Emily Locke, MSW, RSW

Social Worker, Psychotherapist

Emily Locke is a Registered Social Worker. She is a member of the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers and of the Ontario Association of Social Workers. Emily received her Master’s Degree in Social Work from Carleton University in 2012. Prior to obtaining her MSW, Emily received a Bachelor of Social Work (Honours) from Carleton University in 2011. 

Emily has been working with humans of all ages for over a decade. She trained at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario on the Outpatient Mood and Anxiety team and carried on supporting at CHEO on the Dialectical Behaviour Therapy team, providing direct service in the youth skills group. Emily worked at Crossroads Children’s Mental Health Centre as a Child and Family Therapist before joining the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board (OCDSB) in 2013. Emily recently returned to her deep clinical roots by rejoining CHEO in outpatient mental health, with a focus on providing services to those who have experienced abuse and trauma in their lives. Emily is excited to offer services across the life-span in this practice. 

Emily uses a compassionate, holistic, trauma-informed, anti-oppressive, client-centered approach. She maintains a system’s perspective while using an integrative model to tailor treatment to meet the individual needs of each individual and/or family. She has been trained in and regularly uses a variety of approaches, such as Attachment Theory, Collaborative Problem Solving, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy strategies, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy Skills, and Internal Family Systems therapy. Emily encourages the use of mindfulness and meditation in ways that are accessible across developmental stages. Emily's private practice work includes supporting adults and other therapists. 

Finally, Emily's practice is rooted in an understanding of how trauma impacts the mind, body and brain and draws on polyvagal theory to inform treatment. As such, Emily currently focuses on integrating trauma-based interventions including Brainspotting Therapy and Emotion Freedom Technique with more traditional talk therapies. 

Emily is committed to lifelong learning and is passionate about new approaches to treatment. She continually deepens her understanding of modalities or theories that she has learned as she seeks to provide the most relevant and current information available to clients.

Brittany Robertson is a social worker (RSW, MSW) with over a decade of experience working in the addiction and mental health field.  She has completed extensive training in a wide range of therapeutic modalities including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Motivational Interviewing and Mindfulness-based approaches.  Her areas of specialization include addiction, concurrent disorders, anxiety, depression, post-traumatic stress disorder, burnout, vicarious trauma, and compassion fatigue. 

Brittany’s approach to therapy is welcoming, non-judgemental, and collaborative. She works with each client to understand their unique needs and integrates the therapeutic approaches that will be most helpful in achieving their goals.  She believes in the healing power of creativity, and often looks for opportunities to incorporate art, music, and laughter into her sessions.  

When she’s not working as a therapist, Brittany can be found spending time in nature, listening to live music, playing with her young children, or traveling back to the Maritimes to visit her family. 

Brittany is currently accepting referrals for adults and youth.  She believes the most important aspect of therapy is the relationship between the client and therapist.  As such, she offers a free 15-minute consultation to ensure that she is the right therapist for you.  

For over a decade, Taylor has been passionate about contributing to the field of social services, with a particular focus on child and youth mental health. With a foundation rooted in her Social Work education from Laurentian University, she has amassed invaluable experience across diverse sectors, including military, child welfare, Indigenous services, education, and healthcare. 

For six years, Taylor worked with military members, veterans, and their families, navigating the complexities of their unique challenges and lifestyle. She also spent over two years immersed in the child welfare sector, contributing to the support and well-being of vulnerable children, youth and families. In 2023, Taylor completed a placement at the University of Ottawa's psychotherapy and mental health services clinic, which was one of many career highlights, supporting the mental health of post-secondary students. Today, Taylor is a Social Worker at the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO), working within the nephrology and metabolics clinics. Here, she provides psychosocial and therapeutic support to pediatric patients and their families, guiding them through the intricacies of their medical journeys with empathy and expertise.  

Taylor uses a holistic, trauma-informed and client-centred approach to care, and draws upon a variety of modalities such as Attachment Theory, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy, and Internal Family Systems. Taylor ultimately believes in the healing power of connection, and is committed to creating a warm, safe and nurturing environment for her clients, with a deep understanding of the complexities of the human experience.

From a place of warmth and compassion, Emily offers individual counselling to adults looking for a support for a variety of reasons, such as burn out, anxiety, depression, PTSD and others. Emily uses an integrated, holistic approach to therapy that draws on evidence-based practices. Subcortical therapies, such as Brainspotting and Emotion Freedom Technique, are cornerstones of Emily's adult practice. Emily integrates other therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy and Solutions Focused Therapy.

Emily creates a safe and comfortable environment for youth (ages 12-18) by using an open, empathetic approach to engage them. It is from first understanding their perspectives, strengths and challenges that Emily is able to work with young people to engage in the therapeutic process. Using a variety of evidence based interventions, Emily supports children and youth with a variety of struggles, including mood and anxiety, peer or social difficulties, school based concerns (such as behaviour difficulties) and coping with and managing difficult emotions. 

Subcortical therapies can be helpful for children and youth. Emily uses Brainspotting and Emotion Freedom Technique to help children and youth process different emotions and experiences in their life.

Emily’s non-judgemental and validating stance creates a safe space for parents to explore and share various parenting struggles, both within the context of a parenting team and as individuals. Emily offers evidence based approaches to help address a variety of parenting concerns, such as behaviour challenges, sleep issues, social, emotional, and/or mental health concerns and school based difficulties (such as within peer relationships). Emily helps parents match different parenting responses to the different temperaments and developmental needs of their children. With an ongoing focus on attachment, Emily helps parents to develop new strategies that foster effective communication, build skills within their children and help with developing child and overall family resiliency. Emily welcomes parents with children of all ages for parent consultations. 

Emily is a Certified Brainspotting Therapist and is currently completing her Brainspotting Consultant in Training program. Emily offers Consultation in Brainspotting both for certification purposes and also for support with implementing Brainspotting into your current practice, including integrating Brainspotting with current approaches that you use. 

From your elevator pitch to full holistic integration, Emily would be delighted and honoured to support you clinically with your Brainspotting journey.