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PTSD Testing Diagnosis of PTSD is achieved through a series of written inventories, self-assessments, and clinical interviews. If you think you may be suffering from PTSD, you can download a self-assessment and discuss the results with your family doctor. Only a medical doctor or psychologist can provide a diagnosis.

Kathryn Knight has a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree from Yorkville University and is a member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She works with first Katrina Katrina 905-635-7770 Katrina volunteered with Dr. Laidlaw & Associates in the summer of 2025, supporting the teams’ research initiatives. She is currently pursuing a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Psychology and Sociology at Queen’s University.

Group therapy is a process where a small group of people (generally six to ten individuals) meets on a regular basis with a therapist/facilitator to discuss an issue common to all participants. Under the direction of the facilitator, group members explore and share their stories. Group Therapy Group therapy is a process where a small group of people (generally six to ten individuals) meets on a regular basis with a therapist/facilitator to discuss an issue common to all participants. Under the direction of the facilitator, group members explore and share their stories, receive encouragement from others, and learn coping strategies. In a safe and supportive environment, group members work together to heal their emotional wounds and meet their therapeutic goals.

Here we have resources which all of our therapists utilize and offer to you. There are apps, videos, books, and mindfulness meditations for your information. Resources Apps Breathe2Relax OSI Connect Be Safe PTSD Coach Canada PTSD Family Coach MindshiftCBT Sanvello Happify iBreathe Videos "Beyond The Call" (short version 00:47) "Beyond The Call"Full-Length PTSD Training Documentary (17:06) First Responder PTSD (05:22) First Responders PTSD (03:20) PTSD: A Healing Story (09:52) What is PTSD? In the words of Canadian and American Veterans and First Responders (13:06) Books A Workbook For Uncertain Times - Dr. Laidlaw & Associates Clinician's Guide to PTSD: A Cognitive-Behavioral Approach – Steven Taylor Full Catastrophe Living – Jon Kabbat-Zinn Mindfulness Skills Workbook for Clinicians & Clients: 111 Tools, Techniques, Activities & Worksheets – Debra E. Burdick Overcoming Trauma and PTSD: A Workbook Integrating Skills from ACT, DBT, and CBT - Sheela Raja Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD – Edna B. Foa, Elizabeth A. Hembree, Barbara Olasov Rothbaum The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk The PTSD Workbook: Simple, Effective Techniques for Overcoming Traumatic Stress Symptoms – Mary Beth Williams The Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Sourcebook - Glenn Schiraldi When Someone You Love Suffers from Posttraumatic Stress: What to Expect and What You Can Do - Claudia Zayfert, and Jason C. DeViva Mindfulness & Meditation 60 Minutes interview with Jon Kabbat-Zinn : http://www.cbsnews.com/news/mindfulness-anderson-cooper-60-minutes/ To Pause And Protect http://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treatment/overview/mindful-PTSD.asp http://www.uofmhealth.org/news/archive/201604/brain-changes-seen-veterans-ptsd-after-mindfulness-training

Kathryn Knight has a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology degree from Yorkville University and is a member of the Ontario Association of Consultants, Counsellors, Psychometrists and Psychotherapists (OACCPP) and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association (CCPA). She works with first Katie Chown, MACP, BSc, RP Katie Chown 905-635-7770 Katie Chown is a Registered Psychotherapist with the College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario and a professional member of the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. She holds an Honours Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology with a Minor in Religious Studies from McMaster University, and a Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology Degree from Yorkville University. In addition, Katie is a Certified Trauma Professional (Levels I & II). Katie brings a breadth of experience from her work in academic and healthcare settings as an educator, counsellor, and clinical technician. These roles have informed her deep appreciation for the mind-body connection and the varied pathways through which people achieve healing and personal growth. Her clinical work focuses on adults in individual and couple’s settings. Katie is committed to providing an empathetic, non-judgmental environment that supports open dialogue and genuine connection. She takes a relational, psychodynamic, and holistic approach, integrating modalities such as Attachment-Based Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Polyvagal Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. Her advanced trauma training equips her to support clients through complex life experiences with care and skill. Collaboration is central to Katie’s practice. She partners with clients to enhance self-awareness, address challenges, and foster meaningful, sustainable change offering both clinical expertise and a respectful, supportive presence throughout the therapeutic process.

Organizations We Have Worked With We have delivered several workshops designed specifically for: Halton Regional Police Service (Oakville) Hamillton Police Service (Hamilton) Hamilton Paramedic Service ( Hamilton) Hamilton Fire Services (Hamilton) Halton Paramedic Services (Halton Region) Niagara Regional Police Service (Niagara Falls) Mississauga Fire and Emergency Services (Mississauga) Markham Fire and Emergency Services (Markham) Oakville Fire Department (Oakville) Guelph Fire Department (Guelph) Hamilton Volunteer Fire Department (Hamilton) Burlington Fire Department (Burlington) Toronto Police Service (Toronto) Peel Regional Police (Mississauga) Royal Canadian Mounted Police (Ottawa) Ontario Correctional Services (Toronto) Ontario Fire Chiefs Administrative Assistants Association (Gravenhurst) Six Nations Paramedic Services (Oshweken) County of Simcoe Paramedic Services (Simcoe) City of Greater Sudbury Fire & Paramedic Services (Sudbury) Manitoulin-Sudbury District Services Board Paramedic Services (Manitoulin) Niagara Emergency Medical Services (Niagara) Ontario Provincial Police (province-wide) Transit Enforcement Unti (Toronto) London Fire Department (London) Human resources subcommittee of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Saskatchewan Indian Institute of Technology (Saskatoon) Port Colborne Fire & Emergency Services Ajax Fire and Emergency Services (Ajax) Numerous victim services units across Ontario: Alberta Corrections Educators’ Association (Banff) MADD - Mothers Against Drunk Driving (Toronto) Bereaved Families of Ontario Criminal Injuries Compensation Board (Toronto) Peel District School Board (Mississauga) The Canadian Centre for Bereavement Education & Grief Counseling (Toronto) Bethlehem Housing & Support Services (St. Catharines) Addictions Institute/Studies Forum Inc. (Virgil) Our workshops are customized to address specific audiences or needs with ongoing input from the client. Workshops that we have developed include: Taking care while giving care: Identifying and coping with work-related stress Stressful event support for supervisors/management Dealing with volatile clients or those with mental health issues Death notification with professionalism and compassion Crisis intervention and ethics in helping Defusing and debriefing 101 Promoting first-responder resilience and post-traumatic growth Suicide risk assessment/awareness Dealing with complicated grief and trauma bereavement Cumulative stress, burnout or PTSD: What is it really? The PTSD (or suicide) epidemic: Fact or Fiction? Living in the shadow of evil: How to survive encounters with the everyday sociopath

