Katie Palframan Counselling and Psychotherapy

Meet Katie Palframan, the Registered Social Worker Behind Katie Palframan Counselling in North Bay

Katie holds a Master of Social Work degree, a Bachelor of Social Work degree and an addiction and mental health college diploma. With a genuine passion for understanding people, their experiences, and the way the past can show up today, Katie brings both clinical experience and an authentic, down to earth approach to her work.

Born in North Bay, Katie’s journey has taken her far beyond her hometown. After moving to Florida at age 10 and experiencing 12 moves throughout her adolescence and early adulthood, she developed a personal appreciation for the importance of stability, connection, and belonging. Her own life experiences have shaped not only who she is as a person, but also the empathy and understanding she brings to her work as a therapist. Today, North Bay represents something especially meaningful: the opportunity to give her children a strong sense of home and community. It’s also where she’s built a practice rooted in genuine relationships, with many clients continuing to work with her over the years as they navigate different chapters of their lives.

From Group Homes and the Family Health Team to Private Practice in 2022

Katie’s path into psychotherapy began long before her formal education. Having navigated her own share of life’s challenges, she developed a deep appreciation for the power of healing, personal growth, and the impact of having the right support. Those experiences ultimately inspired her to pursue a career helping others find their own way forward.

In 2013 she began with a diploma in Mental Health and Addictions, graduating as valedictorian of her class. Her early career included several years working in residential addiction treatment, where she gained valuable experience providing individual counselling and facilitating therapeutic groups. She went on to support adults with developmental disabilities and co occurring mental health conditions, work in hospital based mental health services, and later in a Family Health Team. Along the way, she completed both her Bachelor and Master of Social Work, building on a foundation of lived experience, clinical practice, and a genuine passion for helping people heal.

In 2022, Katie took another step toward her vision, opening her private practice on a part time basis while continuing her full time career. What began as a small venture steadily grew, eventually reaching a point where balancing both roles was no longer sustainable. In 2024, she took the leap into full time private practice, turning what had once been a personal aspiration into a thriving business built around the work she loves most.

What EMDR Therapy Is, in Katie's Words

EMDR, or Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, is a form of psychotherapy that helps people process difficult or traumatic experiences that continue to affect them, sometimes years later. When we experience something traumatic or overwhelming, our brain doesn’t always fully process it (meaning parts of the brain aren’t agreeing it’s over), leaving us with emotional reactions, beliefs, or patterns that can show up in our everyday lives. EMDR uses guided eye movements or other forms of back and forth stimulation to help the brain reprocess those experiences in an adaptive way. The goal isn’t to erase what happened, but to reduce the emotional distress connected to it so the past no longer has the same impact on the present.

Katie’s passion for EMDR comes not only from her work as a therapist, but also from experiencing it firsthand as a client. Having personally experienced the meaningful changes it can bring, she developed a deeper appreciation for its potential to help people heal. She’s always been fascinated by how our past experiences shape the way we see ourselves, others, and the world around us, and EMDR offers an opportunity to address those patterns at their roots. For Katie, one of the most rewarding parts of her work is watching clients move beyond simply understanding why they struggle to actually feeling differently about themselves and their experiences.

Why EMDRIA Certification Matters When You Choose an EMDR Therapist in North Bay

Katie compares choosing an EMDR therapist to choosing a mechanic to work on your car. You wouldn’t want someone working on your brakes without knowing they had the proper training and experience, because getting it wrong could put your safety at risk. EMDR is similar in that way. While it can be incredibly effective, working with trauma requires knowing when to proceed, when to slow down, and when someone needs more support before processing difficult experiences. Moving too quickly or without proper preparation can sometimes do more harm than good. EMDRIA Certification involves additional training, experience, and consultation beyond basic EMDR training. For Katie, it’s not about having another credential; it’s about recognizing that people’s emotional safety matters just as much as their physical safety.

