Where the Brain Meets the Heart
Neuroscience-informed trauma treatment that goes beyond symptom management.
At Elevare Mental Health, we provide specialized trauma therapy for adults, children, teens and couples. Our clinicians draw on EMDR, Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), neurofeedback and integrative, body-based approaches to address the effects of trauma at a pace that respects each person's nervous system.
In-person therapy in Toronto and virtual therapy across Ontario and British Columbia.
In-person in Toronto
Virtual across Ontario and British Columbia
Daytime, Evening & Weekend Appointments
The pain you can’t keep outrunning
Maybe your mind will not shut off. Maybe your body feels braced all the time. Maybe relationships feel harder than they should. Maybe you are high-functioning on the outside and quietly unraveling in private.
Trauma does not always look dramatic from the outside. It can look like anxiety, burnout, perfectionism, shutdown, irritability, people-pleasing, sleep disruption, grief that will not move, or a constant sense that your nervous system never fully settles.
If you have tried to think your way through it and still feel stuck, the issue may not be a lack of insight. It may be that your system needs a different kind of care.
With therapy, we help you find the relief you need to move forward.
Trauma care tailored to the person in front of us
We do not believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. Our work is integrative, personalized, and grounded in understanding what shaped your symptoms in the first place—so care can be matched to your history, goals, nervous system, and capacity.
Individual Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy for adults navigating anxiety, burnout, grief, dissociation, relationship pain, and patterns that keep repeating. This is care that looks beneath the surface, not just at symptom management.
Child Therapy
Developmentally attuned support for children experiencing anxiety, emotional overwhelm, school-related stress, behavioural changes, attachment wounds, or the effects of trauma.
Teen Therapy
A steady, respectful space for teens dealing with anxiety, shutdown, perfectionism, identity stress, friendship struggles, family tension, grief, or traumatic experiences.
Couples Therapy
Trauma-informed support for couples caught in conflict, emotional disconnection, misattunement, or the strain that stress, grief, and unresolved pain can place on a relationship.
Intensive Therapy
To meet the demands of your schedule and the depth of your goals, we offer a 3 or 5 day consecutive integrative approach toward your healing.
Specialized support for trauma and its ripple effects
EMDR Therapy for Trauma
A structured, evidence-based approach that helps distressing experiences feel less activating and less in charge of your present.
Anxiety & Chronic Stress
For racing thoughts, over-functioning, tension, irritability, and a system that never seems to switch off.
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)
A precise modality for shock trauma, attachment trauma, and symptoms that can feel difficult to reach through words alone.
Depression & Burnout
When you feel flat, heavy, exhausted, numb, or disconnected, we help look beneath the surface to understand what your system has been carrying.
Trauma Intensives
Focused, private, accelerated care for clients who want deeper work in a more concentrated format, using an integrative plan tailored to their needs.
How do I know if I need Therapy?
You do not need to be in crisis to benefit from trauma therapy. Often, the signs are persistent enough to shape your life, but familiar enough that you start calling them normal.
Feelings associated with trauma:
- Low Energy
- Racing Heart
- Headaches
- Fear
- Anxiety
- Uncertainty
- Feeling Trapped
- Overwhelmed
- Perfectionism
- Decision Paralysis
- People Pleasing
- Extreme Sadness
- Feelings of Unworthiness
- Imposter Syndrome
- Loneliness
- Shame
- Guilt
We help you understand why you are feeling the way you are, what may be driving those patterns, and what healing can look like from here.
Why choose Elevare?
Specialized Trauma Care. Clinical Depth. A Thoughtful Approach to Healing.
Trauma therapy requires more than a one-size-fits-all approach. At Elevare Mental Health, we look beyond presenting symptoms to understand how past experiences may continue to affect the nervous system, emotions, relationships and everyday life.
- A Specialized Focus on Trauma
Our practice is dedicated to trauma and its complex effects, including PTSD, developmental trauma, attachment difficulties and dissociation. Our clinicians bring specialized training and experience to the work they do.
- An Integrative, Neuroscience-Informed Approach
We draw on established trauma therapies, including EMDR, Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR), neurofeedback, somatic and attachment-focused approaches. Treatment is selected according to each client’s clinical needs rather than following a predetermined formula.
- Care That Respects Your Pace
We believe meaningful trauma treatment requires thoughtful assessment, preparation and attention to each person’s capacity. We do not rush into deeper trauma processing. Stabilization, emotional regulation and a sense of safety are important considerations throughout treatment.
- Clinical Expertise With a Human Connection
Our approach combines clinical knowledge, ongoing professional development and attuned therapeutic relationships. We want you to feel understood as a person, not defined by your symptoms or history.
At Elevare, our intention is to help you move beyond simply managing symptoms toward a deeper understanding of yourself and meaningful, lasting change.
Eliza Fernandes, MSW, RSW
Founder & Clinical Director | Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist | Certified EMDR Therapist | EMDRIA Approved Consultant | DBR-P, Consultant in Training
Find The Right Therapist For you.
Elevare was founded by Eliza Fernandes, MSW, RSW, Clinical Social Worker, Psychotherapist, Certified EMDR Therapist, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, DBR-P, and DBR Consultant in Training.