eer support teams are an important contributor to recovery. Peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived-experience in common. We can provide emotional and social support to others who share a common experience. Peer Support Teams Peer support teams are important contributors to recovery. Peer support is a supportive relationship between people who have a lived experience in common. We can provide emotional and social support to others who share a common experience. Our services include but are not limited to the following: Candidate assessment and screening with recommendations Team training and development Ongoing consultation

Trauma Counselling We offer Individual and Group Counselling... Trauma can be defined as a psychological, emotional, and physiological response to an event or an experience that is deeply distressing or disturbing. Loosely applying this definition, trauma can refer to an upsetting life event such as divorce, being diagnosed with an illness, or losing a loved one. It also encompasses more extreme events such as sexual assault, living through a natural disaster, or surviving a hostage situation. Complex trauma may occur when a person is repeatedly exposed to a series of events which cumulate over a period of time. Examples of complex trauma include child and domestic abuse, military deployments in unsafe locales, and first responders facing disturbing and dangerous situations on a daily basis. Trauma counselling can consist of individual and/or group counselling and uses a variety of therapies including cognitive behavioural therapy, cognitive processing therapy, exposure therapy, and EMDR. See More for our Individual Counselling and Group Therapy.

The World Health Organization defines mental health as “a state of well-being in which every individual realizes his or her own potential, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to her or his community”. Good mental health Neck-Up Check-Up The NeckUp CheckUp program is designed to provide clients from the corrections/first-responder/military community with an opportunity to maintain an awareness of their psychological well-being. The purpose is to provide individuals with one or two sessions per year of psychological counselling to be used specifically as a method to check-in and determine their current level of psychological wellness. During these sessions, individuals will be encouraged to discuss personal and/or professional issues and will be provided with self-assessment tools and action plans, which may include information concerning coping strategies, relevant literature, and/or other potential referral resources. As a first responder, you will be engaged in, or witness, incidents involving death or serious injury. In your training, you may have been prepared for seeing traumatic events but you might not have been prepared for how you will feel about them or how to process them. Therefore, it is vital that you protect your mental health. The neck-up check-up provides a baseline measure of your mental health… At some point in your life, you will experience stress and this can manifest itself in one or more of the following ways: Critical incident stress Post-traumatic stress Depression Burnout Compassion fatigue It is important to understand that anxiety disorders (including PTSD), mood disorders, everyday stress, cumulative stress, and burnout all have symptoms in common. Even more critical, you should know that all of these issues are treatable, especially if caught early. This is why routinely checking in with a mental health provider is so important.

First Responders What Is PTSD? Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is an anxiety disorder that can occur after you have been through a traumatic event. A traumatic event is something horrible and scary that you see or that happens to you. During this type of event, you think that your life or others’ lives are in danger. You may feel afraid or feel that you have no control over what is happening. Signs of PTSD PTSD symptoms are grouped into four clusters. You may not exhibit all the symptoms, but you do need to have some symptoms in all categories to be diagnosed with PTSD. READ MORE PTSD Testing & Treatment Dr. Laidlaw offers personality, intellectual, developmental and vocational assessments. READ MORE PTSD for First Responders Because our therapists have experience working with first responders, we understand how your needs differ from the general population. READ MORE WSIB WSIB recognizes PTSD as a workplace injury. For more information regarding the WSIB policy, visit their website . READ MORE Perceived Injustice The term “perceived injustice” was coined by a researcher who demonstrated that when a person feels they have been treated poorly, it can prolong the symptoms of PTSD, and make it harder it to return to work. READ MORE Resiliency READ MORE Resilience is the ability to cope with ongoing disruptive change and maintain good health and energy even when under constant pressure. It involves the capacity to bounce back easily from setbacks... Defining First Responders First responders are trained professionals who are the first to arrive at the scene of an emergency or crisis. They include... READ MORE

Individual therapy (sometimes called “psychotherapy” or “counselling”) is a process where clients work one-on-one with a therapist to meet their therapeutic goals. We are here to create a safe, supportive, and confidential space in which you can explore your emotions and behaviours. Individual Therapy Individual therapy (sometimes called “psychotherapy” or “counseling”) is a process where clients work one-on-one with a therapist to meet their therapeutic goals. We are here to create a safe, supportive, and confidential space in which you can explor e your emotions and behaviors. As well as, work through life challenges you may face, and help you better understand yourself. A therapeutic relationship may last for just a few sessions or as long as several years, depending on your needs and personal goals.