🌿 Why You’re Still in Pain — and What’s Different Here
If you’ve been living with chronic pain or trauma symptoms, you’ve probably tried a lot already.
Maybe you’ve seen specialists, taken medications, tried physical therapy, practiced mindfulness, or even gone to therapy — and you’re still in pain. You're not alone in that, and you’re not doing anything wrong.
The truth is, many common approaches miss one essential piece: your brain and nervous system.
🌀 What You’ve Probably Already Tried:
Specialists and medical tests that couldn’t find a clear cause
Medications that masked symptoms but didn’t offer real relief
Physical therapy, massage, or even surgery that brought temporary change
Talk therapy that stayed in your head and never touched your body’s pain
Meditation or mindfulness that felt overwhelming instead of calming
Pushing through the pain to get things done — only to crash later
Doing everything right and still wondering, “Why am I not better?”
🔍 Why Those Things Haven’t Worked Long-Term
Most of these approaches focus on either the body or the mind — but not both.
What’s often missing is an understanding of how trauma and chronic pain are held in the nervous system and shaped by the brain’s protective patterns.
When your brain thinks you're in danger — even if you're not — it can keep you stuck in cycles of pain, anxiety, and emotional overwhelm.
That’s not your fault. It’s how the brain works when it's been through too much for too long.
💡 What’s Different at Chickadee Therapy
At Chickadee Therapy, I work from the inside out.
We use neuroscience-based approaches like:
Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) to retrain your brain’s response to pain
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) to help you safely access and reprocess difficult memories, so they feel less charged and less present in your daily life
Evidence-based nervous system-informed approaches to help you feel safe in your body again and treat pain and distress at the source
You don’t have to “push through” anymore.
You don’t have to do it alone.
And healing is possible — even if it’s been years.
💬 Ready to Try a Different Way?
If you’ve been wondering why nothing has worked yet, it may be because no one has helped you work with the one thing that matters most: your nervous system.
Let’s shift that — gently, compassionately, and in a way that makes sense for you.
👉 Click the BOOK NOW button to schedule your appointment.
How I Don’t Operate
And Why It Matters
In my work with trauma and chronic pain, I’ve learned that true healing comes from understanding the nervous system — not just treating symptoms or pushing through with willpower. Here’s a bit about what I don’t do — and why that makes a big difference.
1) I don’t treat symptoms like problems to “fix.”
Your pain, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm aren’t “bugs” to squash; they’re messages from your nervous system trying to keep you safe. Neuroscience shows that when we focus only on symptoms, without addressing the nervous system’s role, relief is often temporary. In my own healing journey with chronic migraine, I found that chasing symptoms didn’t work—but understanding why my nervous system was stuck changed everything.
2) I don’t focus therapy solely on “just talking about it”.
While traditional talk therapy can be helpful, trauma and chronic pain live deep in the body’s nervous system — not just in thoughts. Research and experience show that mind-body approaches like Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) reach the root of stuck patterns, helping the nervous system heal in a way talk alone can’t.
3) I don’t believe healing means just pushing through, toughing it out, or “thinking positive.”
Our brains naturally prioritize what feels most important—often threats or danger—through something called the salience network. If your nervous system is stuck in protection mode, telling yourself to ‘stay positive’ won’t rewire those patterns. Healing happens by gently helping your brain and body notice safety instead of danger. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) supports this by reprocessing past trauma, helping the nervous system shift from threat to safety. Similarly, Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) helps to rewire the brain and regulate the nervous system, by teaching the brain to move from a state of protection to one of calm and safety. Practices like gratitude can be powerful, but they’re just one piece of the bigger nervous system puzzle. True healing is about creating safety, regulating the nervous system, and allowing both the body and mind to heal.
4) I don’t do cookie-cutter, surface-level work.
Every person’s nervous system is unique, so healing must be personalized. Generic advice or one-size-fits-all treatments rarely lead to lasting change. With over a decade of experience and my own journey through chronic pain, I create compassionate, neuroscience-based care tailored to you — meeting you where you are and helping you move toward true, lasting relief.
This approach is about connection, curiosity, and safety—giving your nervous system the space to relax, learn, and heal deeply.
How I Do Operate
And Why It Matters
1. I work directly with your nervous system using neuroscience-based approaches like Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR).
Unlike many therapies that focus only on talk, I use methods like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) and Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT), which are proven to help your brain safely rewire how it processes trauma and pain signals. This means real, lasting relief by addressing the root nervous system patterns—not just surface symptoms. While talking is part of the process, the focus is on creating a personalized, holistic approach tailored to your unique needs using powerful methods that really work. My goal is to help you achieve real, lasting change by addressing the root causes of your pain and trauma—not just providing temporary symptom relief.
