Your emotions might often feel like an unbridled storm—calm one moment, overwhelming the next. People around you may call you “too sensitive,” “dramatic,” or “unstable,” without realizing that your emotional intensity isn’t a choice—it’s the way your brain is wired.
This process isn’t about dulling your sensitivity or “fixing” who you are—it’s about acquiring skills that allow you to embrace your full emotional spectrum without being overwhelmed by it.
At Ontario Therapy, centrally located in Uxbridge, we offer Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)—a therapeutic approach meticulously crafted for those who experience emotions more intensely than others. DBT doesn’t seek to dampen your emotions—it empowers you to feel intensely while maintaining control over your actions.
At 35, Rebecca yearns for stable relationships but consistently ends up alienating those she gets close to, only to panic when they leave. Friends and partners are perfect in her eyes until they let her down, at which point she quickly loses trust. Often labeled as having "trust issues," Rebecca's challenges stem from a nervous system that perceives normal relational challenges as existential threats.
At 28, Liam works as an accountant in Port Perry. Outwardly successful, he constantly battles inner turmoil. Feedback from his boss can trigger either explosive anger or complete shutdowns. His emotional responses have already cost him three jobs in as many years. Relationships fizzle out as partners become weary of his unpredictable mood swings. Liam worries that he's fundamentally flawed.
She's 19 and living in Sunderland. Every day feels like an emotional battlefield—if a friend doesn't reply promptly, she spirals into panic over abandonment. When her partner mentions feeling tired, she jumps to conclusions, convinced he'll leave. Samantha has resorted to self-harm in her struggle to cope, a fact that terrifies her and disturbs her parents. Searching "emotional regulation help" online at 3 AM, she wonders if 'normal' is something she'll ever achieve.
As the mother of a 16-year-old in Goodwood, Karen faces the complex challenges of her child's battles with self-harm, eating disorders, and volatile emotions. Despite years of traditional therapy and residential treatments, her daughter struggles to regulate her emotions. The family feels perpetually on edge, unsure if they are helping or hindering their daughter's progress.
At 22, Alex grapples with a fluctuating sense of self. Their mood shapes their identity—feeling loved and capable during joy, but worthless during periods of depression. They've explored different relationships, lifestyles, and career paths, yet nothing feels genuine or enduring. Alex questions whether a "real self" resides beneath the emotional upheaval.
Does any of this sound familiar? Your emotional intensity isn’t a defect but a trait that, when harnessed, can become a profound strength.
Start with a comprehensive 90-minute assessment where we evaluate whether DBT is right for you and create a personalized treatment plan.
If you’re having thoughts of self-harm or suicide:
While many experience emotions like gentle waves that rise, crest, and recede naturally, others face emotions akin to tsunamis—overwhelming and devastating in their ferocity.
Characteristic Signs of Emotional Dysregulation:
Intense Emotions: Your feelings operate at a volume 11, while most others are at a 5. Joy is euphoric, sadness deeply devastating, anger explosive, and fear life-threatening.
Highly Reactive: You escalate from calm to intense in seconds. Small critiques feel like personal attacks, minor disappointments cascade into overwhelming despair.
Prolonged Intensity: Others might recover quickly from emotional upsets, but the echoes of your feelings can last days or weeks.
Impulsive Reactions: When emotions soar, the drive to escape lead to impulsive behaviors, be it self-harm, reckless spending, or emotional outbursts.
Heightened Vulnerability: Stress, sleep deprivation, or hormonal shifts leave your emotional “thermostat” on high alert, amplifying your sensitivity.
Fluid Identity: Your sense of self morphs with your moods, leaving you questioning who you really are.
Conventional therapy often presumes a baseline of emotional regulation, focusing instead on insights, past experiences, or cognitive restructuring. For people dealing with intense emotions, these methods may falter, failing to address how to manage overpowering feelings in real time.
Traditional Therapy Limitations:
Talking vs. Management: Discussing emotions in traditional settings can amplify rather than soothe heightened feelings.
Insight vs. Control: Understanding the genesis of emotions doesn’t inherently provide the control needed during emotional spirals.
Crisis-Oriented Needs: Real-time, intensive emotional support is essential—far beyond what generic coping advice offers.
Sensitivity Misunderstood: Emotional intensity isn’t a disorder to be diminished but a potential strength requiring strategic management.
What DBT Offers:
Skill-Based Protocols: More than mere conversation, DBT equips you with practical, actionable skills for immediate use.
