Emily A Dolan Psychotherapy Services
Emily A Dolan MSW RSW
For over 13 years, I’ve been supporting individuals and couples through relational and complex trauma, anxiety, and life transitions. I’m a Toronto-based psychotherapist (MSW, RSW) who specializes in helping people understand and heal from the deep impacts of relational wounds, the kind that shape how we connect, trust, and feel safe with others. Many of my clients come to therapy feeling dismissed, gaslit, or unseen in their relationships. Together, we work to rebuild a sense of self-trust, safety, and connection.
My approach to therapy is trauma-informed, compassionate, and grounded in curiosity. I integrate Psychodynamic Therapy, Mindful Self-Compassion, Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), Sensorimotor approaches for regulating the nervous system, and Emotion Focused Therapy for Couples (EFT). In our work, I aim to help you not only make sense of what happened to you but also understand how your nervous system learned to protect you, and how we can help it feel safe again. Healing takes time, but with the right support, it’s possible to feel more grounded, connected, and at home within yourself.
In addition to trauma therapy, I also support clients struggling with anxiety disorders, relationship challenges, loss, and life transitions. My role is to create a space that feels safe enough to explore pain while also discovering your resilience and capacity for change. I believe that meaningful healing happens in a therapeutic relationship where you are met with unconditional acceptance for who you are and a commitment to compassionate curiosity.
My path to becoming a therapist began with a love of understanding people, their minds, and culture. While studying social anthropology at Dalhousie University, I became fascinated by how humans make meaning, form relationships, and seek belonging. Before becoming a psychotherapist, I worked in community organizations, schools, and advocacy roles, all of which deepened my appreciation for the strength and adaptability of the human spirit. These experiences continue to shape the way I practice today: with empathy, inclusivity, and respect for the complexity of each person’s story.
When I’m not in session, you can usually find me cooking (and happily taste-testing), curled up with a good book, or “trying” to write with one of my two cats inevitably walking across the keyboard. I believe that healing is both serious and tender work, but that moments of humour, warmth, and everyday joy are also a big part of what makes it possible.
Credentials
Certified with and member in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers since 2009
Certified with and member in good standing with the Ontario Association of Social Workers
Graduated with Bachelors in Social Anthropology in 2006, Bachelors in Social Work in 2009 and Masters in Social Work in 2013
I have been trained in trauma-informed practices through the Attachment and Trauma Treatment Centre for Healing (ATTCH)
Completed Complex Trauma Certification Training Level 1 & 2 (CCTP/CCTP-II)
Completed certificate training in Emotionally Focused Therapy: Attachment-Based Interventions for Couples in Crisis