With over 23 years of experience in trauma and psychotherapy, she built the clinic around a higher standard of care: thoughtful assessment, clinical depth, attuned pacing,
and integrative therapy that goes beyond generic talk-based support.
Today, Elevare supports adults, teens, children, couples, and professionals through carefully matched care designed to move people from stuckness toward steadier, fuller living.
3,000+
Client’s Served
24
Years Experience
15,000+
Sessions Delivered
20+
Psychotherapists, Clinical Social Workers Specialized in Trauma Care
Direct Billing to Eligible Insurance Providers
Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Therapy
What is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy is a specialized form of psychotherapy that helps people address the emotional, psychological and physical effects of overwhelming or distressing experiences. Rather than focusing only on current symptoms, trauma therapy explores how past experiences may continue to influence the nervous system, emotions, relationships and sense of safety. At Elevare, we draw on neuroscience-informed and evidence-based approaches to help clients process unresolved experiences at a pace that respects their individual needs and capacity.
How do I know if I would benefit from trauma therapy?
You do not need to have a PTSD diagnosis or have experienced one clearly identifiable traumatic event to benefit from trauma therapy. You may benefit if you experience persistent anxiety, emotional overwhelm, difficulty regulating emotions, relationship patterns, hypervigilance, emotional numbness or a sense of being stuck despite previous therapy. Sometimes the effects of earlier experiences continue to shape how we respond to everyday situations. A clinical assessment can help determine whether a trauma-focused approach may be appropriate.
Can you help with complex trauma and dissociation?
Yes. Elevare provides specialized trauma therapy for individuals experiencing complex trauma, developmental trauma and dissociative symptoms. These experiences can affect emotional regulation, memory, identity, relationships and a person's sense of connection to themselves and others. Treatment begins with careful assessment and attention to stabilization, safety and individual capacity. Our clinicians draw on specialized approaches to help address complex trauma without rushing into deeper processing before a person is adequately prepared.
What is EMDR therapy?
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based psychotherapy used to help people process distressing memories and experiences that continue to affect their lives. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements or other forms of alternating sensory input, within a structured treatment approach. It can help reduce the emotional intensity associated with traumatic memories and support adaptive processing. At Elevare, EMDR is incorporated into an individualized treatment plan based on each client's history, needs and readiness.
What is Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR)?
Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a neuroscience-informed trauma therapy developed by Dr. Frank Corrigan. It focuses on early brainstem responses associated with threat, shock and attachment-related experiences. DBR attends to subtle physical and emotional responses that can occur before conscious emotional reactions emerge. It may be considered as part of treatment for trauma and attachment-related difficulties, depending on the client's clinical presentation and readiness.
How are EMDR and DBR different?
EMDR and Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) are both trauma-focused approaches, but they differ in how they work with distressing experiences. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation within a structured process to support the processing of traumatic memories. DBR focuses on early brainstem responses associated with threat and shock, attending to subtle bodily experiences that may precede emotional reactions. Neither approach is universally better than the other. The most appropriate method depends on the individual's history, clinical needs and capacity for treatment.
What happens during my first appointment?
Your first appointment focuses on understanding your history, current concerns, treatment goals and what you hope to achieve through therapy. Your therapist will explore your needs, answer questions and begin developing an individualized treatment plan with you. For appropriate in-person clients, a nervous-system baseline using brain mapping may also be offered as an additional source of information. Treatment is guided by clinical assessment, collaboration and your readiness rather than a predetermined protocol.
How do I find the right therapist at Elevare?
We begin with a complimentary Care Matching Call with our Client Care Coordinator. This conversation helps us understand your concerns, preferences and goals so we can guide you toward a clinician whose experience and approach are suited to your needs. If you would prefer to speak with a therapist before booking, a brief introductory therapist consultation can be arranged upon request. Our goal is to help you begin with a clinician who is a thoughtful fit for your care.
How To Get Started
Starting therapy can feel like a lot. We make the first step simpler, more thoughtful and guided by your needs.
Step 1 — Book a Complimentary Care Matching Call
Connect with our Client Care Coordinator to share what brings you to therapy, ask questions and explore what you are looking for. We'll help guide you toward the clinician and services best aligned with your needs.
Step 2 — Get Matched Thoughtfully
We consider your concerns, therapeutic goals, age, clinical needs and preferences to help identify the most appropriate therapist and therapeutic approach. Our goal is to ensure your care begins with the right clinical fit.
Step 3 — Begin Care at the Right Pace
Your first appointment is an opportunity to understand your needs, establish therapeutic goals and determine an appropriate starting point. For in-person clients, this includes the option of establishing a nervous system baseline through brain mapping to help inform your treatment.
Prefer to speak with a therapist first?
We understand that choosing a therapist is a personal decision. If you would feel more comfortable speaking with a clinician before booking your first appointment, a brief introductory therapy consultation can be arranged upon request.
Request a Session
Let us guide you toward healing.
Healing does not have to feel vague, endless, or out of reach. With the right support, it can become clearer, steadier, and more possible than you think.