Dan Wood

Although I bring to my practice a wide variety of life experiences, I can honestly say a Psychotherapist is not something I ever expected to be. I spent the first decade of my working life as a truck driver with a large waste company in the Toronto area. From there I moved into my dream career as an ordained minister. I had always wanted to help people and felt that this was the best way. It also opened the door for me to serve as a volunteer firefighter in the community. For another 2 decades, I was involved in missions work to third-world countries, disaster relief, and many community projects. Life took an unexpected turn, however on the night of February 6, 2013, when my wife and I were involved in the rescue of a young girl trapped in an upside down vehicle in the raging Trent River. While the rescue had a happy ending, I was introduced to the world of trauma in a way I never could have anticipated. Thus began a difficult journey of healing through a system not prepared for it.

Fast forward six years and more and more I see around me the effects of things people have experienced without the necessary resources to help them. This is when I decided to return to school and do a Master’s program in Counselling Psychology. Focusing on trauma and on PTSD it has been my aim to walk alongside people as they navigate life in light of the things they have been through.

My practice is geared toward adults who may be having difficulty navigating the present. This may show up as anxiety, depression, emotional dysregulation, relationship struggles, or in many other ways. More often than not we find that the question is not, “What’s wrong with me?” but rather, “What happened to me?”

While we do not focus on the past, understanding it helps us understand the present and make the changes we need to make not just to “get through” but to once again thrive. Regardless of the nature or severity of the trauma, you can move beyond the past into a healthy present. I use clinically proven techniques and tools employing a neurobiological as well as psychological approach. You are not only a physical being or a psychological being, or an emotional being. You are all these things and so my methodology is to engage all of you so all of you can heal in a safe and non-judgmental environment. Using whatever modality best suits you and your situation, every treatment plan is different. Some things we may do include, grounding, relaxation, sleep hygiene, psychoeducation, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy, Internal Family Systems, Inner Child, and more.

Finding the right therapist can be a daunting task. Yet that connection is the most important part of therapy. This is why I offer a free, no-obligation, 15-minute phone consultation. It provides you with an opportunity to ask any questions you may have and see if we are the right fit for one another. I’m ready when you are.