Psychotherapy in Guelph
Therapy In Guelph
A team of compassionate therapists offering in-person or virtual support - when you’re ready, we’ll meet you there.
Our Guelph location offers a welcoming, private practice setting where therapy is tailored to fit your life, not the other way around. We know reaching out for support can take a lot, and we do our best to make the process feel as approachable and accessible as possible.
We have a diverse team of practitioners, which means we can help you find someone who feels like the right fit in terms of style, experience, and availability. We also offer daytime, evening, and weekend appointments because life is busy enough already.
We understand that finances can sometimes be a barrier to accessing therapy. If cost is a concern, we’re open to having a conversation and will do our best to explore options that may help make services more accessible.
Our goal is simple: to offer supportive, down-to-earth care that honours your experience and helps you move forward at a pace that feels right for you.
who we serve in guelph
Teens 12-19
Helping teens make sense of and supporting parents in learning how to join in a way that actually helps.
Adults 19+
Helping you understand how your past shapes your present, without letting it define your future.
Couples & Families
Helping you and your partner break old patterns and build new ways of connecting that actually work for both of you.
Our Guelph LOCATION
Our Therapy Process
Starting therapy can feel like a big step, so we aim to keep the process clear, collaborative, and as comfortable as possible.
We begin with a free initial consultation call, where you can connect with a therapist, ask questions, and get a sense of whether we’re a good fit. There’s no pressure; this is simply a space to see what support might look like for you.
If you choose to move forward, your first full session focuses on understanding your story, current concerns, and what you’re hoping to gain in therapy. Think of this as a collaborative assessment process, not a test, you don’t need to have everything figured out.
From there, we work together to develop a treatment plan that reflects your goals, needs, and pace. This plan isn’t rigid or set in stone. It’s something we revisit, refine, and adjust as we go, based on what’s working and what’s shifting for you.
Therapy here is a shared process. You bring your lived experience; we bring tools, guidance, and support, and we figure it out together, one step at a time.
THERAPISTS IN GUELPH
Meet Our Guelph Team
Elisha Van Harte
Craig Oolup
Kaitlyn Gordon
Nadine Pierce
For life’s real struggles; real support.
Modalities We Use To Help You
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is a practical, goal-focused type of therapy that helps you understand how your thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are connected.
In simple terms, CBT looks at the patterns that can keep you stuck, like unhelpful thinking habits, strong emotional reactions, or coping behaviours that don’t quite work in the long run, and helps you learn new ways of responding.
You don’t just talk about what’s going on (though that’s part of it). You also work on tools and strategies you can use in everyday life to manage stress, anxiety, low mood, and other challenges more effectively.
CBT is collaborative and down-to-earth. Together with your therapist, you’ll focus on what’s happening in your day-to-day life and build practical skills that support real, lasting change outside of therapy sessions.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) is a structured, evidence-based treatment that combines individual therapy, skills training, and in-the-moment support to help people manage intense emotions, cope with stress, and improve relationships.
DBT is designed for people who may feel emotions very strongly, struggle with impulsive behaviours, experience frequent crises, or find it hard to feel steady in day-to-day life. It focuses on building both acceptance of your current experience and practical strategies for making meaningful change.
A full DBT program typically includes several parts:
- Individual therapy, where you work one-on-one with your therapist to understand patterns, set goals, and apply skills to real-life situations
- DBT skills training, where you learn and practice tools in mindfulness, emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness
- Phone coaching, which provides brief, in-the-moment support between sessions to help you use skills when you’re actually in the middle of a difficult situation (not just after the fact)
- Consultation support for therapists, ensuring care is consistent and grounded in the DBT model
The focus of DBT is not just insight, but practical change, helping you build skills you can use in real time, especially during moments of high stress or emotional intensity. Over time, many people find they are better able to manage overwhelming emotions, reduce harmful coping patterns, and feel more effective in relationships and daily life.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is simply learning to pay attention to the present moment, without judgment. It helps you notice when your mind is stuck in the past, worrying about the future, or beating yourself up in the here and now.
Through practice, you’ll learn to focus your attention, accept what’s happening, and let go of unhelpful thoughts. This builds resilience, self-compassion, and empathy for others. And no, mindfulness isn’t meditation or a religion, it’s a practical skill anyone can use, no matter your beliefs.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) is a structured, evidence-based approach that helps people process and recover from difficult or overwhelming experiences in a safe, supportive way.
It combines CBT tools with a trauma-informed approach, meaning we go at your pace and don’t rush anything your system isn’t ready for.
Trauma can show up as feeling on edge, getting flooded by memories, avoiding reminders, or feeling like your body is stuck in “something bad might happen” mode, even when things are actually okay.
TF-CBT helps you make sense of those reactions, reduce how intense they feel, and build practical coping skills along the way. This includes calming your body, managing strong emotions, and slowly rebuilding a sense of safety in everyday life.
The goal isn’t to erase the past, but to help it feel less overwhelming in the present, so it doesn’t keep running the show.
Prolonged Exposure
Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE) is an evidence-based approach that helps people work through trauma by gradually and safely facing memories, feelings, and situations they’ve been avoiding.
After something overwhelming happens, it makes sense that your brain tries to help by avoiding reminders, places, thoughts, conversations, or even feelings. The problem is, avoidance tends to work like short-term relief that quietly keeps the anxiety going in the background.
PE helps you gently retrain that “alarm system” that’s been stuck on high alert. This includes talking through the memory in a structured way (instead of pushing it away) and slowly re-engaging with things that may have started to feel unsafe, at a pace that is planned, supported, and manageable.
No surprises, no “jumping into the deep end,” and no being pushed to do anything before you’re ready. Think of it more like slowly turning the volume down on something your brain has been blasting on repeat.
Over time, most people notice the memories feel less intense, everyday situations feel less loaded, and life starts to feel a bit less like something you have to brace for.