A soft landing for hard feelings, big questions, and small steps forward.
Therapy that meets you as you are, and walks with you toward who you want to be.
Therapy doesn’t have to feel clinical or performative. I draw from a range of approaches to offer real, personalized support that aligns with who you are and your lived experience. Together and at your own pace, we’ll explore what’s shaped you, build practical coping tools, and start to heal what’s kept your full self out of reach.
Emily Ascroft, Registered Psychotherapist
Hi, I’m Emily — a trauma-informed, intersectional therapist offering in-person and virtual therapy for individuals and couples.
I lived a whole other life before becoming a therapist.
I built a career in Toronto’s tech community, coaching individuals and helping teams thrive. By most definitions, I was successful. But not by my own. Beneath the surface, I was struggling.
Eventually, I crashed. I could no longer outrun what was happening inside me. Growing up, I experienced trauma that shaped my relationship to safety, trust, and the feeling of being worthy of love. I learned early on to disconnect from myself to survive, and coped by overachieving and chasing perfection. I wasn’t just trying to succeed; I was trying to prove I was deserving.
As I reconnected with myself, I began to see my life more clearly, including what parts of my tech career had truly mattered. It wasn’t the metrics or milestones. It was the coaching. Sitting with people in their growth. Holding space for hard truths and helping them move toward who they wanted to be. That, combined with the impact therapy had on me, made the next step clear: I wanted to become a therapist.
That journey brought me here — and it’s still unfolding.
“My goal, in therapy and in life, is to create spaces where people can feel safe being themselves and talk about what’s real. I walk alongside you as you explore the parts of yourself hidden, avoided, or shaped by others. Healing isn’t about fixing; it’s about remembering who you are and what matters to you, so you can move forward.”
You might not know exactly what’s wrong. Just that something feels off.
In our work together, we’ll explore your past, present, and patterns, and how your experiences have shaped you. I’ll meet you where you are and walk with you to help you reconnect with the self before the pain, trauma, or conditioning.
Maybe you’re feeling stuck, unsure of what you want or who you really are. Maybe you’re tired of living up to the expectations of others. Or maybe your thoughts and emotions are heavier than they used to be.
This is a place where you can be real, be heard, and begin to feel more like yourself again. At your own pace. No pressure to be “fixed.” No judgment. I show up to our sessions as a real, multifaceted person; I offer a space where you can do the same.
Using a range of therapeutic approaches — from experiential practices like somatic work and Internal Family Systems (IFS) to more structured methods like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT) — I’ll help you develop tools for coping and growing that feel natural for you.
Growth can be hard. You don’t have to go through it alone. When you’re ready to take the first step onto a new path, I’m here.
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I support clients who are feeling disconnected from themselves — unsure, unsettled, or stuck. This can show up in many ways, including anxiety, relationship challenges, low self-worth, or questioning their purpose and direction.
My approach to individual therapy is person-centred — personalized, compassionate, non-judgmental, and trauma-informed. From the techniques I draw from to the strategies we build together, the support I provide will always reflect your background, lifestyle, needs, and goals. Through collaboration, we’ll find what resonates with you.
In our sessions, I incorporate mindfulness and body awareness practices to help you connect with the present moment and integrate IFS techniques to help you explore different elements of yourself. I also use CBT to support you in identifying and reframing unhelpful thoughts, and solution-based therapy (SBT) techniques to develop practical coping strategies. Additionally, I offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to help you process difficult experiences and reduce the emotional intensity connected to them.
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I support couples who feel disconnected from one another, are stuck in painful patterns, or are grappling with resentment, imbalance, miscommunication, or breaches of trust.
My approach to couples therapy is emotionally-based and solution-focused. Honouring your pace, I help you and your partner safely explore your emotional experiences and develop meaningful, practical tools to help guide the path forward. Our work together isn’t about deciding who is right or wrong; it’s about recognizing and changing patterns, and cultivating compassion.
In our sessions, we’ll explore how your individual and shared experiences have shaped how you and your partner respond emotionally to one another. With an understanding of those imprints and their effects, the goal of our work together is to listen empathetically, express clearly, communicate effectively, and ultimately rebuild trust and reestablish emotional connection
Specialties
Anxiety
Relationship Issues
Self-Worth, Identity Development, Confidence & Self-Esteem
Career Development and Changes
Healing from Emotionally Unavailable or Abusive Parents
Mental Health and Wellness
Depression
Stress
Trauma and PTSD
Grief
Emotional Disturbance
Coping Skills
Addiction
ADHD
Relationships & Interpersonal Challenges
Family Conflict
Marital and Premarital
Infidelity
Codependency
Divorce
Peer Relationships
Life Guidance & Personal Growth
Life Coaching
Career Guidance
Life Transitions
Body Positivity
Women's Issues
Behavioural & Specific Concerns
Anger Management
Behavioural Issues
Infertility
What it’s like to work with me.
I don’t believe healing is linear, or that personal growth ever really “ends.” I’m still doing the work in my own life. I show up as a real person: I answer questions honestly, I use humour, I swear sometimes.
Working with me means working with someone who knows what it feels like not to like yourself — someone who can hold it together at work while falling apart after.
That’s the level of empathy and realness I want to bring into the room.
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My standard rate for a 50-minute session is $150 for individuals and $180 for couples. I also offer a limited number of sliding scale spots, with individual sessions as low as $120 and couples sessions starting at $150. I believe therapy should be accessible, so we’ll work together to find a pace and fee structure that feels sustainable for you.
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Life is busy, which is why I offer early morning, evening, and weekend appointments, with availability as early as 7:00 a.m. and as late as 8:00 p.m. You can also choose between 30-, 50-, or 80-minute sessions, available virtually, in-person, or by phone. Therapy should support your life, not add stress to it.
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Our first session is usually an intake, where I’ll ask about your history, identity, and what brought you to therapy. If you’re in crisis, we’ll strike a balance between gathering your background and ensuring you feel supported right away. Once I understand more about you and your goals, I’ll create a personalized plan (what therapists call a “case conceptualization”) so we have a roadmap for moving forward — whether that’s reducing anxiety, building confidence, healing grief, or improving relationships.
In couples therapy, we’ll follow a similar process. After our first session together, I’ll meet with each of you individually before we create a plan for the relationship as a whole. -
That depends on your goals, budget, and the kind of support you’re looking for. Many people begin with weekly sessions to build momentum and then transition to bi-weekly or monthly check-ins as they progress. We’ll adjust together as your needs change.
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Sometimes, therapy ends when the session ends. Other times, you might want to keep reflecting. I often send optional resources — journaling prompts, worksheets, podcasts, or even poetry — to help deepen the work. Some clients love the extra tools, while others prefer to pick up again at the next session; it’s entirely up to you.
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No one-size-fits-all: I look at the whole picture of who you are and collaborate with you to create a plan that makes sense for your life.
Feedback-focused: I check in often to make sure our sessions are working for you. If something isn’t resonating, we’ll adapt.
Human & authentic: I don’t hide behind formality. I believe therapy works best when it feels like a genuine connection, not a wall between us. I bring my authentic self and my lived experience into the work so our sessions feel grounded, relatable, and human.
“I know most people try hard to do good and find out too late they should have tried softer.”
― Andrea Gibson