2. I treat you as a whole, complex person—not a diagnosis or a checklist.
Every person’s pain and trauma story is unique, shaped by their life, beliefs, and nervous system history. I listen deeply, honour your experiences, and tailor every session to your needs, pace, and goals. Healing isn’t one-size-fits-all—it’s a personal journey we navigate together.
3. I bring empathy, warmth, and authenticity shaped by my own lived experience with chronic pain.
I understand the frustration and fatigue of living with chronic pain and trauma because I’ve been there myself. This lived experience informs my compassionate, hopeful approach—helping you feel truly seen, understood, and supported in a way few practitioners can offer.
4. I focus on building safety and calm in your nervous system as the foundation for healing.
We create a space where your nervous system can finally downshift from chronic alarm to rest and repair. This foundation allows your brain to rewire and learn new, healthier patterns—helping you break free from the grip of pain and trauma. By addressing the root causes, you can reclaim your life with more peace and possibility.
🌿 You are capable of healing—truly.
Your body and nervous system are not broken. With the right support lasting relief is possible.
When you're ready, I’m here to walk alongside you.
This journey is yours—and you don’t have to do it alone.
Therapy Modalities I Use
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Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is an evidence-based approach that helps people overcome chronic pain by retraining the brain to interpret pain signals more accurately. Unlike treatments that focus only on the body, PRT works with the brain and nervous system, which play a key role in creating and maintaining pain.
With PRT, you learn guided techniques such as somatic tracking and shifting the way you think about pain. These methods help reduce fear, calm the nervous system, and gradually “retrain” the brain so that pain becomes less intense or even goes away. The goal is to break the cycle of chronic pain and help you get back to living a fuller life, with pain no longer holding you back.
Many cases of chronic pain come from the brain and nervous system rather than ongoing injury or tissue damage. This is sometimes called neuroplastic pain. Neuroplastic pain is very common—research shows that a large percentage of chronic pain cases are generated or amplified by the brain. The pain is real, but often there is no ongoing physical damage and the brain can learn to lessen the pain or turn it off.
Some examples of neuroplastic pain that can respond well to PRT include:
Chronic back or neck pain
Fibromyalgia
Headaches and migraines
Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
Temporomandibular joint disorder (TMJ)
Chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS)
Pelvic pain
Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS)
Sciatica (without significant structural cause)
Tinnitus
I am certified by the Pain Reprocessing Therapy Center and currently one of only eight mental health professionals in Ontario with advanced PRT training.
Disclaimer: Pain Reprocessing Therapy (PRT) is not a substitute for medical evaluation in cases involving clear tissue damage or active medical conditions that may require structural treatment. It is recommended that you consult a physician or appropriate medical specialist to rule out or address underlying structural concerns. PRT can be a primary approach when no structural cause is identified, and it may also be beneficial alongside medical treatment in conditions that involve both structural and neuroplastic components.
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EMDR is a type of therapy that helps people heal from the emotional pain caused by traumatic or overwhelming experiences. It’s supported by research and is widely recognized as an effective approach for trauma, stress, and other emotional challenges.
EMDR works by using gentle, guided eye movements—or sometimes other forms of back-and-forth stimulation—to help your brain process difficult memories differently. When trauma is stored in the brain, it can feel “stuck,” causing distressing thoughts, feelings, or physical sensations. EMDR helps your brain reprocess these memories in a way that makes them less overwhelming, so they no longer control your emotions or reactions.
Unlike traditional talk therapy, EMDR doesn’t require you to discuss every detail of your trauma repeatedly. Instead, it allows your brain to do the work of healing naturally, while you remain in a safe and supported environment.
Many people find that EMDR can:
Reduce symptoms of trauma (e.g. flashbacks, feeling “on edge”)
Help you feel calmer and more in control
Improve resilience and emotional regulation
Support healthier ways of thinking about past experiences
EMDR can be a powerful tool for anyone looking to move past emotional distress and regain a sense of balance, safety, and confidence in daily life.
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In addition to Pain Reprocessing Therapy and EMDR, I use a variety of approaches to help people work through challenges and build resilience, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Narrative Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), Motivational Interviewing, and Brief Solution-Focused Therapy (BSFT).
I combine these approaches in a flexible, personalized way, always keeping a trauma-informed perspective at the center of our work. Therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. Together, we’ll create a plan that fits your unique needs, strengths, and goals. This approach helps ensure the support you receive is practical, effective, and focused on what matters most to you.
