Georgetown & Oakville locations

Treatment for childhood and adult trauma is Shauna Switzer’s specialty. As a result of overwhelming situations such as accidents, sudden loss, verbal, psychological, physical or sexual abuse and assaults or neglect encountered during childhood or adulthood, many children and adults experience destabilizing symptoms associated with the aftermath of those painful and traumatic circumstances. Difficulties with relationships and connection, dissociation, avoidance, anxiety, fear, depression, anger, and hopelessness are a few emotions and physical and mental states that can linger for a lifetime. In addition, reliving previous traumatic incidents,  flashbacks, and intrusive negative thoughts and images often undermine the individual’s ability to cope with everyday life, leave the past behind, and embrace their future. Trauma therapy helps those individuals overcome symptoms and guides them through the process of healing.  Shauna Switzer’s approach combines Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR),  a successful and acclaimed evidence-based trauma therapy, interventions from Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and interventions informed by Theraplay® (see below for more information). Dr. Stephen Porge’s Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) music therapy is an adjunct treatment used prior to therapy to help individuals suffering from trauma to access a physiological state conducive to well-being, positive engagement with others, and growth in learning. The  SSP not only addresses anxiety and fears associated with trauma, but also reduces anxiety related to ADHD and Autism. It often leads to dramatic changes in one’s ability to engage socially with more openness and feelings of safety in connection to others. 

Relationship, parenting, family counseling and play therapy,  based on the  prinicples of   

Theraplay®,  can be beneficial to couples & families who are looking to strengthen their emotional connections in all stages of their relationships. Step-families and blended families often struggle with  loss and grief for their previous family structure, while adjusting to new bonds and relationships. Families experiencing divorce and those coping with children managing learning disabilities, depression, ADHD/ADD, or social phobia, often benefit from counselling. Parents gain new parenting strategies and learn how to support their children‘s mental health during a significant and difficult life event or time in their life. Counselling is a supportive and safe place to discuss these issues and find solutions.

Men face unique issues throughout their lives, often struggling with career problems and stressful work environments,  fatherhood, marital distress, aging, illness, and hidden depression and anxiety. The male gender role often prohibits men from developing the emotional engagement and connectedness they deserve and desire. We can help you overcome and solve these problems and guide you through the counselling process.

Everyone needs to feel significant, valued, and important to their loved ones and friends. Yet, kids and teenagers often have experiences, such as school or cyber bullying, that undermine their confidence and shape a sense of low self-worth. Other socially generated threats to their sense of self-worth can lead to depression and anxiety in children and adolescents. Counselling, psychotherapy, and  family and play therapy builds and supports your child’s positive sense of self-worth and resilience, reduces depression and anxiety, and increases confidence and self-acceptance.

The evidence is out! Increasing your capacity to accept and observe your inner and outer experience calmly and with neutrality leads to both mental and physical health and well-being. Mindfulness based therapy is a core treatment approach that we offer to support your peace of mind. In fact, we combine treatment approaches, such as emotion and compassion focused therapies, with CBT, EMDR, and mindfulness based therapies to help you cope with difficult emotions & transform the lens through which you view the world. See the world through new eyes today!

The powerful human needs inherent in our family & couple bonds often generate strong emotions and fears, leading to difficult relationship and parenting issues. Emotion-focused and experiential family, couple, and step-family therapy, often combined with play therapy based on the principles of Theraplay®, help families process their emotions, overcome their worries, and strengthen  bonds, healing  struggles between loved ones. We can help you establish peace and understanding in your home and relationships.

You are still in control! We  use hypnotherapy and the power of mental imagery to help individuals  cope with negative emotional states, such as  stress, anxiety, pain, fatigue & mood disorders.  We also help them break bad habits or achieve  other positive changes, such as weight loss. Mental imagery and soothing verbal repetition ease the individual into a relaxed peaceful state of mind. Once relaxed, our minds are more open to transformative change. 

We offer the researched and evidence-based Safe & Sound Protocol (SSP) music therapy of Dr. Stephen Porges to help individuals initiate and access a physiological state conducive to well-being, positive engagement with others, and growth in learning. The treatment, administered over five consecutive days, was originally designed to support those with autism, but is now used for a variety of mental health issues. We use it as a pre-treatment for ADD/ADHD, enabling individuals to more effectively engage in therapies aimed at developing social skills and awareness, and often prior to trauma therapy. The SSP often leads to dramatic changes in one’s ability to engage socially with more openness and feelings of safety in connection to others. The SSP is administered at our office over the course of five consecutive days (one hour per day).