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You don't have to keep reliving it to heal from it.

Maybe you've tried talking about it. Maybe you've explained it a hundred times and still feel the same tightness in your chest, the same spiral of thoughts, the same reactions you can't quite control.

That's not a sign that you're broken. It's a sign that trauma lives in the body — not just the mind.

EMDR therapy works differently. And it might be exactly what you've been looking for.

Heal the wounds that still show up in

your adult life

 

You may look like you have it all together on the outside. You work hard, care deeply, and show up for everyone around you. Yet inside, you feel exhausted, anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or constantly questioning yourself.

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Many adults carrying childhood trauma don't always recognize it as trauma. They often tell themselves:

  • "My childhood wasn't that bad."

  • "Other people had it worse."

  • "I should be over this by now."

  • "Maybe I'm just too sensitive."​​

 

But trauma isn't only about what happened to you. It's also about what was missing.

If you grew up feeling unseen, emotionally unsupported, criticized, rejected, parentified, or responsible for everyone else's feelings, those experiences can continue to impact your nervous system, relationships, self-worth, and emotional wellbeing long into adulthood.

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At Marlo Drago Therapy, I help adults across Ontario heal childhood trauma through EMDR therapy, Polyvagal-informed therapy, mindfulness, and compassionate trauma-focused care.

Marlo Drago Therapy in Ontario

What is Polyvagal Informed EMDR Therapy?

What Is EMDR Therapy?

 

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a research-backed therapy that helps your brain reprocess painful memories — so they stop running your present life.

 

But not all EMDR is the same.

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My approach is Polyvagal-informed, which means we don't just target the memory. We work with your entire nervous system — helping your body and brain feel safe enough to heal.

 

Why the Nervous System Matters

Polyvagal Theory helps explain something many trauma survivors know intuitively: you can't just think your way out of it.

When you've experienced trauma, your nervous system can get stuck in survival mode — cycling between anxiety, numbness, shutdown, or hypervigilance. Not because something is wrong with you, but because your body is doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you.

Polyvagal-informed therapy works with that response rather than against it — gently guiding your nervous system back toward safety so healing becomes possible.

 

How EMDR and Polyvagal Theory Work Together

EMDR uses bilateral stimulation — guided eye movements, tapping, or sounds — to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories until they lose their emotional charge. What once felt overwhelming begins to feel like something that happened, rather than something still happening.

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When combined with Polyvagal principles, this process becomes even more grounded and gentle. We build nervous system safety first, move at a pace your body can handle, and make sure you feel supported at every step.

The result: healing that you don't just understand — you actually feel.

EMDR Can Help With:

  • Trauma & complex PTSD

  • Childhood abuse, neglect, or emotional wounds

  • Anxiety & panic attacks

  • Burnout & chronic stress

  • Grief & loss

  • Birth trauma & maternal mental health

  • Low self-worth & shame​

  • Bullying

  • Relationship patterns rooted in past experiences

  • Intergenerational & family trauma

  • Adult children of emotionally immature parents

  • Phobias & fears

  • Sexual Assault

  • Chronic pain and migraine

  • Single incident trauma (car accident)

  • Secondary trauma

What You Might Notice Over Time

 

Everyone's healing looks different. But with time and commitment, EMDR therapy may help you:

 

  1. Feel calmer and less on edge in daily life

  2. Stop being hijacked by old memories, panic, or nightmares

  3. Release physical tension and stress held in your body

  4. Feel more like yourself in your relationships

  5. Trust yourself more — your instincts, your worth, your voice

  6. Face the future with more clarity and less fear

  7. Feel genuinely safe in your own body — maybe for the first time

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Why Work with Marlo Drago 

About Me

Marlo Drago
Founder and Therapist

​I'm Marlo Drago, a Registered Social Worker (RSW) and trauma-informed therapist based in Toronto, Ontario, offering individual therapy for adults navigating anxiety, trauma, burnout, emotional overwhelm, and complex PTSD. My approach draws on evidence-based modalities including EMDR therapy, somatic therapy, Polyvagal Theory, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), and bottom-up trauma treatment — combined with something I believe is just as important: genuine human connection.

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But beyond the credentials and clinical approaches, I bring something personal. I've walked through my own healing journey, and I know what it feels like to sit where you're sitting. That lived understanding shapes everything about how I work; the warmth in the room, the pace we move at, and the deep belief I hold that real change is possible for you.

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Because how therapy feels matters just as much as what we do in it and you deserve both.

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Here, you are free to feel all of it. There might be swearing, laughing, crying, or something you can't quite name yet. All of it is welcome. No judgment, no rushing, no performing okayness for your therapist.

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We go at your pace. We pull back when things feel like too much, and move forward when your nervous system has the capacity to do so. You are always in the driver's seat.​

Ready to heal your childhood trauma?

I know the first step is usually the hardest and you are probably buzzing with questions. Head over to FAQ, if the answer is not there send me an e-mail and I would be happy to help! Ready to book an initial call or intake session? Fill out the form below. 

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