Nova Phoenic Logo

Trauma & PTSD Therapy

From Post-Traumatic Stress to Post-Traumatic Growth

We focus on the roots. Our compassionate, trauma-focused therapy helps you process painful past experiences while building the emotional safety and resilience you deserve.

No wait list!
(905) 980-0632

Understanding Trauma and PTSD

Experiencing trauma can leave lasting effects that impact your daily life, relationships, and sense of safety. At Nova Phoenix Counselling Services in Niagara Falls, we provide compassionate trauma therapy to help you navigate these challenges. Our team supports clients with therapy in a safe, inclusive environment. Whether you prefer in-person, virtual, or walking therapy, we guide you through healing using evidence-based approaches tailored to your unique needs. Our services extend to St. Catharines, Welland, Ancaster, Fort Erie, Burlington, and Kanata, making support accessible across Ontario.

How We Help

Evidence-Based Techniques

Utilizing specialized tools like EMDR, CPT, IFS, and Brainspotting to process trauma at a deep neurological level.

Building Emotional Safety

Creating a foundation where you feel secure enough to explore and release stored pain.

Treating Complex Challenges

Specialized support for anger, "numbing out," and the unique struggles associated with long-term or childhood trauma.
Book a Consultation

Personalized Therapy for Lasting Healing

We recognize that every journey through trauma is unique. Our PTSD therapy focuses on creating a secure space for reflection, processing, and recovery.

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services therapists provide individualized care plans for adults, youth, and children, addressing emotional challenges such as anxiety, depression, or difficulties in relationships and work. Sessions are designed to promote resilience, coping strategies, and gradual healing at a pace that feels safe and manageable.

Additionally, we offer depression therapy for those navigating overlapping mental-health concerns. Our team follows a trauma-informed, anti-oppressive approach to ensure each client feels understood, respected, and supported throughout their recovery process.

Taking the Next Step Toward Recovery

Seeking help is a courageous first step. Our team at Nova Phoenix Counselling Services is ready to provide warm, client-centered trauma therapy designed to help you regain balance and confidence in your life. We welcome clients from Niagara Falls and the surrounding areas to begin their healing journey. Contact us today to experience supportive PTSD therapy in a safe and compassionate setting.

Therapists conducting trauma therapy in a private space.
Contact Us

Why Choose Nova Phoenix?

Specialized Trauma Training

Our team is trained in advanced methods like Deep Brain Reorienting to reach the parts of trauma that talk therapy alone cannot.

Focus on Growth

We don't just aim for "recovery"—we witness our clients turn their pain into profound personal growth.

Trauma-Informed Care

Every step of our process is designed to prevent re-traumatization and prioritize your comfort.
Book a Consultation

Meet the Therapist

Jeffrey Charboneau

Jeffrey is a Registered Social Worker (RSW) who holds a Master of Social Work from the University of Toronto. He is passionate about supporting children, youth, adults, and families through life's challenges while fostering resilience, self-understanding, and meaningful growth. Jeffrey brings experience from community mental health, family support, developmental services, and outreach work, and is committed to creating a warm, collaborative, and non-judgmental space where clients feel heard, respected, and empowered. Jeffrey believes that care is the beacon for change.

Jeffrey's professional perspective has been shaped by both his frontline experience and his personal journey. Growing up alongside his twin sister, who sustained a significant brain injury in infancy, he developed an early appreciation for disability, caregiving, and the complexities of navigating healthcare and social service systems. Combined with more than six years of experience in developmental services, these experiences continue to inform his strengths-based, person-centred approach to supporting individuals and families across the lifespan.

Areas of Focus

· Children, youth, adults, and families

· Neurodiversity (ADHD, autism, and developmental disabilities)

· Parenting and family relationships

· Trauma, attachment, and lifespan development

· Self-esteem and social identity including sexuality

Clinical Approach

Therapeutic Modalities

· Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

· Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)

· Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)

· Narrative Therapy

· Psychoeducation

· EMDR therapy

Theoretical Foundations

· Attachment-Based Practice

· Psychodynamically Informed Perspectives

· Lifespan Development Theory

· Family Systems Theory

· Strengths-Based Work

· Trauma-Informed Care (TIC)

A compassionate therapist smiling warmly outdoors, ready to support your healing.

