Trauma
Somatic Experiencing International — Information about this body-mind approach to resolving trauma.
Somatic Experiencing Videos:
A Summary of Trauma and Somatic Experiencing — Dr. Peter Levine (6 min).
Nature’s Lessons in Healing Trauma: An Introduction to Somatic Experiencing — (27 min).
Somatic Experiencing — Ray’s Story — Discussion and treatment demonstration by Dr. Peter Levine (25 min).
Trauma and the Nervous System: A Polyvagal Perspective (9 min)
Trauma-Informed Meditation & Mindfulness
Mindfulness-Based Chronic Pain Management - Trauma-informed mindfulness meditation courses — tailored to individuals with chronic pain and a history of trauma — are offered in several cities and towns in Ontario. Some courses are fully or partially covered by OHIP.
Mindfulness in Arabic - An organization that offers a free, trauma-informed, 8-week online mindfulness course designed for Arabic-speaking refugees.
Free Phone Counselling & Helplines
Good2Talk - Free phone counselling and referrals for Ontario post-secondary students. 1-866-925-5454.
Here 24/7 - A phone line that provides mental health crisis support on a 24-hour basis. Also acts as an intake point for mental health services in Guelph, Kitchener, and Waterloo. 1-844-437-3247.
Hope for Wellness Helpline - Offers immediate mental health counselling and crisis support to Indigenous people across Canada on a 24-hour basis. Also offers information on wellness supports available locally. Phone counselling available in English, French, Cree, Ojibway, and Inuktitut. 1-855-242-3310.
Wellness Together Canada — Mental Health and Substance Use Support - Free, non-emergency phone counselling for adults in Canada, provided by Homewood Health. Phone counselling is also available for people wondering how to support a loved one in distress. Online classes, groups, and self-guided e-courses are also available. 1-866-585-0445.
Free & Sliding Scale Psychotherapy
LOCAL:
Carizon Family and Community Services — Kitchener
Canadian Mental Health Association Waterloo-Wellington — DBT program is offered (intake is through Here 24/7).
Compass Community Services — Guelph, Fergus, Mount Forest. Offers pay-what-you-can counselling, including walk-in counselling on Wednesdays. EMDR therapy is offered. Previously known as the Family Counselling and Support Services of Guelph-Wellington.
Counselling Collaborative of Waterloo Region
Delton Glebe Counselling Centre — Waterloo
Porchlight — Cambridge & North Dumfries
Interfaith Counselling Centre — New Hamburg & Kitchener
KW Counselling — Kitchener
Shalom Counselling Services — Waterloo
Maplewoods Centre for Family Therapy and Child Psychology — University of Guelph
Woolwich Counselling — Elmira
ONTARIO
CAMH - Mental Health Support for Healthcare Workers
NORTH AMERICA:
Parents and Children
"Window of Tolerance" — Short video explaining how children move into a state of fight/flight or freeze/collapse, and how parents can support children to move back into their “window of tolerance.”
Books
Trauma & Somatic Experiencing — General Audience
Beyond the Trauma Vortex Into the Healing Vortex — Gina Ross
Healing Trauma — Peter Levine
Trauma — Mental Health Professionals
Healing Developmental Trauma — Laurence Heller & Aline LaPierre
Trauma and Memory — Peter Levine
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma — Peter Levine
In An Unspoken Voice — Peter Levine
Trauma and Recovery — Judith Herman
The Body Keeps the Score — Bessel Van Der Kolk
Trauma and Children
Trauma-Proofing Your Kids — Peter Levine & Maggie Kline
Trauma Through a Child’s Eyes — Peter Levine & Maggie Kline
Racial, Cultural, and Historical Trauma
My Grandmother’s Hands — Resmaa Menakem
Attachment and Bonding
Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment — Amir Levine & Rachel Heller
Depression
The Mindful Way Through Depression — Mark Williams
Research
United States Association for Body Psychotherapy
The Evidence Base for Body Psychotherapy — Systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and research articles
Somatic Experiencing (SE) International
SE Research and Resources — PTSD treatment, attachment work, and other topics