Mairin
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Sees: Preteens, teens, adults, and first responders & healthcare workers
Mairin, Michaela & Megan have weekday & evening openings this month.
Oakville · Virtual in Ontario & select provinces
Therapy for Trauma & PTSD
Something happened, and part of you is still there.
- Free 15-minute consultation
- Receipts for extended health benefits
- In person in Oakville or virtual in Ontario & select provinces
4 therapists, one teamOakville & online in Ontario & select provinces
Not sure who to see?
Tell us a little about what’s going on and we’ll suggest the therapist who fits.
We’ll match you →Maybe it was one moment. A car accident. An assault. A hospital stay that didn't go the way it should have. A call at work you can't stop replaying. Or maybe it wasn't one moment at all. Maybe it was years of growing up in a home that never felt safe, or a relationship that slowly wore you down.
You might be getting through your days just fine on the outside. Going to work. Showing up for people. But inside, your body is still braced for something. You jump at small sounds. You avoid certain places, people or conversations. You don't sleep the way you used to. Or you feel strangely numb, like you're watching your life from a distance.
And maybe part of you keeps saying:
“It wasn't that bad. Other people have it worse. I should be over this by now.”
What you're feeling makes sense. Trauma isn't about how “bad” something looks from the outside. It's about what it did to you, and what your mind and body have been doing ever since to try to keep you safe.
We provide trauma therapy in Oakville and online across Ontario and select provinces and territories for teens and adults living with the effects of difficult or frightening experiences, whether that's a single event, years of hard experiences, or something you've never quite had words for.
You don't have to have it all figured out to reach out. And you don't have to keep carrying it alone.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the lasting impact of an experience that overwhelmed your ability to cope at the time. It's less about the event itself and more about how it landed in you: how frightened, helpless, alone or trapped you felt, and whether you had support afterward.
Two people can go through the same thing and come out of it very differently. That isn't a sign that one of them is weaker. It reflects everything else going on in their lives, their history, and the support around them.
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is one way trauma can show up. It can develop after experiencing or witnessing something frightening or dangerous, or after repeated exposure to distressing events, which is common in some jobs. PTSD usually involves experiences like these that stick around and get in the way of daily life:
- Re-living it: intrusive memories, flashbacks or nightmares
- Avoiding it: staying away from reminders, places, people or thoughts connected to what happened
- Feeling on guard: being easily startled, tense, irritable, or always scanning for danger
- Changes in mood and thinking: guilt, shame, numbness, or feeling cut off from others
You don't need a diagnosis to start therapy. Many people live with some of these effects without ever being diagnosed with PTSD, and they still deserve support.
Different Kinds of Trauma
Trauma can come from many kinds of experiences. Here are a few we often hear about.
Single-Incident Trauma
One event that changed how safe the world feels: a car accident, an assault, a fire or natural disaster, a sudden loss, or witnessing violence. Life may have felt fairly steady before, and then one moment shifted everything.
Complex & Childhood Trauma
Repeated or ongoing experiences, often in relationships where you should have been safe. This can include emotional, physical or sexual abuse, neglect, growing up around addiction, violence or unpredictability, or a long emotionally harmful relationship.
Complex trauma often shows up quietly: trouble trusting people, a harsh inner critic, people-pleasing, feeling “too much” or “not enough,” or finding it hard to know what you actually feel.
Medical Trauma
A frightening diagnosis, an emergency surgery, an ICU stay, a difficult birth, a long illness, or feeling powerless or dismissed in medical settings. Medical trauma can make appointments, hospitals or even certain body sensations feel overwhelming.
Workplace Trauma, Including First Responders
Some jobs mean regularly seeing things most people never see. Paramedics, police officers, firefighters, dispatchers, nurses, physicians, personal support workers and other healthcare workers can be affected by one critical incident or by years of them. Trauma at work can also come from workplace violence, harassment or a serious accident. You can read more on our first responders & healthcare workers page.
Not sure who to see? We’ll match you.
Tell us a little about what’s going on and we’ll suggest the therapist who fits.
What Can It Look Like?
Trauma doesn't always look like it does in the movies. Sometimes it's loud. Often it's quiet.
You might notice:
- Memories, images or sensations that show up when you don't want them
- Nightmares or trouble falling or staying asleep
- Feeling jumpy, on edge or always on alert
- Avoiding places, people, conversations or reminders
- Feeling numb, flat or disconnected from yourself or others
- Irritability, anger or sudden waves of emotion
- Guilt or shame about what happened, or about how you reacted
- Trouble concentrating or remembering things
- Feeling unsafe even when you know you're safe
- Panic, a tight chest, or a body that won't settle
- Pulling away from people you care about
- Using alcohol, food, work or scrolling to switch off
- Feeling like you're “not yourself” anymore
Some people notice these things right after something happens. For others, they show up months or years later, sometimes when life slows down, or when something new stirs up something old.
How Therapy Can Help
Trauma therapy isn't about forcing you to relive the worst moments of your life. It's about helping you feel safer in your mind and body, at a pace that feels manageable, so the past has less of a hold on your present.
You stay in control of what we talk about and when. We'll start by getting to know you, what you're dealing with now, and what helps you feel steady. Some people want to talk about what happened in detail. Others don't, at least not yet. Both are okay.
