online across Ontario
Mark Laing
Registered Psychotherapist · BA
- Couples & Individuals
- English
Support for Affair Recovery, Anger Management, Anxiety, Bipolar Disorder and 8 more ↓
Areas of focus
If what you are carrying is not listed, it is still worth a conversation.
- Affair Recovery
- Anger Management
- Anxiety
- Bipolar Disorder
- Conflict Resolution
- Couples Communication
- Couples & Marriage
- Depression
- Domestic Abuse
- Emotional Unavailability
- Men's Issues
- Separation & Divorce
Also works with Abuse survivor issues, Addictions, Aggression, Attachment, Child abuse, Codependency, Control issues, Elder abuse / exploitation, Emotional / psychological abuse, First responders, Forgiveness, Love intimacy, Mood disorders, Obsessive compulsive disorder, Pre-marital, Relationships dating, Same sex couples, Self-esteem, Sexual addiction, Sexual assault victim, Spiritual issues, Stress management and Trust issues.
In Mark's words
If you are reading this, you are most likely experiencing some kind of frustration or upset and you have no idea about what to do. I just described literally thousands of people like yourself who at this moment are beginning the process of seeking help. We would all wish that life would be leprechauns and roses but we, from time-to-time, encounter more thorns than roses.
Let’s take a moment together to think about your relationship. Do you find that:
Continue reading Mark's approach
- You feel blamed by your partner? - Feel like your partner no longer loves you for who you are? - Are not best friends anymore? - Can’t tell your partner your true feelings anymore? - Avoid spending time with each other? - Are thinking about or already having an affair? - Find the passion has gone out of the relationship? - Don’t feel emotionally safe with your partner? - Have the same arguments over and over again? - Feel that conversations easily turn into disagreements?
Many couples experience these symptoms in the life of a relationship. If you answered yes to any of these, whether it is sporadic or consistent, you and your partner can benefit from learning new ways to repair the disconnection and how to maintain connection. This results in an improved relationship.
Let’s take a moment to consider trauma. Have you experienced some one-time, horrible big event or a series of continual events where you:
- Felt threatened? - Felt there was nothing you could do about it? - Have continual nightmares since then? - Have a history of self-abuse or engaging in risky behaviors? - Drive somewhere and arrive but have no recollection of the drive there? - Misplace your wallet or keys frequently? - Get startled quickly and easily?
These are just some of the descriptors of experiencing trauma. If you are aware of a traumatic incident and some of these descriptors represent you, there is now treatment available to eliminate the effect of trauma so you can live fear-free and enjoy your life again. I have used Havening as a very effective tool to help people find the healing they want for themselves.
I invite you to let me help you take back your relationships and your life.
Background
Certified Imago Therapist, Intensive training that takes up to 2 years to complete. I did training in couple’s therapy through the Couple’s Institute, John Gottman (Safe House Level 1) and Sue Johnson (EFT).
Registered with Ontario Association of Mental Health Professionals (OAMHP)
Also listed on
Qualifications & registrations
- Also holds
- Trained in Havening, which is a modality similar to EMDR, for trauma cases
- DBT, CBT and IFS
- Awarded the Platinum Spectator’s Readers’ Choice Award
- Experience
- Over 20 Years
- Also a member of
- College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Trained in these approaches — drawn on depending on what each person needs, not a fixed formula.
A few questions, answered
I was seeking help from a Christian counsellor and when we finished up, he suggested that I might consider becoming a therapist. The rest is history, as they say!
People. Everyone has a story and every story and person is unique. This makes our time together an adventure where we discover and heal together.
Imagine sitting down with someone you have never met and asked about your deepest fears and issues. It makes sense to me, that for many, seeking a therapist is a daunting thought. To put your trust in a stranger, even with training, can feel overwhelming. And yet, if you do not come, you are stuck in whatever crisis or dilemma you face without a resolution. No one has died from fear, and your fear is no different. Give yourself a chance to meet with a therapist. If after three sessions you don’t feel comfortable or connected, then you can choose to see another therapist. That relationship between you and your therapist has to feel connecting and safe. That is what a good therapist is trained to do.
Learning to become a great partner is perhaps the hardest thing you will ever have to learn to do. We are great at helping people get married but not so good at developing a relationship that is deeply connecting. If you do not invest in your relationship, the cost is staggering. If you do invest in the relationship, the dividends are amazing!
You can heal on your own by stuffing all the thoughts and memories. You can medicate the pain with alcohol, sex, drugs, eating, etc. Every time you stuff a memory or feeling, it is like putting a puff of air in a balloon. Eventually that balloon will go BANG! With my clients we do not begin by talking about the traumatic event. We begin by helping you develop tools that can keep you feeling safe whenever you might get triggered. This is the most important starting point.
It helps us to process our issues by hearing our own voice out loud and through questions and curiosity the therapist brings to your situation.
Getting to know Mark
- What activity instantly calms you?
- Gardening, fishing and playing my banjo.
- Would you rather cook or order in?
- Cook! Love cooking.
- Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
- Dinner
- What song always gets you out on the dance floor?
- Anything from Santana