Emotion Respectful: Validating your feelings, DBT shows you how to endure them without self-destruction.
Crisis Management Tools: Equipped with specific techniques to navigate emotional crises without compounding them.
Mindfulness Practices: DBT encourages observing emotions without being overwhelmed, fostering detachment and space.
Relationship Skills: Enhances interpersonal effectiveness without sacrificing self-authenticity.
Distress Endurance: Rather than eradication, DBT focuses on tolerating distress without succumbing to immediate reactions.
Are you ready to channel overwhelming emotions into exceptional strength? Contact Ontario Therapy in Uxbridge to begin your transformative journey. Call us today or visit us in Uxbridge to start your first session. We’re here to help you find balance within your emotional intensity.
Module 1: Mindfulness Skills – The Foundation of Emotional Control
Mindfulness in DBT isn’t about meditation or spiritual practice—it’s about learning to observe your emotions rather than being hijacked by them.
Core Mindfulness Skills:
What This Looks Like in Practice: Instead of saying, “I’m so angry I could scream and this is terrible and I can’t handle it,” you learn to think: “I’m noticing anger in my body. My jaw is tight, my heart is racing, and I have the urge to yell. This feeling is temporary and I can ride it out.”
Module 2: Distress Tolerance – Surviving Crisis Without Making It Worse
When emotions reach crisis levels, your goal isn’t to feel better immediately—it’s to get through the crisis without doing something that will create more problems later.
Crisis Survival Skills:
Radical Acceptance Skills:
What This Prevents: Self-harm, substance use, explosive outbursts, reckless driving, impulsive purchases, sending angry texts, quitting jobs in anger, ending relationships during emotional storms.
Module 3: Emotion Regulation – Understanding and Managing Your Emotional Life
This module teaches you the mechanics of emotions—how they work, why you have them, and how to influence them.
Emotion Regulation Skills:
Building Positive Emotions:
What This Creates: Emotional predictability, faster recovery from upsets, ability to make decisions based on values rather than momentary feelings, improved relationships, increased self-respect.
Module 4: Interpersonal Effectiveness – Relationships Without Emotional Chaos
Relationships are often the biggest trigger for intense emotions. This module teaches you how to navigate relationships effectively while managing your emotional responses.
Relationship Skills:
Conflict Navigation:
What This Improves: Reduced relationship drama, clearer communication, stronger friendships, healthier romantic relationships, better family dynamics, improved work relationships.
I didn’t choose to specialize in DBT by accident—I sought out this training because I witnessed too many emotionally intense people being misunderstood, misdiagnosed, and inadequately treated by traditional approaches.
Real-World DBT Experience:
I understand emotional intensity not just professionally, but personally. I know what it’s like to feel emotions so intensely they seem to take over your entire being. This lived experience, combined with rigorous DBT training, allows me to teach these skills with both expertise and genuine empathy.
Located at the heart of Uxbridge, our therapy space is a serene and supportive environment for learning DBT skills—easily accessible, comfortable, and perfectly nestled in this charming community.
Why Our Location Supports DBT Learning:
Convenient for Emotionally Intense Individuals:
Serving the DBT Community:
DBT skills can be effectively learned through virtual sessions, and for many in Uxbridge and beyond, online DBT offers unique advantages for practicing emotional regulation in their natural environment.
Virtual DBT Benefits:
DBT-Specific Virtual Adaptations:
Technology for Emotional Intensity:
Initial Assessment and Safety Planning (Sessions 1-3)
DBT begins with understanding your specific emotional patterns, triggers, and current coping strategies—both healthy and destructive.
DBT Assessment Includes:
Safety and Crisis Planning:
This is the heart of DBT—systematic learning of the four skills modules, with extensive practice and real-world application.
Skills Learning Structure:
Between-Session Practice:
Once you’ve learned the basic skills, DBT focuses on advanced applications and integrating skills into your daily life seamlessly.
Advanced DBT Focus:
Ongoing DBT Maintenance and Growth
DBT isn’t typically a short-term treatment—most people benefit from ongoing skill refreshers and support as they navigate life’s challenges.
Long-term DBT Support:
DBT Therapy Uxbridge, Ontario - Ontario Therapy
When emotions hit crisis level (8/10 or higher), this technique can bring you down to manageable levels within 5-10 minutes.
TIPP works by rapidly changing your body chemistry to interrupt the emotional crisis state. It’s designed for emergencies when you need immediate relief and other skills aren’t accessible.
