TRAUMA CARE PSYCHOLOGY

Dialectial Behavioural Therapy (DBT) in Ontario

DBT is a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps you manage painful emotions, reduce harmful behaviors, and improve relationships through practical skills for a balanced, meaningful life.

Our DBT Progam

A trauma-informed, structured approach to help reduce emotional pain and lead a more balanced life.

Program Includes:

  • Comprehensive intake assessment & personalized plan

  • Stage I:

    • Weekly DBT-informed 1:1 sessions

    • Working on decreasing harmful behaviours

    • Customized skills & exercises to reduce distress

    • Optional phone coaching (as appropriate)

  • Stage II:

    • Trauma-focused work

    • Learning to feel emotions without avoidance

  • Stage III:

    • Building a meaningful & balanced life

    • Working on life, relationship & career goals

Why Choose DBT?

DBT is a research-supported therapy for people who feel emotionally overwhelmed, reactive, or stuck in unhelpful patterns.


You may benefit if you experience:

  • Intense or unpredictable emotions

  • Trauma-related reactivity

  • Difficulties with anger management

  • Dangerous or impulsive behaviours (e.g., self-harm; substance-use)

  • Feeling “flooded” or shut down

  • Dissociation or stress-induced paranoia

  • Fears of abandonment

  • Feelings of emptiness

  • Difficulty with boundaries or communication

  • Stress that spirals fast

    DBT Helps With:

  • Reducing self-harm and suicidal thoughts

  • Improving emotion regulation and reducing emotional overwhelm

  • Better relationships through more effective communication and boundary-setting

  • Greater stability in daily life and improved ability to cope with distress without harmful behaviors

DBT often lasts 6 to 12 months or longer depending on your needs. The structured, multi-component format helps ensure that skills are not just learned but practiced and integrated into everyday life.

Who is DBT For?

DBT is for anyone who struggles with:

  • Intense, painful or overwhelming emotions

  • Impulsive or self-sabotaging behaviors

  • Difficulty managing stress or staying grounded

  • Challenges in relationships or setting boundaries

  • Feeling stuck in patterns they want to change

DBT was originally developed to treat Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) and help individuals struggling with self-harm or suicidal urges.

Since then, it has been shown to be effective for any condition involving intense or painful emotions, including substance use, PTSD, Complex PTSD, anxiety, depression, OCD, eating disorders, and more.

How DBT Helps

Intense emotional distress can come from natural emotional sensitivity, experiences of invalidation, trauma, or a combination—and DBT was created to help in these situations through the strategies below:

  • Learn to understand and manage your emotions, reduce intensity, and respond thoughtfully instead of reacting impulsively.

  • Build practical skills to stay grounded and cope effectively during stressful or painful moments without making things worse.

  • Strengthen your communication, set clear boundaries, and build healthier, more balanced relationships.

  • Increase awareness of the present moment, connect with your true self, and respond to life with clarity, calm, and confidence in who you are.

Starting therapy is simple and supportive:

  1. Get in Touch
    Book a call online with our intake coordinator or fill our the “Contact Us” form to the right. You can also email us directly at admin@traumacarepsychology.ca or call us at (647) 456-7500.

  2. 20-Minute Intake Call
    Speak with our intake coordinator to ensure the best match with a therapist or take a look at our therapist options online and select one you believe might be a fit and schedule a free 20-min consultation call with the therapist directly.

  3. Schedule Your First Session
    The first session is designed to gather information so we can come up with a personalized treatment plan based on your needs.

Getting Started

Contact Us

Fill out the information below, and our intake coordinator will be in contact shortly.