Trauma therapy
For PTSD and complex trauma, from one event or from years of something. We build steadiness first, so the work stays manageable.
Read more about Trauma therapy
Trauma therapy and EMDR for Barrie, Peterborough and Central Ontario
For what still feels too close, whether it happened once or over years. EMDR and somatic therapy, online and private, with me, Anjana Iyer, Registered Psychotherapist, anywhere in Central Ontario.
Other psychotherapists recommend me
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Verified profile
CRPO #17275Registered
Book a free 15-minute call
Pick a time that suits you. Video or phone, whichever feels easier.
Pick a time (Toronto time)
Finding open times…
Can’t see a time that works? Ask me to call you.
Start with a conversation
Fifteen minutes tells you more about whether someone is right for you than another evening of comparing profiles.
Fifteen minutes, free, with nothing to prepare and no obligation to book sessions.
Hi, I’m Anjana
I’m a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (#17275), and I hold a Master’s in Counselling Psychology. I work online with adults living anywhere in Ontario.
My work brings your body into the conversation. Alongside talking, we pay attention to what your breath, muscles and attention are doing, drawing on my training in EMDR, Integral Somatic Psychology, CBT and mindfulness-based approaches.
I believe change often comes when your body, and not only your mind, gets to feel that what happened is over.
- CRPO#17275
- Verified on
- Affiliate memberEMDR Canada
- Listed onTherapyOwl
What people in Central Ontario come to me with
Not diagnoses. The things people actually say in the first call. You don’t need to recognise yourself in all of them.
- Wanting help, but not from someone you’ll see at the grocery store
- Dark winter months that make everything you carry feel heavier
- Old trauma that surfaces when life finally slows down
- Grief that has never really had anywhere to go
- A tight chest and racing thoughts most mornings
- Starting university or a new job while something from before still hurts
How I work
Most of my work draws on these three, often together. You don’t need to know which one you need before we talk; that’s what the first call is for.
EMDR therapy
For memories that still hit as if they were happening now. A structured approach that helps your brain file them as past.
Read more about EMDR therapySomatic therapy
For when you understand what happened and your body still hasn’t caught up. We work with what your body is doing, gently.
Read more about Somatic therapyWhen talk therapy hasn’t reached it, when insight isn’t always enough
You know your history. You can point to where your patterns began. And still, your body reacts as though the danger is happening all over again.
Understanding it and feeling better aren’t always the same thing.
Body-based trauma work goes past insight, to the part of you that learned to stay alert and protect you. It gives your nervous system the chance to experience something new: that what happened is no longer happening, and that you are safe now.
Private, in places where people know each other
In Orillia, Lindsay, Lakefield or Bracebridge, the counsellor in town might also be your neighbour, your kid’s coach or your cousin’s friend. That isn’t a reason to go without help. It is a reason many people here would rather the help come from outside town, where nobody sees you arrive.
When the quiet months bring things up
Life here has seasons. When the busy summer ends and the days shorten, things that were easy to keep busy around can come back up: an old loss, a memory, a low mood that settles in. That is often exactly the right time to start. And if you are a student at Trent, Fleming or Georgian, online work carries on when the term or the degree ends.
- Barrie
- Innisfil
- Orillia
- Midland
- Collingwood
- Peterborough
- Lakefield
- Lindsay
- Cobourg
- Bracebridge
- Huntsville
Online only, by secure video. Muskoka, Haliburton, the Kawarthas and Northumberland are all covered.
Help from outside town
A free 15-minute call, by video or phone. Ask anything, and see whether talking with me feels right.
Talk with me, freeTalk with meFifteen minutes, free, with nothing to prepare and no obligation to book sessions.
What a session actually looks like
Fifty minutes, by secure video, from wherever you feel most like yourself.
We begin with where you are today. Early sessions are often about building enough steadiness and safety to approach difficult material without becoming overwhelmed. That foundation matters. It’s what allows the deeper work to happen at a pace your system can manage.
- You’ll always know what we’re doing and why.
- You can pause or stop at any point. Sometimes stopping is exactly what the work needs.
- You don’t have to recount everything that happened. We work with what feels possible, at a pace your system can tolerate.
What actually happens on the free 15-minute call
Not knowing what a call will be like is a good enough reason to keep putting it off. So here is the whole thing, in order.
Pick a time that suits you.
By video or by phone, whichever feels easier. There's nothing to prepare, and no need to have your story figured out before we speak.
We talk about what brings you here.
I'll ask what has been going on lately and what you've already tried. You can share as much or as little as feels comfortable. There's no need to tell your whole story or go into painful details on a first call. We can begin with what feels manageable.
I explain how I would approach the work.
I'll explain the approaches I use, how they may apply to what you're experiencing, and what you can expect from sessions with me. We'll talk about what the work might look like in practice, so you have a clearer sense of what beginning therapy would involve.
Other psychotherapists recommend me
Registered psychotherapists are not permitted to publish client testimonials in Ontario, and I would not want to. These are endorsements from other registered therapists, left publicly on my Psychology Today profile.
Anjana brings something rare to her work: a trauma-informed, somatic approach grounded in EMDR and genuine attunement. She holds clients through the kind of healing that goes beyond the surface. A colleague I refer to with confidence.
Blanca Alagon
Registered Psychotherapist
Anjana is a thoughtful, compassionate, and highly skilled psychotherapist. She brings warmth, professionalism, and genuine care to her work, creating a supportive space where clients can feel understood and empowered to make meaningful change.
Max Tkachenko
Registered Psychotherapist, MEd, C-EFIT
Anjana is a compassionate therapist who supports adults with anxiety, trauma, relationship challenges, life transitions, and burnout. She brings a calm, steady presence and offers a culturally aware space where clients can reflect and move toward healing.
Kamakshi Marwah
Registered Psychotherapist, MA, MSc
Questions people ask before booking
Will anyone know I’m seeing you?
Not from me. Sessions are by secure video and are not recorded, and your health information is kept to the College's standards and Ontario privacy law. Nothing is shared without your written consent unless the law requires it.
Do you have an office in Barrie or Peterborough?
No. I work online only, by secure video, across Ontario. If you'd rather see someone in person, a local therapist will suit you better, and that's a fair choice.
Does EMDR work online?
Yes. The bilateral part of EMDR works on screen: you follow a point moving side to side, or tap on your own shoulders or knees while I guide the pace. The preparation, pacing and checking in are the same as in a room.
Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. You don't have to tell your whole story, and you never have to go faster than feels manageable. Early sessions are about building steadiness. We approach difficult memories only when you feel ready, and you can pause at any point.
What does it cost, and is it covered?
The first 15-minute call is free. Sessions are $180 for a one-hour appointment (50 minutes together), with no HST added. OHIP doesn't cover private psychotherapy, but many extended health plans cover a Registered Psychotherapist, and I give you a receipt after every session.
What happens next?
A free 15-minute call, by video or phone.
Nothing to prepare and nothing to decide on the call. Tell me a little about what’s bringing you in, ask whatever you want to ask, and hear how I work.
If you would rather read more first, see trauma therapy, EMDR or fees and insurance.