Therapy Toronto: Psychotherapy Self-referral Service for Toronto and the GTA

Sara Trought MA, RP, Member of OACCPP

Hello and welcome to my site. I hope you find this information useful and informative. I am a Registered Psychotherapist and a member of the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario. If you have any questions please feel free to email or call me.

About Me

My desire to work as a therapist originated from my experience recovering from a serious car accident in 1995. The therapy I received as a result of this accident left me with a desire to work with others who are experiencing a life changing event or crisis, are struggling with an ongoing issue or have a desire to change an aspect of their current way of functioning. The primary goal of my work is to provide guidance, advice and education in order to help individuals to make changes in their current ways of thinking and behaving.

My training combines both psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural elements.

I have a Masters degree in counseling psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology, which provides psychodynamic training, and an Honours BA in psychology from Queen's University. I am also a member in good standing of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP).

I have been working as a psychotherapist since 2002 treating clients in private practice and as part of several different multidisciplinary treatment teams. I have also worked in a holistic wellness program providing psychotherapy to individuals whose goals included weight loss and making permanent lifestyle changes. As well I have worked in a multi-disciplinary chronic pain facility providing cognitive behavioural therapy to individuals suffering from chronic pain and psychological disturbances related to pain.

Since giving birth to my son in 2007 I have been treating individuals in private practice as this has allowed me the flexibility to spend time with my son.

My Therapeutic Approach

I employ a holistic approach to therapy which is tailored to meet the needs of the individual, drawing mainly from two models: Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Adlerian Therapy. During treatment sessions either one or both of these approaches (as well as other appropriate, strategies and techniques) may be utilized.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy will help you to recognize and change your thought processes that are resulting in negative emotions and undesirable behaviours. During therapy we will work together in attempt to understand why and how you are doing what you are doing. This process will then enable you to be able to recognize and change your behavioural patterns and feelings.

Adlerian therapy is a goal-directed psychodynamic therapy which emphasizes the uniqueness of each individual and recognizes that each individual is embedded in his or her society and therefore can not be studied in isolation. Adlerian therapy views individuals holistically, taking into consideration their physical, cultural and psychological environments.

During your therapy we will explore how you function in each of five fundamental life tasks that Dr. Alfred Adler deemed essential to good living: love, friendship, work, spirituality and self. We will then discuss your relative degree of satisfaction with each of these tasks and mutually decide upon a focus and goal for therapy based on any difficulties that you report.

Format of Treatment sessions

During your therapy sessions you will be treated with dignity and respect and with the belief that you have the capacity to make positive changes in your life. I will work with you to identify your specific goals of therapy based on any problems or issues that you may be dealing with, we will then collaborate on developing strategies to meet these goals

At the completion of each session you may be provided with 'homework' to complete prior to our next session. The 'homework' exercises are designed to help you to practice skills learned in treatment sessions. The exercises often involve monitoring of behaviours or thoughts. It is my belief that when you practice new skills outside of treatment it helps you to develop a sense of control of your ability to manage difficulties. As well individuals tend to make quicker progress in therapy when they practice their learned skills outside of therapy sessions.

Trying your homework allows you to gather information about what works and what doesn't and helps you to learn how to solve your problems independently. As well it enables you to comment on the effectiveness of learned strategies and intervention during our follow up session.

It is my belief that one of the main goals of therapy is learned independent application of strategies and interventions. My hope is that you leave therapy with the appropriate tools to handle life's challenges.

Services that I provide:

  • Individual psychotherapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
  • Adlerian Therapy
  • Mental Health Assessments
  • Motor Vehicle assessments

I have experience working with clients on a variety of issues. Some examples include:

  • Weight management
  • Stress management
  • Eating disorders
  • Chronic pain/pain management
  • Depression
  • Anxiety/panic
  • Generalized and specific phobias
  • Sleep Disorders

Because the relationship between the therapist and the client has such an influence on the outcome of therapy it is important to see how you feel with a potential therapist before you make a decision. I'd be pleased to meet with you for a 45 minute free consultation to chat about my approach to therapy, answer questions you might have, and give you an opportunity to get to know me a little better. I look forward to meeting you. Please feel free to contact me by email or by phone to discuss what you need and to set up a free consultation.

My office is located at Broadview-Danforth just east of the Broadview TTC subway and the DVP; there is metered parking on Danforth Avenue and a municipal lot across the street. Free parking can be found on some of the residential streets. Here is a map where my office is located. I also provide phone therapy and online therapy (via Skype or VOIP) and I accept payment via checks and cash.

The psychotherapists appearing on this site are independent. They are not employed nor controlled by therapytoronto.ca. therapytoronto.ca is acting solely as a listing service for the convenience of those seeking the services of psychotherapists.