Trauma-Focused Psychotherapy for Medical Trauma in Ontario
Medical trauma can occur when healthcare experiences feel frightening, overwhelming, painful, or out of your control. This may involve a single event or a series of experiences where your body, safety, or autonomy felt threatened.
This work focuses on helping you process medical trauma in a way that prioritizes choice, pacing, and nervous system safety. Therapy is trauma-focused, collaborative, and grounded in respect for your lived experience.
Who We Work With
We work with adults who have experienced medical trauma related to illness, injury, medical procedures, hospitalization, childbirth, or interactions with healthcare systems.
For some, trauma developed during emergency care or intensive treatment. For others, it emerged over time through repeated procedures, invasive interventions, misdiagnosis, medical neglect, or feeling unheard or dismissed.
These experiences can lead to fear, mistrust of medical settings, intrusive memories, hypervigilance, avoidance, shame, anger, grief, or a sense of losing trust in one’s body.
How We Can Help
We provide trauma-focused psychotherapy for individuals experiencing PTSD or trauma symptoms related to medical experiences.
Therapy is guided by your consent and readiness. The focus is on helping you process traumatic memories safely, reduce distressing symptoms, and rebuild a sense of agency and safety, both in your body and in medical or health-related situations.
You are not expected to push through or revisit experiences before you are ready.
Provider Identification & Licensure
Shev is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) providing psychotherapy services in Ontario. She is based in Toronto and offers psychotherapy to adults across the Greater Toronto Area and throughout Ontario through secure virtual care.
Primary Areas of Focus:
Approaches are discussed collaboratively, and therapy proceeds at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.
Medical trauma and healthcare-related PTSD
Trauma related to medical procedures, hospitalization, or illness
Birth trauma and reproductive trauma
Trauma related to misdiagnosis, medical neglect, or loss of bodily autonomy
Fear, avoidance, or distress related to medical environments
Therapeutic Approaches
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
A structured, evidence-based approach that helps identify and work through trauma-related beliefs, self-blame, guilt, or loss of trust that can follow medical trauma.
Prolonged Exposure (PE)
An evidence-based trauma therapy that can help reduce fear and avoidance by gradually and safely processing traumatic memories or medical-related triggers, when appropriate and with careful pacing.
When This Work Is a Good Fit
This work may be a good fit if you want trauma-focused support to address the lasting impact of medical experiences and are open to structured therapy that prioritizes consent, safety, and gradual progress.
When This Work Might Not Be the Right Fit
This work may not be the best fit if you:
Are seeking therapy for concerns unrelated to trauma, PTSD, or moral injury
Are looking primarily for supportive counselling rather than trauma-focused treatment
Prefer an unstructured or open-ended therapy approach
Are not ready to engage in active, evidence-based trauma therapy at this time
Need crisis support, emergency services, or inpatient care
Are seeking couples, family, or child therapy
If you’re unsure whether this approach is right for you, I’m happy to help you think through your options or connect you with a more appropriate resource.
Practical Information
Services are offered virtually to adults located in Ontario, in accordance with provincial regulations
Therapy is provided to individuals aged 18 and older
This service is not crisis or emergency care
Sessions are confidential, with limits to confidentiality as required by law
Fees, availability, cancellation policies, and informed consent are discussed prior to beginning therapy
Many extended health insurance plans cover psychotherapy provided by an RSW; clients are responsible for confirming their own coverage
If you are in immediate danger, please contact local emergency services or a crisis line rather than relying on this service.
Legal Note
If you’re considering whether trauma-focused therapy is the right step, a brief consultation is often the place to start.
During this conversation, we can talk through what’s been happening, explore whether this approach fits your needs at this time, and review practical details such as availability and fees. There is no obligation to begin therapy.
Next Steps
If you’re considering whether trauma-focused therapy is the right step, a brief consultation is often the place to start.
During this conversation, we can talk through what’s been happening, explore whether this approach fits your needs at this time, and review practical details such as availability and fees.
There is no obligation to begin therapy.