“My Life Changed So Profoundly”: Linda’s Experience in Trauma Therapy at Women’s College Hospital

For most of her life, Linda carried the weight of childhood trauma. It shaped her mental health, her relationships and quality of life. For decades, she had no safe space to process what she had experienced.

At 68, Linda was accepted into Women’s College Hospital’s Trauma Therapy Program (TTP). She began with the Resourced and Resilient Group, which supports adults recovering from the long-term impacts of childhood trauma. 

Through the program, Linda says she began to understand how trauma had shaped her life, recognize patterns and learn to set boundaries.  

From there, she joined the Women Recovering from Abuse Program (WRAP), a day treatment program that combines individual and group therapy. “Women Recovering from Abuse Program allowed me to learn to trust others, understand the effects of trauma and finally make sense of what happened to me,” Linda shares.  

As Linda continued to process her trauma, difficult memories resurfaced. In late 2024, she began one-on-one therapy where her therapist introduced Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), a type of psychotherapy designed to help people heal from trauma and distressing experiences.  

Through EMDR, Linda says she found lasting relief from the memories and flashbacks she had experienced for 53 years. By the end of her treatment at Women’s College Hospital, she began putting her experience into words through poetry.  

“Please know: I am at peace at last,” Linda shares.  

Mental health programs at Women’s College Hospital are made possible through the generosity of donors. This support helps ensure that women, who are three times more likely to experience barriers to mental healthcare, can access the support they need.