Our Story: It Started in Crisis, Not in a Clinic
Private Matters didn’t begin with a business plan. It began with real people, in real crisis.
In 2010, Marleen Filimon was deployed to Haiti with the United Nations Mission MINUSTAH, offering trauma therapy to UN personnel and first responders in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake. Alongside a team of therapists, she ran group sessions, trauma recovery workshops, and helped build a peer support network. This experience shaped her belief that therapy must be relational, human, and responsive to people’s real lives, not just their diagnoses.
Back in Canada, Marleen continued that work as a peer counsellor at The Women’s Centre in Oakville, later serving as president of the board. She supported women navigating abuse, divorce, and identity loss, deepening her commitment to accessible care. She also worked with Badge of Life Canada, providing trauma-focused support to police, military, and other first responders living with PTSD.
These experiences laid the groundwork for a clinic built on presence, respect, and the belief that people deserve more than surface-level support.
Our Standards: Built on Integrity, Grounded in Growth
PMPTherapy opened in 2013 as a trauma-focused solo practice and has since grown into a Burlington-based teaching clinic serving clients across Ontario. We now work with adults, teens (12+), couples, and families, both in-person and virtually.
As a teaching clinic, we also offer reduced-fee sessions with advanced student therapists who are in the final stage of their Master’s-level training. These therapists are supervised closely by senior clinicians, meaning clients receive collaborative, high-quality care regardless of price point.
We take your trust seriously. That’s why we engage in ongoing supervision, continuing education, and value-based reflection across our team. Our goal is to offer therapy that’s present, ethical, and aligned with what actually works.
Did you know? We help match you with a therapist, not just based on availability, but based on your needs, preferences, and goals.
Our Approach: What Therapy Looks Like Here
Therapy at PMP Therapy is collaborative, non-judgmental, and paced around your needs. We won’t rush you into telling your story before you’re ready, and we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all care. Whether you’re working with a senior therapist or a student therapist, you’ll receive support that’s thoughtful, grounded, and tailored to who you are.
We use a range of evidence-based, insight-oriented approaches to support real change-emotionally, cognitively, and physiologically. Here’s a look at a few of the modalities we draw from:
- EMDR – Helps the brain process traumatic memories and reduce emotional overwhelm
- IFS (Internal Family Systems) – Explores and supports the different inner parts that protect, perform, or avoid
- ACT (Acceptance & Commitment Therapy) – Helps you build a meaningful life by working with difficult emotions, not against them
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) – Identifies and shifts unhelpful thought patterns
- CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy) – A trauma-focused version of CBT that helps rework beliefs about yourself after trauma
- MBT (Mindfulness-Based Therapy) – Combines mindfulness with evidence-based therapy to reduce anxiety, depression, and rumination
You don’t need to know what these mean to get started. We’ll guide you through it-all you need is a starting point.
Did you know? EMDR, IFS, and ACT aren’t just buzzwords, they’re scientifically backed ways to support healing in the brain and nervous system.
What to Expect
We begin with a free 20-minute phone consultation so we can better understand what you’re looking for and match you with a therapist who’s the right fit. This is a low-pressure, confidential conversation, just a chance to get a feel for what support might look like here.
Once you’re matched, we’ll walk you through the next steps and what to expect in your first session. Every client is different, and we pace therapy accordingly, with warmth, curiosity, and zero pressure to share more than you’re ready for.
What’s Trauma-Informed Care, Really?
You’ve probably seen the term-but here’s what it means to us:
- We move at your pace, not ours
- We help you stay grounded and regulated during sessions
- We’re mindful of how identity, history, and power show up in therapy
- We don’t pry or pathologize-we collaborate and check in often
Trauma-informed care isn’t a method. It’s a mindset of care that centers safety. Not just in theory, but in practice.
Welcome to Private Matters Psychotherapy
