Emotion Regulation & Behavioural Therapy in Toronto
Specialized therapy to help children, adolescents, and adults develop healthier ways to understand, express, and manage their emotions and behaviours.
Specialized Emotional & Behavioural Support
Are you struggling to manage intense emotions, experiencing frequent emotional outbursts, or finding that your emotional responses are affecting your relationships and daily life?
Emotional dysregulation can manifest in many ways—from difficulty controlling anger and impulsivity to overwhelming anxiety, mood swings, or emotional shutdown. Whether you're an adult working to improve your emotional responses or a parent seeking support for your child's behavioural challenges, our Toronto-based emotion regulation therapy services provide the tools and strategies needed for lasting change.
We offer comprehensive support using evidence-based approaches:
Our Emotion Regulation & Behavioural Services
We offer specialized therapy services designed to address a wide range of emotional and behavioural challenges for both children and adults.
Adult Emotion Regulation Therapy
Our adult-focused emotion regulation therapy helps you develop greater emotional awareness and more effective responses to intense feelings.
This service benefits adults who:
- Experience emotional reactions that feel disproportionate
- Struggle with anger management or emotional outbursts
- Feel overwhelmed by emotions or have difficulty naming feelings
- Find that emotional challenges impact their work or relationships
Through our structured approach, you'll learn practical skills for identifying emotions, implementing self-soothing techniques, and building distress tolerance.
Child & Youth Behavioural Therapy
Children and adolescents often express emotional difficulties through their behaviour. Our specialized behavioural therapy helps address these challenges.
We help young people with:
- Emotional outbursts, tantrums, or meltdowns
- Defiance or oppositional behaviour
- Difficulty following rules or routines
- School-related behavioural challenges
- Social interaction problems with peers
Our child-centered approach combines age-appropriate emotional vocabulary building, collaborative problem-solving, and parent coaching.
Anger Management & Impulse Control
For those specifically struggling with anger or impulsivity, our targeted therapy focuses on understanding triggers and developing healthier responses.
Our approach focuses on:
- Understanding anger triggers and early warning signs
- Developing a "pause button" between feeling and action
- Learning de-escalation techniques
- Practicing healthy expression of difficult feelings
- Building communication skills for conflict resolution
This service is beneficial for both adults and adolescents who want to respond more thoughtfully in triggering situations.
What to Expect in Your Therapy Sessions
Starting emotion regulation or behavioural therapy is an important step toward creating positive change. Here's what you can expect during the process.
Initial Assessment
Your journey begins with a comprehensive evaluation where we discuss your specific emotional or behavioural challenges, how these impact your daily life, and your goals for therapy.
For children, this assessment includes both parent and child perspectives to develop a complete understanding of the situation.
Typical Session Format
Regular 50-minute sessions typically include a check-in about experiences since the previous session, skill-building exercises, practice applying techniques to real-life situations, and planning for skill implementation.
Treatment Timeline
While everyone's path is unique, many clients begin noticing improvements in awareness after 3-4 sessions. Developing and practicing new skills typically requires 8-12 sessions, with more complex issues potentially benefiting from longer-term support.
Progress Measurement
We regularly assess your improvement through self-reported changes in emotional management, tracking the frequency and intensity of challenging behaviours, and evaluating progress toward your specific goals.
Why Choose Laura Davidson for Emotion Regulation Therapy
When seeking help for emotional and behavioural challenges, specialized expertise makes a meaningful difference. Laura Davidson brings specific qualifications to support your journey:
- Advanced Training in DBT (Dialectical Behaviour Therapy) skills for emotion regulation
- Specialized Experience working with both children and adults on behavioural challenges
- Master of Social Work (MSW) from the University of Toronto with specialization in Mental Health
- Experience at The Hospital for Sick Children providing therapy to children and youth
- Registered Social Worker (RSW) in good standing with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers
Laura creates a supportive, non-judgmental environment where you can explore emotional patterns and practice new skills. Her approach balances compassion with practical, skill-based strategies that lead to tangible improvements in emotional well-being.
Client Success Stories
Hear from people who have transformed their emotional well-being through our therapy services.
Emotion Regulation & Behavioural Therapy FAQs
Find answers to commonly asked questions about our therapy services.
Emotional dysregulation refers to difficulty managing emotional responses effectively. It may manifest as emotions that are too intense for the situation, difficulty returning to a baseline emotional state, or inappropriate emotional responses. Many people experience this as feeling "overwhelmed" by emotions or having reactions that seem out of proportion to the triggering event.
Consider seeking help if:
- Your emotional responses regularly feel overwhelming or out of your control
- Emotions significantly interfere with your relationships, work, or daily functioning
- You frequently regret your reactions or behaviours when emotional
- You use unhealthy coping mechanisms (like substance use) to manage feelings
- Previous attempts to manage your emotions haven't been successful
For children, signs may include frequent emotional outbursts, difficulty transitioning between activities, or behavioural problems at school or home.
Child behavioural therapy is adapted to be developmentally appropriate, often incorporating play, art, and other engaging activities. It focuses more on concrete behavioural strategies with immediate reinforcement, while building emotional vocabulary and awareness. Parent involvement is also a crucial component, with parents learning to support and reinforce therapeutic strategies at home.
While everyone's journey is different, most clients begin developing greater emotional awareness within the first few sessions. Learning and practicing new skills typically takes 8-12 sessions, with continued improvement as these skills are applied in daily life. Emotion regulation is an ongoing practice, but therapy provides the foundation and tools needed for long-term success.
Yes, virtual therapy has proven effective for both emotion regulation and behavioural challenges. For children, online sessions can be structured with interactive elements to maintain engagement. For adults, virtual therapy offers convenience and accessibility. In some cases, being in your home environment during sessions can actually facilitate practicing new skills where they'll be used most.
Get Started with Emotion Regulation Therapy Today
Taking the first step toward better emotional management can transform your relationships, work life, and overall well-being.
Book Your Free Consultation
Discuss your needs and ensure we're a good fit
Schedule Your First Session
At a time that works for you
Begin Your Treatment Plan
Personalized for your specific challenges