Zoe Sisson (she/her)

Zoe is a Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) completing her Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology at Yorkville University. She holds a Bachelor of Psychology with a Minor in Anthropology from Western University. Her clinical experience spans youth mental health in live-in treatment settings as well as crisis intervention across local and national services supporting both youth and adults. In these roles, she has supported individuals navigating emotional dysregulation, family conflict, and complex life experiences.
Zoe specializes in working with youth and young adults as they navigate life transitions, identity development, relationships, and emotional challenges. Her approach is trauma-informed, relational, and client-centred, integrating evidence-based modalities to support meaningful and sustainable change. She focuses on building practical skills in emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and interpersonal effectiveness, while fostering insight and self-understanding.
Zoe is dedicated to building strong therapeutic relationships and creating a safe, respectful, and non-judgmental environment where clients feel supported in exploring their experiences. Her background in crisis work has strengthened her ability to remain grounded, responsive, and attuned in high-intensity situations.

She recognizes that periods of transition, particularly in adolescence, can feel overwhelming, and works collaboratively with clients to meet them where they are, supporting growth at a pace that feels manageable and empowering. Zoe values therapy rooted in trust and collaboration, helping clients develop tools and insights that translate into their everyday lives.

Zoe integrates elements of the following modalities into her practice:
• Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Solution-Focused Brief Therapy (SFBT)
• Narrative Therapy

A welcoming and professional female therapist smiling in a circular headshot.

Tia Van Fleet (she/her)

Tia is a Registered Social Worker with more than 15 years of experience supporting children, youth, adults, and families. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology (minor in Indigenous Studies) and a Bachelor of Social Work. Her career spans frontline, clinical, and community-based roles, supporting individuals navigating mental health challenges, addictions, system involvement, and complex life circumstances.

A significant portion of her career has focused on children and youth in residential, treatment, and community settings, where she works closely with parents, foster and adoptive families, as well as young people impacted by attachment disruptions and complex emotional or behavioural needs. She is skilled in building trust with even the most guarded children and creating spaces where caregivers feel informed, supported, and free from judgment.

Alongside her work with children and youth, Tia brings over a decade of experience supporting adults across crisis, acute care, forensic, domestic violence, and independent practice settings. Through her work in first responder mental health roles, she has developed a strong commitment to supporting this population, grounded in firsthand understanding of frontline culture, cumulative trauma, operational stress, and the unique barriers that can make seeking support difficult.

Early in her career, Tia worked with Indigenous communities through domestic violence agencies and in public education. With several family members who are Status First Nations, this work is both professionally and personally meaningful. It has shaped her ongoing passion for supporting Indigenous individuals and families in a way that is respectful, relational, and culturally responsive.

Tia has completed formal university-level training in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, with additional training in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, somatic and nervous system-based approaches, attachment-focused modalities, and specialized caregiver support frameworks. She is a registered member of the Canadian Association for Play Therapy and will begin advanced play therapy training this year, further integrating play-based approaches into her child and youth work.
Drawing on experience across child and youth care, adult mental health, first responders, and culturally informed practice, Tia combines extensive clinical knowledge with a deeply relational approach. She supports individuals and families through complex challenges, offering compassionate, skilled, and culturally sensitive guidance that empowers clients to build resilience, find clarity, and move forward with confidence. Her practice is grounded in trust, respect, and evidence-informed approaches, ensuring clients feel heard, understood, and supported throughout their care.
Siobhan Kenny

Siobhan Kenny (she/her)

Siobhan is a Registered Social Worker with a Bachelor and Masters degree in Social Work. Siobhan has worked with families, individuals and children over the last 8 years. Siobhan is also a Métis individual and a mother of two children.
Siobhan is a dedicated and compassionate social worker who wants to foster change in the individuals and families she works with. She works from a client centered approach which focuses on the goals and values that you want to achieve.  She also enjoys working with children on emotional regulation, mental health and well-being, and navigating parental separation.

Siobhan is patient, non-judgmental, and extremely knowledgeable of resources that can support you and your family. Siobhan also has lived experience in managing family addiction, high conflict families, financial and housing stress, as well as loss of a parent and bereavement.

 

Siobhan utilizes CBT, DBT, solution focused and meditation strategies, just to name a few of her approaches. Siobhan is eager to help clients become their best self through empowerment and exploration of self-awareness. 

Thomas Tom

Thomas Tom (he/his)

Thomas is a Registered Social Worker. He holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and a Master of Social Work from Christ University in Bangalore, India. After moving to Canada as a student, Thomas completed post-graduate programs in Community and Social Service Management at Conestoga College and in Autism and Behavioural Science at Niagara College.

