Trauma and EMDR Therapy in Etobicoke and Across Ontario
Helping women feel seen, heard and validated in their experiences, so they can finally let go of the weight their hurts hold.
RSW, PSYCHOTHERAPIST.
14+ YEARS EXPERIENCE
EMDR TRAINED
Maybe you’re tired of being the one who holds it all together.
You overthink the conversation you had three days ago.
You replay decisions until you don’t know what you actually want anymore.
You say yes when every part of you wants to say no.
And somehow, you still wonder if you’re the problem.
Maybe you…
- Second-guess yourself constantly. You can see every possible outcome, but trusting your own decision feels impossible.
- Take responsibility for everyone else’s feelings. If someone is upset, your first instinct is to figure out what you did wrong.
- Struggle to set boundaries without guilt. Saying no feels selfish, even when you’re completely exhausted.
- Overthink your relationships. You analyze texts, conversations, tone and tiny shifts in someone’s behaviour, wondering if something is wrong.
- Have an inner critic who has absolutely no chill. No matter what you accomplish, there’s always something you could have done better.
- Look like you have your shit together. From the outside, you’re capable, caring and functioning. Inside, you’re overwhelmed and running on fumes.
- Understand your patterns but still feel stuck in them. You know why you people-please, shut down, overfunction or avoid conflict. You just can’t seem to stop doing it.
- Carry old experiences into your present. Even when you know you’re safe now, parts of you still feel braced for rejection, betrayal, criticism or being let down.
- Find it hard to actually relax. Rest comes with guilt, slowing down feels uncomfortable, and your brain always seems to have one more thing to solve.
- Wonder when you became so disconnected from yourself. You’re good at knowing what everyone else needs. Knowing what you need? Not so much.
And maybe the hardest part?
You’re self-aware enough to know something needs to change—but you’re tired of trying to think your way out of it.
You don't have to have everything figured out before you come to therapy.
You Don’t Have to Keep Surviving the Same Patterns.
You can understand where your patterns came from without being trapped by them.
Therapy can help you feel safer in your body, trust yourself more, set boundaries without drowning in guilt, process what still hurts, and build a different relationship with yourself.
Less overthinking. Less surviving. More choice. More you.
Hi! I'm Marlo
I’m a Registered Social Worker, trauma-trained and EMDR-trained therapist. I’ve sat in the EMDR client chair myself, before I decided to help other women.
I’m also a mom of 2, a newly diagnosed ADHD’er at the fine age of 40, a recovering perfectionist and a professional overthinker.
I don’t believe therapy needs to feel cold, clinical or formal. You don’t have to impress me, and you don’t have to have the perfect words. You can cry, swear, or say, “I honestly have no idea.”
We’ll figure it out from there.
Want to know more about me and how I work?
How Therapy Works at
Marlo Drago Therapy
We don’t just talk about what’s wrong. We work with what’s underneath it. Your patterns developed for a reason; therapy is about understanding them without judgment and creating the safety to change.
Nervous System
Learn to recognize fight, flight, freeze, fawn, and shutdown. Build practical ways to create regulation and safety before processing deep stress.
Parts & Inner Child
Explore the perfectionist, overthinker, or protector within you. Understand where they came from and what they need now to stop the internal fight.
Skills
Unstick from fears and “shoulds.” Reconnect with your values to make choices based on what matters to you, not just what keeps others happy. Practical strategies for managing overwhelming emotions and navigating difficult relationships without losing yourself. Build doable skills that don’t rely on sheer willpower.
The goal? To understand why you became the way you became, feel safer, and have more choice in how you respond.
What I Can Help With Using Trauma and EMDR Therapy
You might not know exactly what’s wrong.
You just know you’re tired of feeling this way.
Relationships & Attachment Wounds
Nervous System Overwhelm
Grief
We can start with what’s happening right nowand work backwards from there.
Ways to Work With Me
Healing is not one-size-fits-all. I offer different ways to engage with trauma therapy, depending on your needs, your schedule, and where you are in your journey.
Etobicoke
Work with Marlo in a safe, quiet space in Etobicoke. Ideal for those who find being in the same room helps them feel more grounded and connected during EMDR or somatic work. Available Wednesdays from 9:00am to 4:30pm.
Ontario-Wide
Accessible therapy from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in Ontario. Secure video sessions designed to maintain safety and efficacy while fitting into your life.
Deeper Dive
Deep-dive sessions designed to bypass the limitations of the weekly 50-minute hour. Focused work to move through specific trauma blocks or reset your nervous system.
What It’s Actually Like to Work With Me
You don’t have to show up with the perfect words, a neatly organized trauma history, or even know exactly why you’re here.
You can say:
“I don’t know where to start.” “I’m really pissed off." “Honestly? I’m exhausted.” "I don't remember my childhood."
We’ll start there.
I’m warm, direct and genuinely curious. No Jargon. No Poker Face. Potty Mouth Therapist who may have food on my clothes from my toddlers sticky hands. Sometimes we’ll go deep. Sometimes we’ll laugh. Sometimes we’ll slow everything down because your nervous system is saying absolutely not today.
You don’t have to impress me. You don’t have to perform. You just have to show up.
Ready to see if we’re a good fit?
Book a consultation and let’s talk about what’s going on, what you’re looking for, and whether working together makes sense.
You’ve spent enough time overthinking it. You don’t need to have everything figured out before you reach out. You don’t need to know exactly what kind of therapy you need. You just need to know that what you’re doing right now isn’t working anymore.
We’ll talk about what’s bringing you to therapy, what you’re hoping will change, and whether we’re a good fit to work together.
Virtual Therapy Across Ontario
In-Person Therapy in Etobicoke
Ready to Do Something Different?
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