T – Temperature Change:
I – Intense Exercise:
P – Paced Breathing:
P – Paired Muscle Relaxation:
Why TIPP works: These techniques rapidly activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which calms emotional intensity by changing your body chemistry. They work faster than breathing or mindfulness alone when you’re in crisis.
When to use TIPP: When emotions reach 8/10 or higher, when you have urges to self-harm, when you feel out of control, before important conversations during emotional spikes, or anytime you need rapid emotional regulation.
After using TIPP: Once your emotional intensity drops to 6/10 or below, you can use other DBT skills like mindfulness or distress tolerance more effectively.
“I’ve tried therapy before and it didn’t help—what makes DBT different?”
DBT is fundamentally different from traditional talk therapy. Instead of focusing on insight or processing past experiences, DBT teaches concrete skills you can use immediately when emotions spike. Many people who haven’t responded to other therapies find DBT effective because it addresses the skill deficit rather than just the emotional content.
“I’m worried DBT will make me emotionally numb or change my personality.”
DBT doesn’t try to eliminate your emotions or change your sensitive nature. Instead, it teaches you to experience your full emotional range while staying in control of your actions. Many people find they actually feel emotions more fully once they’re not afraid of being overwhelmed by them.
“What if I can’t learn the skills or I’m too emotional for DBT?”
DBT was specifically designed for people who feel “too emotional” for traditional therapy. The skills are taught gradually, with lots of practice and support. There’s no such thing as being too emotional for DBT—emotional intensity is exactly why DBT was created.
“I’m afraid of the time commitment—how long does DBT take?”
While DBT is often longer-term than some therapies, many people notice improvements in emotional control within the first few months. The skills you learn become part of your toolkit for life, so the investment pays dividends for years to come.
“What if my family doesn’t understand or support DBT treatment?”
Family education is often part of DBT treatment. We can help your loved ones understand emotional dysregulation and how to support your skill development rather than inadvertently undermining it.
“Can DBT help if I also have other mental health conditions?”
DBT is effective for many conditions that involve emotional dysregulation, including depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, and PTSD. DBT skills enhance other treatments rather than competing with them.
“What about medication—do I need it along with DBT?”
Some people benefit from medication to help with sleep, anxiety, or depression while learning DBT skills. DBT can be done with or without medication, and many people find they need less medication as their emotional regulation improves.
“I’m afraid people will judge me for needing help with emotions.”
Needing help with emotional regulation is incredibly common and nothing to be ashamed of. Some people are born with more sensitive nervous systems, just like some people are born with allergies or other differences. DBT is simply learning skills to work with your natural temperament.
“What if I have a crisis between sessions?”
DBT includes specific crisis survival skills and protocols for between-session support. We’ll establish clear plans for managing emotional emergencies, and you’ll have concrete skills to use during crisis moments.
“How do I know if DBT is right for me specifically?”
If you experience emotions more intensely than others, struggle with impulsive behaviors when upset, have difficulty maintaining relationships due to emotional reactivity, or feel like your emotions control your life rather than the other way around, DBT is likely to be helpful.
Contact Ontario Therapy: Begin your journey towards emotional mastery. Reach out to us for a compassionate and expert approach to DBT a few minutes’ drive from Schomberg – in Newmarket. Call us at (647) 855-0530 or visit our OntarioTherapy.org to schedule a consultation.
Intensive DBT combining individual therapy with between-session skills coaching for rapid skill acquisition.
Group Features:
Specialized DBT for teenagers (ages 14-18) with emotional intensity, self-harm, or relationship difficulties.
Teen-Specific Features:
Using DBT principles to improve family dynamics and romantic relationships affected by emotional intensity.
Relationship DBT Services:
Ontario Therapy is more than a collective; it’s a community where healing begins with connection. From every corner of Ontario, we’re here to support your journey to wellness.
Sliding Scale and Accessibility: We understand that emotional dysregulation often impacts work stability and financial security:
DBT Investment Perspective: Learning DBT skills is an investment that pays dividends for life. Most clients find that mastering emotional regulation:
Traditional therapy often focuses on insight and processing past experiences, while DBT teaches concrete skills for managing intense emotions in real-time. DBT assumes you need to learn emotion regulation skills before you can effectively process underlying issues.
Absolutely. While DBT was originally developed for BPD, it’s now used effectively for depression, anxiety, eating disorders, substance use, ADHD, and any condition involving emotional dysregulation.
