Aura The Psychotherapy Centre

Meet Jamie-Lynn Sluman, the Founder of Aura The Psychotherapy Centre in North Bay

Jamie-Lynn Sluman had many reasons for building Aura The Psychotherapy Centre. Over more than ten years in North Bay’s non profit and government funded social services, she saw people suffering in silence and a system that rarely left enough time to truly help them. She also saw how much clinicians could offer when given the right environment. Aura brings those reasons together: a safe, supportive space for clinicians to do their best work, and a group practice where you can get what you truly need, when you are ready to ask for it.

Jamie-Lynn is a Registered Social Service Worker with a Bachelor of Arts in Gender Equality and Social Justice from Nipissing University and a Social Service Work diploma from Canadore College. She is a wife and a mom of two, and her family lives on the farm her husband grew up on, about twenty minutes out of town.

The name Aura comes from something Jamie-Lynn has always believed in her heart. Each of us carries an aura, an energy that surrounds us, shaped by how we feel about ourselves, how we move through the world, and everything we’ve lived through along the way. “Sometimes the things that impact us in our life negatively impact that aura and can make us feel heavy, depressed, anxious.” At Aura, the work is about gently helping you heal, so your light can shine as bright and as beautiful as it was always meant to.

How Aura Psychotherapy Started in 2022

In April 2022, Jamie-Lynn welcomed her son into the world, and becoming a mom changed everything about the way she saw it. “I need to be a role model for this little human now, and this is my dream.” When he was just six months old, she took a brave leap and opened Aura, offering virtual sessions at first. Before long, she had a single office downtown, and soon after, a team of three who were so busy helping people that they couldn’t share one room any longer.

When Jamie-Lynn first walked into a one bedroom unit on Lakeshore Drive, she saw past the tiny office up front to what it could become. By January 2025, it had been renovated into four offices, a small boardroom, a kitchen and a cozy waiting room, with free parking and a lush backyard so peaceful you can barely hear the traffic. Eight team members moved in that winter. Today there are ten, and most of them share a history with Jamie-Lynn from her non profit years. One by one, they reached out to tell her that what she had built was amazing and that they wanted to be part of it. For Jamie-Lynn, there is no greater compliment.

No Waitlist for Counselling in North Bay

When you reach out to Aura, the team does its very best to see you that same week. “We know that when people reach out, they’re ready then,” Jamie-Lynn says. Waiting can be hard, and life doesn’t stand still while you’re on a waitlist. With a caring team behind her, there is almost always someone with space to welcome you, right when you need it most.

If you have ever searched for counselling, you know how quickly it can become overwhelming. There are dozens of therapists to choose from, each with their own website and bio, and sorting through them is a lot to ask of anyone who is already hurting. Aura offers something different: one trusted place where your whole family can find support. Our team cares for youth, individuals, couples, families and seniors. Jamie-Lynn’s proudest moments come from watching families grow through Aura together. Sometimes it starts with one parent reaching out for themselves. Then it might be couples work with a partner, then support for a teenager who is struggling, and eventually care for grandparents and the decisions that come with aging. Every step happens under one roof, with people who already know your story.

What to Know Before You Choose a Therapist in North Bay

Your journey at Aura begins with a free fifteen minute consultation. Jamie-Lynn believes every person deserves the chance to find the right fit before they begin, because research consistently shows that the connection between you and your therapist is one of the most important parts of successful therapy. Those fifteen minutes are for both of you. You get a sense of whether this is someone you could share difficult things with. Your therapist gets to understand whether they have the right skills to support you. If they don’t, they will warmly connect you with someone who does, whether that’s another member of the Aura team or a trusted colleague elsewhere in town. Aura believes in collaboration, not competition, and a referral here means a personal introduction, not just a phone number.

From there, trust your instincts. You know yourself best, and how you feel in those first conversations matters. Don’t hesitate to ask about insurance. Coverage for psychotherapy in Ontario can be confusing, and the Aura team will gladly help you sort it out. You might also enjoy learning a little about the treatment approaches that fit your needs. And if something isn’t clicking along the way, you are not alone in figuring it out. At Aura, your therapist will grow alongside you, seeking new training when needed, so you can keep building on the trust you’ve already created.

