Find a Trauma Therapist

Trauma isn't just about what happened. It's about how you experienced it then, and how it’s still affecting your life now. Layla can help you find a registered therapist who understands trauma and can meet you where you are at.

Start your journey

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Content on this page has been clinically reviewed by Dr. Danielle Rice, Certified Psychologist, College of Psychologists and Behaviour Analysts of Ontario (CPBAO)

Understanding trauma

Nearly 2 in 3 Canadian adults

have experienced a traumatic event in their lives*

Trauma can result from a single event or repeated experiences that involve harm, threat, or a profound loss of safety and overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. Its effects may appear immediately or over time and can influence the mind, body, behaviour, and relationships.

‍*Statistics Canada, 2023

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How trauma may show up in your life

Trauma often shows up in different ways for everyone. Common symptoms may include:

Intrusive memories or flashbacks (including emotional flashbacks)

Emotional numbness, dissociation or feeling disconnected from yourself or others

Feeling constantly on edge or easily startled (hypervigilant)

Trouble sleeping or recurring nightmares

Difficulty concentrating or feeling detached from your surroundings

Avoiding places, people, or activities that remind you of the trauma

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Seeking Support for trauma?

You don’t have to navigate trauma alone. With Layla, we can help match you with a therapist specialized in trauma to support you in your journey.

Find a therapist

Therapy approaches for Trauma

Healing from trauma looks different for everyone. Layla’s community includes therapists trained in a range of evidence-based methods for trauma, including:

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

EMDR

Uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess “stuck” memories or emotions.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

CPT

A specific cognitive behavioural approach to trauma that works through identifying and modifying stuck or distorted beliefs.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Gradually build tolerance for trauma-related memories, situations and cues so the brain relearns they are not a present threat needing to be avoided.

How Layla guides you towards your therapist match

With support from a dedicated care coordinator, Layla guides you toward finding a therapist you align with. Before your therapist matching call, you might consider what types of therapy feel right for you, the qualities you value in a therapist, and your short- and long-term goals. Having a clearer sense of what you need can make finding the right fit feel easier.

Step 1

Tell us what you’re looking for

Complete our intake form, to help us understand what your goals, preferences and needs are.

Step 2

Complete our matching call

Over the phone, a Care Coordinator will ask a few questions to guide their selection of therapists who they think best align with you.

Step 3

Start your first session

After you choose your therapist, you’ll book your first online or in-person therapy session.

Take the first step

Healing begins with connection. Complete our secure intake form to help us better understand your experience, what you need and who you’d like to be connected to.

Then you'll connect with a Care Coordinator who will support you through the therapist matching process.

Frequently asked questions

View all FAQs

There are a few different therapy approaches that are often the most effective for trauma, including:

Prolonged exposure therapy
Cognitive processing therapy
Written exposure therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
& others

PTSD can develop after experiencing an event that involved serious threat, harm, or danger. Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is more commonly associated with prolonged or repeated experiences from which escape was difficult, such as ongoing childhood abuse, or violence within a longterm relationship. Along with the symptoms of PTSD, CPTSD involves persistent difficulties managing emotions, a deeply negative view of oneself, and challenges feeling close to or maintaining relationships. Layla’s community includes therapists experienced in supporting people with a range of trauma-related experiences and concerns.

We do our best to match you with a therapist in our community based on your needs and preferences, with both online and in person availability depending on your location. Your care coordinator is able to discuss your options in more detail to find the right therapeutic fit for you.