Depending on what fits you, our therapists draw from approaches such as:
- Grounding and somatic approaches to notice what's happening in your body and help your nervous system settle when it's on high alert
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) skills for getting through intense emotions, distress and urges without making things harder
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) to look at the beliefs trauma can leave behind, like “It was my fault” or “I'm never safe,” and the patterns that keep you stuck
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to make room for painful thoughts and feelings while moving toward what matters to you
- Emotion-Focused Therapy (EFT) to understand and work with emotions that may have been pushed down for a long time
- Internal Family Systems (IFS), offered by Mairin, to get to know the different “parts” of you that have worked hard to protect you
We'll talk about what each approach involves and decide together. You never have to do anything in session that doesn't feel right for you.
What Are Sessions Like?
Your first session is mostly about getting to know each other. We'll ask about what brings you in, what's going on in your life now, and what you'd like to be different. You don't have to share the details of what happened before you're ready.
Early sessions often focus on feeling steadier: understanding your reactions, learning ways to calm your body, and building tools you can use between sessions. When it feels right, and only if you want to, we can begin working with the memories, beliefs and feelings connected to what happened.
Sessions are 50 or 75 minutes, in person at our Oakville office or online by secure video. Many people come weekly or every other week at first. We'll check in regularly about how it's going and adjust as we go.
Your therapist
Therapists who work with trauma & ptsd
Book a free 15-minute consultation with any of us, or let us suggest who fits. Meet the whole team →
Katarina
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
Sees: Teens, adults, families, and first responders & healthcare workers
Cost & insurance
What sessions cost
Individual therapy
- 50-minute session$160
- 75-minute session$240
- Receipts are provided for extended health benefits. Many plans that cover a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) will reimburse sessions. Please check your plan to confirm your coverage.
- We don’t direct bill insurance or work with EAPs.
Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Can’t find your answer? Call (289) 201-1951 or email hello@heartofoakpsychotherapy.com.
Do I have to talk about what happened?
No. You decide what you share and when. Many people start by focusing on how they're feeling now and building ways to feel steadier. Your therapist won't push you into details before you're ready.
What if my experience doesn't seem “bad enough” to be trauma?
There's no threshold you have to meet. If something is still affecting you, it's worth talking about. Comparing your pain to other people's often keeps people from getting support they deserve.
Do I need a PTSD diagnosis to start therapy?
No. You don't need a diagnosis or a referral to book with us. Many people we see wouldn't describe themselves as having PTSD at all. They just know something from the past is still showing up in their present.
Can trauma show up years later?
Yes. It's common for the effects of trauma to show up long after the event, sometimes during a big life change, a new relationship, becoming a parent, or when something reminds you of what happened.
Do you offer trauma therapy online?
Yes. We offer online trauma therapy by secure video anywhere in Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Newfoundland and Labrador, Yukon, the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, as well as in-person sessions at our Oakville office. Some people find it easier to talk about hard things from their own space.
What if I need help right now?
If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 (Suicide Crisis Helpline) any time, or call 911 or go to your nearest emergency department if you are in immediate danger. Therapy is not an emergency service, but we're here for ongoing support once you're safe.
Free 15-minute matching call
Not sure who to see? We’ll match you.
Finding the right fit matters more than finding the perfect words. Answer two quick questions and book a free consultation; we’ll point you to the therapist who suits what you’re looking for.
Quick guide to our team
Who works with what, at a glance.
| Couples | Michaela, Megan |
| Preteens | Mairin, Michaela |
| Teens | Mairin, Michaela, Megan (16+), Katarina |
| Families & parenting | Michaela, Megan, Katarina |
| OCD & intrusive thoughts | Mairin, Megan (ERP: Mairin) |
| Eating disorders & body image | Megan, Katarina |
| Trauma & PTSD | Mairin, Megan, Katarina |
| ADHD & neurodivergence | Mairin, Michaela, Megan |
| Men’s mental health | Mairin (a particular focus), Michaela, Megan, Katarina |
| First responders & healthcare workers | Mairin, Megan, Katarina |
| Anxiety, stress & self-esteem | All four of us |
Not on the list? Ask us in your free consultation.
You Don't Have to Keep Carrying This Alone
You've been coping with a lot, maybe for a long time. The ways you learned to protect yourself made sense. You're allowed to want more than just getting through the day.
Imagine sleeping more easily. Feeling more at home in your body. Thinking about the past without it taking over your present. Therapy can't change what happened, but it can help you change your relationship with it.
Not sure which therapist is right for you?
Submit our Intake Form or book a free 15-minute matching call with Katarina Jurriaans. She'll learn a little about what you're going through and what kind of therapist you think you'd connect with, then help match you based on approach, personality, and availability.
Book your free consultation when you're ready. We'll go at your pace.
Other ways we can help
Something else on your mind? We can help with that too.
Many people come in for one thing and find it’s connected to another. Explore the other areas our therapists work with.
Not sure it fits a box?
Most people aren’t. Book a free 15-minute consultation and we’ll help you sort out where to start.
Book a free 15-minute matching call →Virtual therapySecure video sessions in Ontario & select provinces›AnxietyWorry, panic, racing thoughts›DepressionLow mood, numbness, no energy›Preteens & teensSchool, friendships, big feelings›Grief, loss & pet lossIncluding the loss of a pet›Eating disorders & body imageFood, body and self-worth›OCDIntrusive thoughts, doubt, compulsions›ADHDFocus, overwhelm, follow-through›Men's therapyStress, anger, pressure to cope alone›Stress & life transitionsBurnout, change, new chapters›Relationships & datingPatterns, dating, attachment›LGBTQIA+ affirming careBe fully yourself in the room›Couples therapyConflict, distance, reconnecting›Family therapyParents, kids and the space between›First responders & healthcare workersShift work, hard calls, carrying it home›Self-esteem & confidenceThe inner critic, people-pleasing, comparison›Not sure? We’ll match youTell us what’s going on›