Thomas is a dedicated and compassionate social worker, deeply committed to creating positive change in the lives of the individuals and families he serves. With over four years of experience, Thomas has worked with individuals, couples, youth, and families in a variety of community and mental health settings, including hospitals, group homes, and addiction centers. He is skilled in several therapeutic approaches, including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavioural Therapy (DBT), Trauma-Informed Care, and Crisis Intervention.

Thomas has a particular interest in working with South Asian men, individuals who have immigrated to Canada for studies and work, and those navigating the complexities of cultural identity. Having personally experienced the challenges of transitioning to a new country, he understands the unique struggles faced by immigrants and is passionate about supporting them in overcoming these obstacles.

In addition to his professional expertise, Thomas is fluent in English and Malayalam, and has the ability to communicate in Hindi, Tamil, and Kannada. His multicultural background and linguistic abilities allow him to connect with a diverse range of clients, ensuring that they feel seen, heard, and supported in their therapeutic journey.

Thomas also recognizes the importance of spirituality and cultural practices in individuals' well-being. He values the integration of cultural and spiritual aspects in therapy, which helps clients find meaning, strength, and resilience as they work through their challenges.

Tsarina Smith

Tsarina Smith (she/her)

Tsarina has her Masters of Arts in Counselling Psychology and her bachelors of honours in Sociology with a minor in women and gender studies.
For the past 7 years, Tsarina has been working with those experiencing homelessness in Hamilton, ON. During this time, she became familiar with the large gaps that exist within the system and decided to further her education to further support those in need. This work has created a solid foundation for Tsarina, where she has built skills working with those in crisis, experiencing complex situations as a result of situations outside of one’s control.

Tsarina has experience working with those struggling with anxiety, depression, trauma, identity concerns, systemic injustices, and criminally involved individuals.

Tsarina strives to practice from anti-oppressive, non-judgemental, compassionate, and trauma-informed framework. Her hope is to continue to provide safe spaces in which people are able to feel empowered to improve themselves and the world around them.

Tsarina has training in CBT and DBT. She has an eclectic approach including aspects of Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Person-centered Therapy.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is trauma therapy, and how can it help me?

Trauma therapy is a structured approach that helps individuals process and recover from distressing experiences. By working with trained clinicians, clients can address symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, and avoidance. This process promotes emotional stability, healthier relationships, and improved overall well-being.

How does PTSD therapy differ from general counselling?

PTSD therapy is specifically designed for people who have experienced traumatic events. It addresses symptoms such as hypervigilance, emotional numbness, and intrusive memories, using evidence-based methods to promote healing and resilience.

Can therapy be done online or only in person?

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services offers in-person, virtual, and walking therapy sessions. Online options provide convenience for clients in Niagara Falls and nearby communities like St. Catharines, Welland, and Burlington, maintaining the same quality and confidentiality as in-person sessions.

Is trauma therapy suitable for children and teens?

Yes. Our clinicians are trained to support children, youth, and adolescents. Sessions are adapted to their developmental needs, providing safe spaces to explore emotions and learn coping strategies in a supportive environment.

How do I start therapy at Nova Phoenix Counselling Services?

Starting therapy is simple. Contact our office to schedule an appointment, choose your preferred session format, and discuss your specific needs with a trained clinician. Flexible scheduling and direct billing make access to trauma and PTSD therapy as easy as possible.

Your Past Does Not Have to Be Your Future.

Ready to find your ground again? Let’s start the journey toward safety and growth together.

(905) 980-0632

Fees

Counselling sessions are $160.00 for a 50 minute individual appointment and $170.00 for a 50 minute couple or family session. Rates can be offered on a sliding scale for affordability as needed.

Many benefit providers cover Registered Social Workers & Registered Psychotherapists. 

Direct billing is available for Blue Cross, Green Shield, Desjardins, Manulife, Canada Life, Telus Health & NIHB.  

Receipts are provided and can be claimed as a medical expense on your income taxes.

Our Locations

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

148 1/2 Welland Avenue, St. Catharines, Ontario, L2R 2N6

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

5679 Main Street, Niagara Falls, Ontario, L2G 5Z3

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

70 Seventh Street, Welland, Ontario, L3B 5B7

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

203-1038 Garner Road West, Ancaster, Ontario, L9G 3K9

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

 136 Gilmore Rd, Fort Erie, ON L2A 2M2, Canada

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

534 Brant St, Burlington, ON L7R 2G8, Canada

905-980-0632

Nova Phoenix Counselling Services

430 Hazeldean Road, Suite 227, Ottawa, ON K2L 1T9, Canada

905-980-0632

linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram