Emotional Regulation Therapy in Downtown Toronto
Feel your emotions without being run by them.
Gentle, skills-based emotional regulation therapy for adults who are tired of feeling at the mercy of their emotions and want to feel more like themselves again. Emotional regulation therapy is available in Downtown Toronto & online across Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia.
When your emotions feel too big to carry, it's hard to see how good life can feel.
No matter how hard you try to hold it together, your emotions seem to get there first. One small moment can set off a wave you can’t seem to stop. Your heart races, your chest tightens, and before you know it, you’ve reacted in a way you wish you hadn’t. You’ve felt so much for so long that some days everything goes numb, and handling your emotions has started to feel like something that comes easily to everyone but you.
Emotional regulation therapy helps you understand what you're feeling and why, so your emotions feel less overwhelming and you can respond in a way that feels authentic.
Signs your emotions may be running your life:
Emotional dysregulation can look different from one person to the next, and even from one day to the next. Sometimes it’s big and loud, and sometimes you’re numb and can’t put your feelings into words.
- Feelings that seem too big for the moment and take a long time to settle
- A racing heart, tight chest, shakiness, or an upset stomach when emotions run high
- A rush of heat or adrenaline, and a strong urge to react right away
- Muscle tension and trouble relaxing, resting, or falling asleep
- Swinging between intense emotions and feeling empty, disconnected, or numb
- Saying or doing things in the moment that you regret later
- Not knowing what you're feeling, or why, until it's already overwhelming
Emotional Regulation Therapy in Toronto
Where Emotional Regulation Therapy Can Help
Difficulty with emotion regulation tends to weave into other parts of life, and at Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy, we work with adults navigating emotional dysregulation alongside concerns like:
Anxiety and Panic Attacks
Anxiety and emotional dysregulation are often two sides of the same coin. Whether it shows up as a strong emotion, causes you to pull back, or turns into a panic attack, we’ll help you notice the signs earlier, so it doesn’t take over.
Depression
Feeling everything so intensely is exhausting, and over time that can turn into depression, hopelessness, or numbness. Shutting down can start to feel easier than feeling anything at all. Emotion regulation therapy in Toronto can help you reconnect with your emotions in a way that feels manageable.
Relationship and Communication Challenges
Your biggest emotions often show up with the people you love most. Conversations can escalate quickly, or you might go silent so you don’t say something you’ll regret. Over time, it can leave you feeling misunderstood and far from the people you care about.
Substance Use
When your feelings are this intense, it’s understandable to reach for something that turns the volume down. A drink or another substance can start to feel like the only way to cope. We’ll help you understand those moments and find other ways to get through them.
Identity and Sense of Self
When your emotions change quickly, your sense of who you are can change with them. You might feel unsure of what you want or what matters to you. Emotional regulation therapy in Toronto gives you space to get to know yourself again and feel more grounded in who you are.
Trauma or PTSD
After trauma, your nervous system can stay on high alert long after the danger has passed. A sound, a smell, or a tone of voice can bring on a wave of fear or anger that feels out of proportion, or leave you feeling numb and far away. We’ll help you build skills to ground yourself in those moments, so the past has less of a hold on your present.
Therapy for Emotional Regulation in Toronto
How We Approach Emotional Regulation Therapy
Reaching out when your emotions feel this big takes courage. At Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy, you can bring all of it into the room: the anger, the tears, and the numbness. Together, we’ll make sense of what you’re feeling and build practical self-regulation skills you can lean on whenever strong emotions start to take hold.
Our emotional regulation therapy draws from these evidence-based approaches:
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
CBT helps you see the connection between what you think, what you feel, and what you do next. Together, we look at the thoughts that tend to fuel an emotional spike, like assuming the worst or bracing for rejection, and build practical ways to slow down, reframe, and choose a response that fits what you want.
Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT)
Emotions carry information, even the ones that feel like too much. EFT helps you get curious about what’s underneath an intense reaction, maybe hurt beneath anger or fear beneath shutting down, so you can understand what it’s telling you and what you need. When your emotions make more sense, they tend to feel a lot less overwhelming.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills
DBT skills are among the most practical emotional regulation skills. We’ll work on tools for moments when emotions surge, like grounding your body, riding out the urge to react without acting on it, and naming what you feel as it happens. Over time, these skills help you feel more in control, even when things get intense.
Aubrey Gibson, M.A., C.Psych.Assoc.
Registered Psychological Associate, Founder
Connection is the first step.
A trusting relationship with your therapist is what makes meaningful change possible.
At Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy, our therapists are as invested in your progress as you are. Therapy is built on genuine curiosity, warmth, and a real commitment to helping you move forward. We take the time to truly understand where you’re at, why things feel stuck, and how to find a path forward that fits your life.
Meet Our Team
Connect With an Emotional Regulation Therapist in Liberty Village, Toronto
At Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy, our therapists are here to help you feel understood, supported, and a little less alone in what you’re carrying. Get to know our team and find someone who feels like the right fit for you.
Emotional Regulation Therapy in Downtown Toronto
Questions About Emotional Regulation Therapy
What does emotional dysregulation look like, and how do emotional regulation skills help?
Say your partner doesn’t text back while you’re out. At first it’s a small sting, but within minutes your mind has jumped to “they don’t care,” your chest is tight, and you’re firing off a message you’ll regret an hour later. Or it goes the other way, and you shut down and go quiet for the rest of the night. That’s emotional dysregulation: the feeling arrives fast, grows bigger than the moment, and takes over before you’ve had a chance to think.
Emotional regulation is the ability to feel your emotions fully without being swept away by them or pushing them down. The skills give you something to reach for in moments like this. You might notice the tightness in your chest as an early sign, take a few slow breaths, and name what’s underneath, maybe hurt or a fear of being forgotten. From there, you can pause and choose what to do next, like waiting until you’re calmer or telling your partner how you felt. The feeling doesn’t disappear, but it no longer decides how the night goes.
How do I know if my emotions are "too much"?
Everyone has strong feelings sometimes. It may be worth reaching out if your emotions regularly feel bigger than the moment, take a long time to settle, or lead to reactions you regret. If they’re getting in the way of your relationships, your work, or how you feel about yourself, that’s a good reason to talk to someone.
Can emotional regulation skills be learned?
Yes. Emotion regulation is a set of skills, and like any skill, it can be built with practice. Many people who feel things intensely were never shown how to manage those feelings growing up. Emotional regulation therapy gives you the understanding and the tools to start responding differently.
Is emotional dysregulation connected to anxiety or depression?
Often, yes. When emotions are hard to manage, anxiety and depression frequently come along with them, and panic attacks can be part of the picture too. Building self-regulation skills can ease some of that weight, and your therapist will look at the whole picture with you.
How long does emotional regulation therapy take?
It depends on what you’re working through and what you want from therapy, so there’s no single timeline. Many people start noticing small shifts within the first several sessions, like catching a feeling earlier or pausing before reacting. Lasting change tends to build from there.
Will I learn skills I can use between sessions?
Yes. Much of emotional regulation therapy is practical. You’ll leave sessions with tools to try in your everyday life, and together we’ll talk through what worked and what didn’t, then adjust from there.
Is emotional regulation therapy done in person or online?
Both. We offer in-person sessions in Liberty Village, Toronto, and virtual therapy for adults across Ontario, Quebec, and Nova Scotia. You’re welcome to choose whichever feels more comfortable, and many people move between the two depending on their week.
Who will I work with?
Emotional regulation therapy at Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy is provided by Aubrey Gibson and Cynthia Ritchie, who work with adults navigating emotional dysregulation and related concerns, such as anxiety and depression. We’ll help match you with the right fit, and you’re always welcome to share a preference. Contact us to learn more about how to get started.
What are the causes of emotional dysregulation?
There’s usually no single cause. Some people are simply wired to feel things more intensely. Many grew up in homes where feelings were dismissed, punished, or never talked about, so they didn’t get the chance to learn how to handle them. Trauma, ongoing stress, lack of sleep, and conditions like ADHD, anxiety, or depression can all play a part too. In therapy, we’ll help you understand what’s shaping your emotions, so the way you feel starts to make more sense.
What therapy is best for emotional dysregulation?
The best approach is the one that fits you and what you’re going through. That said, several evidence-based therapies are well suited to emotional dysregulation. DBT skills are among the most widely used, offering practical tools for managing intense emotions in the moment. CBT helps you notice the thoughts that fuel an emotional spike, and EFT helps you understand what your emotions are telling you. At Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy, we draw on all three and tailor your therapy to your needs.
Emotional Regulation Therapy in Toronto
What's Possible After Emotional Regulation Therapy
When your emotions have felt this intense for this long, it’s easy to believe that’s just how you’re built. It doesn’t have to stay this way. With the right support, your feelings can start to make sense and feel a lot more manageable.
After doing this work, you may notice:
- A clearer sense of what you're feeling, and why, as it's happening
- Emotions building earlier, before they become overwhelming
- More space to pause before you react and choose how you respond
- Easier conversations about your feelings with the people who matter to you
- Less swinging between feeling too much and feeling nothing at all
- More ease in your body and your mind, and better rest
- A stronger sense of what you need, and more trust in yourself to meet it
"Every feeling you have is trying to tell you something. Therapy helps you learn the language."
Rove Psychology & Psychotherapy
How To Get Started
Ready for meaningful change? Ways to connect:
Click Book Online to schedule your free phone consultation with a therapist.
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