Welcome to Whole Life Psychotherapy
TRAUMA RESPONSIVE - INTEGRATIVE - HOLISTIC
Durham & Walkerton -
VIRTUAL ACROSS ONTARIO
Surya Leigh Mellor,
Registered Psychotherapist
Living a Whole Life
Hello, I’m Surya Leigh, a Registered Psychotherapist.
At Whole Life Psychotherapy, I provide an integrative approach that supports the whole person — mind, body, and felt experience. Together, we focus on connection, processing and integration creating the possibility of living a whole life.
My holistic approach integrates evidence-based therapies such as EMDR and somatic practices with creative modalities including art and sound therapy.
At the foundation of my work is a commitment to connection, presence and wholeness. I strive to create a safe, inclusive, collaborative, and welcoming space where diversity is respected. Within a safe one can process difficult experiences, restore balance, and cultivate resilience and well-being.
Whether you are new to therapy or have worked therapeutically in the past - you are in the right place.
In my practice, people come with different concerns and struggles - some carried quietly for years, others stirred up by recent events. Each story is unique, yet many share common threads. These are some of the areas I most often support clients with…
Does this sound familiar?
You’ve done a lot of work on yourself already. Maybe you’ve tried therapy before, maybe you’ve read and reflected deeply. Yet something still feels unsettled — like you’ve come as far as talking or thinking can take you, but not far enough to truly feel at ease inside yourself.
On the outside, life looks busy and successful. You carry responsibility, keep moving, keep showing up — but inside, stress and pressure leave you feeling restless, anxious, or worn down.
You may notice old family patterns repeating themselves, and a longing to create something different — for yourself, your relationships, and for the generations to come.
Perhaps you’ve learned to take care of everyone else first, putting your own needs aside. At times, this creates frustration, disconnection, or the sense that you’ve lost touch with your own goals.
You already have insight into why things are the way they are — but awareness hasn’t been enough to shift the weight of what you carry. You may sense that change will not come through thinking harder, but through a new way of experiencing and being
I can help with
01
Trauma
Trauma can leave lasting effects, even long after the event has passed. It may show up as flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, numbness, or a constant sense of being on edge. Sometimes trauma is the result of a single event, and other times it comes from ongoing experiences that overwhelm the nervous system. In therapy, we work gently and at your pace, using approaches that are trauma-responsive and grounded in safety. This isn’t about retelling every detail of what happened, but about supporting your body and mind to process what was overwhelming so you can move forward with greater stability and wholeness.
02
Chronic Stress
Living under ongoing stress can leave the body tense, the mind restless, and the nervous system stuck in survival mode. Over time, this can affect sleep, concentration, mood, and even physical health. In therapy, we explore how stress is showing up in your life and work with practices that support regulation, grounding, and balance. This isn’t about eliminating stress completely — which isn’t possible in daily life — but about shifting how your body and mind respond, so you feel more steady and able to meet challenges without burning out.
03
Anxiety
Anxiety can show up as constant worry, a sense of dread, racing thoughts, tension in the body, or a sense of being on edge. Sometimes it is connected to past experiences or future concerns, and other times it seems to arise without a clear cause. In therapy, we explore how anxiety affects both mind and body, and we work with practices that calm the nervous system and bring a greater sense of steadiness. This isn’t about “getting rid of anxiety,” but about building resilience, reducing its intensity, and finding ways to move through life with more ease and confidence.
04
Depression / Low Mood
Depression can feel like heaviness, emptiness, or a sense of disconnection from yourself and others. It may dull joy and make even small tasks feel overwhelming. People often describe feeling stuck, weighed down, or hopeless, alongside changes in sleep, appetite, or concentration. In our work together, we will bring compassion to this struggle and create space to name and explore your experience, while also working with practices that support reconnection, and meaning. This isn’t about “snapping out of it,” but about gently rekindling energy, resilience, and a renewed sense of possibility and hope.
05
Relationships
Relationships are central to our wellbeing, yet they can also be a source of stress, conflict, or confusion. You may find yourself repeating painful patterns, struggling with boundaries, or feeling disconnected from the people who matter most. For individuals, a relationship focus in therapy means looking at how past and present patterns of connection shape your life today. In therapy, we notice unhelpful relational patterns with compassion and explore how attachment, nervous system responses, and lived experience shape the way you engage with others. This work isn’t about fixing other people, but about fostering more authentic relationships - both with yourself and with others.
06
Grief / Loss
Grief is a natural response to loss, and it touches every part of life. It may come with the death of a loved one, but it can also arise through illness, relationship endings, moves, or life transitions that shift our sense of identity and belonging. Grief often shows itself in waves — sometimes overwhelming, sometimes quiet and lingering. In therapy, we create space to sit with grief safely, to honour what has been lost, and to discover ways of carrying it that allow for meaning, healing, and renewed connection with life. Together, we can explore meaning, create rituals of remembrance, and support you in finding a way forward that honours both your loss and your life.
07
Emotional Regulation
Emotions are a natural part of being human, yet they can sometimes feel overwhelming, unpredictable, or hard to manage. Trauma, stress, or difficult life experiences can leave the nervous system in survival mode, making it difficult to calm down, think clearly, or feel steady in relationships. Together, we work on building awareness of your emotional patterns and how they connect with your body and nervous system. In therapy, emotional regulation means more than just “controlling feelings” — it’s about creating space to understand them, respond to them with compassion, and find ways of soothing yourself when intensity arises.
I am here to support
If you recognize yourself in any of these struggles, know that you don’t have to carry them alone. Therapy offers a space to slow down, explore, and begin moving toward a life that feels more grounded, connected, and whole.
Everyone has challenging experiences throughout their life. You may have navigated through difficult times successfully throughout your life and might be wondering if therapy is really necessary.
Within the landscape of conscious personal growth, working with a therapist offers both the safety of a held space and the guidance needed for the healing journey. Research shows that counselling and psychotherapy, grounded in evidence-based practice, can bring profound benefit. Within the therapeutic relationship, many find support for easing suffering, cultivating resilience, and moving toward a fuller, more balanced way of living
My belief is that therapy is a process. It allows for exploration, discovery and is part of conscious growth that can affect all aspects of one's life.