Carol Ann Brayley, MSW, RSW, SEP

Are you tired of struggling and just want to feel better?  Do you sometimes feel as if you have tried everything and yet nothing has helped?  Have you sought help before and while you found new insights, your day to day life didn't improve as much as you had hoped?

I'd like to help.

I have trained in a variety of cutting edge approaches that are based upon the latest research on the brain and the nervous system. Many of the concerns that typically bring someone into therapy - issues such as anxiety, stress, depression, trauma, anger, addictions, autoimmune disorders and more - have at their root a dysregulated nervous system. This is why when we talk about our problems and obtain insight about them, we don't necessarily find that our symptoms improve. It is only by working with the body, the brain and the nervous system that we are likely to experience true and lasting improvement.

In addition to traditional talk therapy, I also offer Somatic Experiencing - a nervous system based approach to healing and Brainspotting (Phase 1, 2, 3, 4, Addictions, "Hero's Journey", "Brainspotting & Parts Therapy", and "From Freeze to Thaw").  Brainspotting is a simple yet powerful tool using focused gaze upon specific points of the visual field, in order to access healing in the subcortical brain and thus release trauma and other concerns, at a very deep level.  I am also currently training in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Transforming the Experience Based Brain (TEB), and Integral Somatic Psychology (ISP).

Some high tech tools that I have available for use either in office with me, or as rental systems to use at home, are NeurOptimal neurofeedback, and the Safe and Sound Protocol (SSP) by Stephen Porges, as well as the Focus System from Unyte-iLs. Each of these systems, in different ways, help to promote optimal functioning of the brain, nervous system, and associated bodily systems. Improvements are often noted with concerns such as tinnitus, brain injuries, chronic pain, fibromyalgia, misophonia, chemo brain, learning disabilities, migraines, alzheimers, dementia, sports performance, academic performance, autism spectrum disorders, and more - depending upon the system. Neurofeedback, SSP and Focus are all available either in office, or as rentals for home use. Please see the neurofeedback, SSP and Focus pages for additional information.  Unsure which to try?  Please email me to discuss your needs and preferences.

Rather than simply learning how to cope better with their symptoms - which is often what happens when talk therapy is used alone - many of my clients now find that they simply don't get as anxious, stressed or depressed, etc... in relation to events that previously would have really triggered them. I find in my own life, I often suddenly realize I have simply forgotten to be anxious or upset, and that I have been applying the calming skills I have learned without even being fully conscious of doing so.

Other approaches I am trained in include Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Mindfulness, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Energy Psychology, and Energy Medicine.

I provide a very comfortable and peaceful environment in my home office, located in Georgetown, Ontario.

Although healing work can definitely include difficult feelings at times, I am someone who has a quirky sense of humour that my clients tend to really enjoy. As a result, sessions with me often include more gentle laughter together than one might typically expect in therapy.

In addition to having over 27 years of experience as a psychotherapist, I also have been through a lot in my own life, so I am also very familiar with what it is like to be a client and the special mix of feelings, hopes and fears that that can include.

Before starting my private practice over 17 years ago, I was a therapist for 10 years at Hamilton Health Sciences' McMaster University Medical Centre, predominantly in the Sexual Assault & Domestic Violence Care Centre.

I am assisted in my home office by my Jasper, my 8 year old beagle who is a St. John's Ambulance therapy dog, Molly, a 3 year old ragdoll cat, and Amy, an almost 2 year old multigenerational Australian labradoodle.  Please advise me if the pets' presence in my home office poses any difficulty for you.

Why wait to feel better?  Click here to book online now!