceful, content life.

Question 3

Will therapy work for me?

Accepted Answer

Therapy can work for everyone, but it’s important to keep in mind that therapy is a collaborative process between you and your therapist; there is never a guaranteed outcome.

Question 4

Is mindfulness about meditation?

Accepted Answer

Mindfulness is a way of paying attention: being aware of what’s happening right now—your thoughts, emotions, body sensations, and surroundings—on purpose and without judging it. Meditation is a formal practice where you set aside time to train that skill.

Question 5

How long does therapy last?

Accepted Answer

The length of therapy varies depending on the issues you bring to your sessions, your goals, and how long you want to continue attending. Some people attend for a short period, while others engage in longer‑term work. There is no predetermined timeline, but it’s common for people who experienced significant developmental trauma in childhood to require longer-term therapy.  Therapists should never insist that you continue if you feel it’s time to take a break or discontinue your sessions.  You are also free to leave a session at any time for any reason, you are always in control of whether or not to continue.

Question 6

Is EMDR right for everyone?

Accepted Answer

EMDR is a therapeutic approach that is effective for many issues beyond just trauma and is discussed carefully, with preparation and consent. Not everyone is a good candidate or chooses to include EMDR in their therapy experience.

Question 7

How do I know if a therapist is the right fit?

Accepted Answer

Finding the right fit is an important part of therapy, and it can take a little time to figure out if it isn’t clear immediately.  You’re encouraged to ask questions, notice how safe and comfortable you feel, and pay attention to whether you feel heard and respected in sessions. Therapy is a collaborative relationship, and a good fit supports trust, openness, and a sense of working together.  If at any time you decide you don’t feel like your therapist is a good fit for you, we welcome you to reach out to our clinical coordinator to request a change of therapists.

Question 8

Is therapy confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes, psychotherapy is confidential, with limits defined by law and professional standards. These limits are reviewed as part of informed consent.

Question 9

Who is therapy for?

Accepted Answer

Trauma therapy is for people who notice that past experiences—which can include obvious life-altering events, but also ongoing stress, neglect, emotional wounds, or experiences where support was missing—still affect how they feel, cope, or relate today. For example, those who grew up needing to be strong, who minimize their needs, or who figure things out alone, or whose nervous system had to adapt to difficult or unsafe situations.  If certain patterns keep showing up—like feeling on edge, disconnected, overwhelmed, or stuck—trauma therapy can help make sense of why and support change.

Question 10

Do I need to know what I want to work on before starting?

Accepted Answer

No, many people begin therapy without clear goals. Part of the early process will involve exploring what feels important to address.

Question 11

How do I know which approach is right?

Accepted Answer

There are varied approaches that work for different people so the planned approach is explored collaboratively.

Question 12

What if I decide therapy isn’t for me?

Accepted Answer

You are free to pause or end therapy at any time.  As part of supportive and ethical care we encourage everyone to discuss any concerns or uncertainty with your therapist so you can decide together whether you would benefit more from a different approach to meet your needs before deciding to stop attending altogether.

Frequently asked questions