To provide trauma-focused, evidence-based psychotherapy that honours each person’s experience and supports deep healing and resilience, particularly through advanced EMDR therapy and integrative trauma approaches.
A future where individuals across Atlantic Canada have access to clinically rigorous, trauma-informed psychotherapy that helps to heal deep wounds.

Emily Bushell, MA, RCT, CCS, EMDRIA Approved Consultant, founded Wholetherapy to build a trauma-focused clinical practice with depth, integrity, and high standards of care. Under her leadership, EMDR therapy and trauma-informed practice are central to the clinic’s identity, supporting individuals with complex trauma and attachment-related distress
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EMDR is grounded in the Adaptive Information Processing (AIP) model, which proposes that psychological distress arises when traumatic or overwhelming experiences are inadequately processed and stored in memory networks. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, taps, or tones) within a structured eight-phase protocol to help the brain integrate these memories in a more adaptive way.
IFS proposes that psychological distress arises when protective or wounded parts of the personality take on extreme roles in response to trauma or attachment injury. Therapy focuses on helping clients access the Self—a core state characterized by calm, curiosity, compassion, and clarity—to build trusting relationships with these parts and support their healing.
EFT helps individuals and couples understand emotional patterns, express core needs, and strengthen secure, connected relationships.

The Gottman Method is a research-informed approach to couples therapy that uses comprehensive assessment and targeted interventions to strengthen emotional connection, improve communication, manage conflict, and support long-term relational resilience. It integrates behavioural, emotional, and systems-based strategies to help couples move from patterns of distress toward trust, commitment, and shared meaning.

CPT is a structured, time-limited trauma-focused cognitive-behavioural therapy that helps individuals process traumatic experiences by identifying and modifying maladaptive beliefs (“stuck points”) related to safety, trust, power, control, esteem, and intimacy.
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Hypnotherapy uses guided relaxation and focused attention to access subconscious patterns and support emotional or behavioural change.

MBCT cultivates awareness and calm to help prevent emotional overwhelm.
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Deep Brain Reorienting (DBR) is a trauma-focused, neurobiological psychotherapy that targets shock and attachment trauma by working directly with brainstem-oriented responses that occur before emotional activation. DBR helps clients process traumatic experiences by attending to the body’s earliest orienting responses—such as head, neck, and eye movements—allowing the nervous system to complete interrupted defensive sequences and resolve trauma at its source.

Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is a brief, trauma-focused psychotherapy that uses eye movements and imagery techniques to help individuals resolve distressing memories and symptoms without prolonged exposure or detailed verbal processing.
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Brainspotting is a therapeutic approach that identifies specific eye positions (“brainspots”) linked to unprocessed trauma, allowing the brain and nervous system to naturally process and release emotional and physiological distress.

EFIT helps individuals explore how early attachment experiences shape current emotions and relationships, fostering greater self-understanding and emotional balance.

G-TEP is a gentle, EMDR-based group protocol that helps people privately process shared traumatic experiences and stabilize the nervous system after overwhelming events.
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R-TEP is an EMDR early-intervention protocol that helps individuals process recent traumatic events before they become entrenched, reducing the risk of PTSD and long-term distress.
Getting started is straightforward, no referral is required. Our intake team will connect you with a clinician whose expertise aligns with your trauma history and goals.We offer both secure virtual care throughout Atlantic Canada and in-person services in Nova Scotia, ensuring accessibility and continuity of trauma-specialized treatment.
Connect With Our Care TeamSpeak with our Care Team or fill out our intake form so we can understand your needs.
We’ll match you with an expert clinician based on your goals, preferences, and availability.
Begin therapy with a skilled, compassionate clinician who supports you every step of the way.
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Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT), Canadian Certified Counsellor Supervisor (CCS), EMDRIA Approved Consultant | Practice Owner & Clinical Director
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EMDR Trauma Lead | Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) | EMDR Certified | EMDRIA Approved Consultant
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Clinical Social Worker (RSW) - Clinical Specialist | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Clinical Social Worker (RSW) | EMDR Certified Therapist
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Registered Clinical Social Worker (RSW) - Clinical Specialist | EMDR Trained|DBT Trained
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Clinical Relations Lead | Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) | Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC)
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Registered Counselling Therapist (RCT) | Certified Canadian Counsellor (CCC) | EMDR Certified
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Clinical Lead | Registered Clinical Social Worker (RSW) | Clinical Specialist | EMDR Trained | Clinical Hypnotherapy Trained
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Registered Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse (RN) | Canadian Federation of Mental Health Nurse (CPMHN) | Clinical Social Work (MSW) Student
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | EMDR Trained
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Registered Counselling Therapist Candidate (RCT-C) | Canadian Certified Counsellor (CCC)
Book a ConsultationGetting started is simple and no referral is required. You can contact us through our website or book directly online. Our intake team will follow up to answer questions, discuss availability, and help match you with a clinician whose training and experience align with your needs—particularly if you are seeking trauma-focused or EMDR therapy.
You’ll work with a registered clinician whose training and experience align with your needs and goals. Our intake team takes care to match you with a clinician based on the concerns you’re bringing, your preferences, availability, and the therapist’s areas of specialization. Wholetherapy’s clinicians work within a collaborative, consultation-rich environment, which means your care is informed not only by your therapist’s expertise, but also by shared clinical knowledge and ongoing professional consultation when appropriate.
Yes. We provide secure virtual therapy to clients across Nova Scotia, Atlantic Canada and beyond, as well as in-person services in our Dartmouth clinic. Virtual care allows access to trauma-specialized treatment regardless of location.
Our Clinical Philosophy
At Wholetherapy, we understand psychological distress through a trauma-informed and attachment-aware lens. Many symptoms — including anxiety, depression, panic, relational difficulties, and somatic distress — are understood as adaptive responses to overwhelming experiences rather than signs of pathology.Our work emphasizes safety, readiness, nervous system regulation, and collaborative therapeutic relationships as the foundation for effective trauma treatment.
That’s very common, and you don’t need to have it all figured out before reaching out. Many people come to Wholetherapy knowing something doesn’t feel right, but without clarity about what kind of support would be most helpful.Our intake team and clinicians will work with you to understand your experiences, goals, and current supports. Together, we’ll help identify an approach that fits your needs and readiness—whether that involves EMDR therapy, trauma-focused psychotherapy, or other supportive approaches.There’s no pressure to choose the “right” type of therapy at the outset. We’ll help guide the process in a way that feels thoughtful, collaborative, and safe.
Explore stories on healing, insights from our therapists, mental wellness tools, and science-backed resources designed to help you feel informed, inspired, and understood.
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