Who Comes to Katie: Childhood Trauma, First Responders, and High Functioning People

Trauma can wear many hats and Katie sees that every day in her practice. Many of the people she works with are professionals, first responders, and individuals who appear to have everything together on the outside, yet their internal experiences tell a very different story. Much of her work also involves childhood experiences and understanding how things that happened years, or even decades ago, can continue to shape how someone feels about themselves, their relationships, and the world around them. Katie explained that therapy isn’t always about being in crisis. Some clients come simply wanting to understand themselves better, while others begin to recognize that experiences they’ve spent years minimizing or dismissing may have affected them more deeply than they realized. Katie believes that trauma isn’t defined by how difficult someone’s life looks from the outside, and that people don’t need to reach a breaking point to deserve support, understanding, or healing.

Katie’s practice receives both self referrals and referrals from physicians, nurse practitioners, and community organizations. Katie is also registered with several specialized programs, including referrals supporting the OPP, Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC), Canadian Armed Forces through Medavie Blue Cross, Victim Services, Non Insured Health Benefits, and the Internet Child Exploitation program. Katie also participates in Psychotherapy Matters, which supports collaboration between psychotherapy and psychiatric care.

While EMDR is a significant part of Katie’s practice, her approach to therapy draws from several therapeutic approaches depending on each client’s unique needs. Having completed additional training in trauma informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), parts and ego state work, and somatic approaches, she recognizes that effective trauma therapy requires more than one set of tools. Trauma work is rarely one size fits all, and different approaches can be helpful at different stages of healing. For Katie, it’s not about fitting clients into a particular therapy model, but tailoring the approach to the person sitting across from her, recognizing their individuality, readiness, and pace. She believes that having a diverse clinical skill set allows her to approach complex experiences with greater flexibility, curiosity, and care.

Couples Counselling in North Bay: Skills or Therapy

While trauma therapy is now the primary focus of Katie’s practice, she continues to work with a limited number of couples, drawing on her training in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). She believes relationship struggles often go deeper than communication difficulties. Arguments about everyday issues can reflect underlying feelings of disconnection, rejection, or not feeling valued. Rather than focusing solely on what couples are fighting about, Katie helps them understand the emotional needs and patterns driving conflicts, with the goal of building greater understanding, emotional safety, and connection.

What to Know Before You Book Trauma Therapy in North Bay

Trauma therapy requires more than simply talking about difficult experiences or teaching coping skills. Katie emphasizes the importance of pacing, preparation, and recognizing when a client is becoming overwhelmed or dissociative. Sometimes the most important clinical decision is knowing when to slow down rather than push forward. This is especially important in complex trauma work, where safety, stabilization, and understanding the nervous system are essential parts of the process.

Katie hopes clients experience her as genuine, down to earth, and easy to talk to. She believes therapy can be meaningful without feeling overly formal or clinical, and humour often has a place in the room when it feels appropriate. Clients do not need to censor themselves, have the “right” words, or show up with everything figured out. She values authenticity and wants people to feel comfortable showing up as they are.

Fees, Coverage, and the Free Consultation

New clients are welcome to start with a free consultation to get a sense of whether Katie feels like the right fit. Individual sessions are $200 for 60 minutes or $235 for 90 minutes, while couples sessions are $235 for 60 minutes or $295 for 90 minutes. As a Registered Social Worker, Katie’s services are covered by many extended health benefit plans, though clients are encouraged to confirm their individual coverage. Some insurers allow direct billing, while others reimburse clients after payment. Payment can be made by e Transfer, cash, Mastercard, or Visa.

What to Expect When You Reach Out to Katie

Getting started is simple. Clients can reach out by phone, email, or through Katie’s website, and she offers a free consultation for those who want to connect before booking. For confidentiality, text messaging is kept to scheduling matters such as cancellations or rescheduling. Her downtown office offers street parking and a wheelchair accessible entrance, with appointments typically available during weekday hours.

Katie has intentionally created a practice that feels warm, comfortable, and reflective of who she is rather than overly clinical. She believes strong therapeutic boundaries and being genuinely human can coexist, and brings humour, authenticity, and appropriate self disclosure into the room when it serves the client. Outside of work, she values her own personal growth, stays active, and prioritizes family life. Professionally, she continues to invest heavily in advanced training, with a growing focus on complex trauma and dissociation. Her long term goals include developing greater expertise in working with dissociative disorders, including DID, and eventually consulting with other EMDR therapists so more specialized trauma knowledge and support are available locally.