Most people notice some improvement within 2-3 months, with significant changes typically occurring within 6-12 months. However, DBT skills continue to deepen with practice over years.
While DBT skills groups are highly beneficial, individual DBT can be effective on its own. Groups provide peer support and additional practice opportunities, but they’re not mandatory.
We can start with individual DBT to build your skills and confidence before joining a group, or continue with individual work if group participation remains too challenging.
Yes, DBT was specifically developed to help people who engage in self-destructive behaviors. It provides alternative coping strategies and addresses the emotional intensity that often drives these behaviors.
DBT honors your sensitivity as a trait while teaching you to manage its intensity. Many people find they’re able to be even more authentically themselves once they’re not controlled by emotional overwhelm.
DBT includes mindfulness but goes far beyond it. DBT mindfulness is specifically adapted for people with intense emotions and includes concrete skills for distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness.
Yes, family DBT education is often helpful. When family members understand emotional dysregulation and learn some DBT skills themselves, it improves the entire family system.
We offer sliding scale fees, payment plans, and can help you prioritize which components of DBT would be most beneficial within your budget. Many extended health plans cover DBT as psychotherapy.
Southlake Regional Health Centre – crisis support and psychiatric coordination
York Region District School Board – school-based emotional support
Local family physicians – medication coordination when appropriate
Community mental health services – integrated care planning
Individual DBT Therapy:
DBT assessment and treatment planning (75 minutes): $200
Individual DBT sessions (60 minutes): $180-200
Crisis coaching sessions (30 minutes): $100
Family education sessions (60 minutes): $150
Comprehensive DBT skills training available via secure video sessions for emotionally intense individuals anywhere in the province who cannot access specialized DBT services locally.
Right now, your emotions might feel like a tornado that destroys everything in its path. You might believe that you’re just “too much” for other people, that you’ll never have stable relationships, or that you’re destined to live at the mercy of your emotional storms.
But what if that’s not true? What if your emotional intensity is actually a superpower that just needs the right training? What if the same sensitivity that causes you pain also gives you incredible empathy, creativity, and capacity for deep connection?
At Ontario Therapy in Uxbridge, we’ve watched hundreds of emotionally intense people transform their relationship with their feelings. Not by becoming emotionally numb, but by learning to ride the waves instead of being crashed by them.
Your emotional intensity means you feel life more deeply than others. This isn’t a flaw—it’s a gift that comes with great responsibility. DBT teaches you how to unwrap that gift safely.
The teenager who was cutting to cope with overwhelming emotions and now uses her sensitivity to help other teens through peer counseling. The man whose anger cost him three jobs who now channels that passion into advocacy work he loves. The woman whose relationship fears kept her isolated who now has the marriage she always dreamed of.
Their emotions didn’t disappear—they learned to work with them instead of against them. They discovered that the very intensity that once felt like a curse could become their greatest strength.
DBT isn’t about changing who you are—it’s about becoming who you’re meant to be when you’re not controlled by emotional chaos. It’s about keeping your sensitive heart while developing an emotionally intelligent mind.
Your emotions have been the weather, and you’ve been at their mercy. DBT teaches you to become the meteorologist—still experiencing all the storms and sunshine, but understanding the patterns and knowing how to prepare.
The comfortable chair in our Uxbridge office is ready for you. The secure virtual therapy space is available when you need it. And most importantly, someone who understands both the science of emotional regulation and the lived experience of emotional intensity is here to teach you skills that will serve you for the rest of your life.
contact
Take the brave step toward emotional mastery today:
Ontario Therapy – Newmarket
171 Main Street South
Newmarket, ON L3Y 4Z1
Providing expert DBT therapy to Uxbridge, Whitby, Pickering, Oshawa, Port Perry, Scugog, Brooklin, Stouffville, and communities throughout Ontario. Sliding scale fees, crisis support, and specialized emotional regulation training that honors your sensitivity while building your strength.
24/7 DBT crisis skills support available via text for enrolled clients
Take the first step today:
Ontario Therapy – Newmarket
171 Main Street South
Newmarket, ON L3Y 4Z1
Phone: (647) 855-0530
Email: info@ontariotherapy.org
Online Booking:https://ontariotherapy.janeapp.com/
Providing expert DBT therapy to Newmarket, Aurora, King City, Bradford, Stouffville, and communities throughout Ontario. Sliding scale fees, crisis support, and specialized emotional regulation training that honors your sensitivity while building your strength.
DBT Therapy Hours:
24/7 DBT crisis skills support available via text for enrolled clients