Intergenerational Mediation and Critical Incident Debriefing in North Bay

Two of Aura’s services often come as a welcome surprise. The first is intergenerational mediation, a gentle, guided space for adult children who are caring for aging parents. These seasons of life can bring up old sibling dynamics, new conflict, or a loved one who isn’t ready to leave the home they love, even when it may be time. Cris Redden leads this work with compassion and more than forty years of experience as a social worker and registered nurse, helping families find their way through these decisions together.

The second is critical incident debriefing, caring support for teams after something traumatic happens at work, such as an accident, a medical emergency or a crime. In the days that follow, people often feel shaken and unsure where to turn, and having someone there early can make a real difference. That’s why Aura aims to respond within forty eight hours. The team already provides this support to local non profit organizations and hopes every North Bay business knows that, if the unthinkable happens, they don’t have to face it alone.

Aura also offers individual and couples therapy, premarital counselling, senior counselling, hypnotherapy and performance coaching. Each one is offered with the same care and honesty that guides everything at Aura. As a team regulated by professional colleges, Aura holds itself to a high standard of integrity, which means being clear about which services are backed by research and which are offered as a complement to your care, never a replacement. Jamie-Lynn believes you deserve to know exactly what you’re choosing, because trust is where healing begins.

A Warm, Caring Place, From the First Cup of Tea

If someone told a friend about Aura, Jamie-Lynn hopes they would describe it as warm, welcoming, caring and compassionate. That feeling doesn’t happen by accident. It lives in the little things. Every client receives a free journal, and as many more as they need along the way. There are soft blankets and cozy pillows to settle into, fidget toys for busy hands, and coffee, tea or hot chocolate waiting for you. When a young person is coming in, the team makes sure their favourite drink is ready.

At the heart of it all is a belief Jamie-Lynn carries from Dr. Gabor Maté, whose work has shaped her approach to healing: we can only face our pain when we feel met with compassion. “Nobody heals in criticism and judgment,” she says. So at Aura, the goal is simple. Create a space where people feel cared for, safe and truly seen, and they can begin to gently face what they have been holding.

Nature is part of the healing too. Aura’s peaceful backyard has become a gathering place for grounding work and ceremonies around the fire pit, and this past summer the team brought yoga outdoors under the open sky. Looking ahead, members of the team are lovingly creating a retreat for 2027, and Jamie-Lynn dreams of one day welcoming people to her family farm for workshops surrounded by the land she loves.

Winter and Mental Health in Northern Ontario

Winter in the North has its own kind of beauty, but it can be hard on the heart too. Seasonal affective disorder is very real. Shorter days, less time outside and a little more isolation can slowly wear down your mood and energy, and it’s often in these months that people reach for substances to ease the discomfort. Jamie-Lynn wants you to know that this is a very human response, and that support is close by. Her advice for November comes from a place of care: don’t wait until things feel heavy. Reach out now, so your support team is already beside you when you need them most.

Community: A Seat At The Table

For Jamie-Lynn, wellness has never been something we do alone. It grows in community. As a member of the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, she loves connecting with others who are building something meaningful. About six months ago, she brought that belief to life with A Seat At The Table, a luncheon for women entrepreneurs that meets every other month at Average Joe’s. There are just two rules: speak from experience only, and offer compassion to all, including yourself. And there is more to come. In 2027, Jamie-Lynn will be sharing her voice at speaking engagements across the community, and she can’t wait to tell you more.

What to Expect When You Book with Aura

Aura has worked hard to make reaching out feel as simple and welcoming as possible. Just click any Book Now button on the website, and you’ll be taken right to online booking, where you can choose a free fifteen minute consultation with whichever team member feels right for you. You can meet in person in the cozy Lakeshore Drive space or connect online, at times that work for you. Several team members speak French, so you can be supported in the language that feels most like home. The office is all on one level with wide hallways and spacious rooms, and a ramp is coming soon. For added ease, Aura direct bills the Non Insured Health Benefits program and Blue Cross for Veterans Affairs, with more options on the way.