We unpack and understand trauma, so people can make choices that feel more aligned with their values and who they want to be. We work to reintegrate one’s past into their current lives so they can make sense of what happened and who they are today. We recognize the impact of fear, shame, and guilt, and help people to understand these influencers on their perspectives when making decisions.
Services
Individual Therapy
Individual Therapy for Adults (18+)
I provide individual psychotherapy for adults who are interested in exploring the deeper layers of their personal history in order to better understand who they are today. Our work together often involves unpacking the impact of early experiences, relationships, systemic and structural forces, and grief, all of which shape the way we relate to ourselves and others.
Through this process, I also examine current behaviours or coping strategies—such as substance use, self-harm, suicidal ideation or behaviours, and patterns in relationships—that may be interfering with your ability to live a life aligned with your values, needs, and goals. Therapy is not about judgment, but about cultivating insight, safety, and change at a pace that feels manageable.
I am committed to creating a space that is inclusive, affirming, and anti-oppressive. I welcome individuals from diverse social locations and lived experiences, and we are particularly mindful of the needs of the queer and trans community. My work is guided by Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression (ARAO) and Anti-Oppressive Practice (AOP) frameworks, ensuring that your therapy honours both your individual story and the broader context in which it unfolds.
Couples Counselling
Relationships are one of the most meaningful—and sometimes most challenging—parts of our lives. Whether you’re navigating ongoing conflict, communication breakdowns, life transitions, or feeling disconnected, couples counselling provides a supportive space to explore these challenges together.
My work focuses on helping both partners feel heard, understood, and empowered to create meaningful change. We support couples of all identities and relationship structures, and we bring a nonjudgmental, compassionate lens to our work.
Whether you’re looking to repair, reconnect, or simply deepen your relationship, couples counselling can offer clarity, tools, and insight to support your journey forward.
Supervision
I have been offering clinical supervision within the community for several years, supporting therapists as they deepen their clinical insight and navigate the complexities of therapeutic work. Much of this process involves exploring what may be getting in the way of effectiveness in session—whether that’s transference and countertransference, emotional fatigue, or unresolved personal material that surfaces through the therapeutic relationship.
Clinical supervision is not just about enhancing technique; it’s about fostering the kind of self-awareness that allows us to show up more fully, ethically, and compassionately in our work. Supporting others in this way requires us to continually hold a mirror to ourselves. Supervision provides a space where clinicians can safely reflect, process, and grow—both professionally and personally—so they can sustain their practice, strengthen their skills, and preserve their own well-being.
About
Lou Gallo, MSW, RSW
(pronouns: they/them. she/her)
I am a trans-identified clinical social worker with over 20 years of experience in the mental health field. My practice is rooted in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed care, and I bring a deep commitment to supporting people in navigating complex emotional landscapes with compassion, clarity, and agency.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked across diverse settings—including schools, community-based programs, and clinical mental health environments—serving individuals and families with a wide range of needs. I have a particular specialization in working with young adults, adults, and couples who have experienced trauma, including those navigating suicidality or recovery from suicidal ideation and behaviours.
My approach is grounded in mindfulness-based practices, Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT), and systemic theories. I integrate these frameworks within an Anti-Racism and Anti-Oppression (ARAO) lens to ensure care that is affirming, contextual, and responsive to the unique identities and lived experiences of those I work with.
I also bring experience supporting individuals with Learning Disabilities and/or ADD/ADHD, offering a strengths-based approach that acknowledges the impact of systemic barriers while helping clients build sustainable tools and strategies.
Most recently, I completed certification in Family Mediation and am in the process of finalizing my membership with the Ontario Association for Family Mediation (OAFM). This additional training has deepened my capacity to support individuals, couples, and families navigating relational challenges, separation, and co-parenting with clarity and care.
At the heart of my work is the belief that healing and change are possible—and that with the right support, people can reconnect to their values, deepen their self-understanding, and make choices that move their lives in meaningful directions.
In Memory
Gini Bechard (1977-2023)
co-founder of Toronto Trauma Therapy, tragically passed away July 28, 2023.
(pronouns: she/her)
She leaves behind a loving family, including her children. Gini was a compassionate, present, and skillful therapist, mother, partner, friend, and leader. She always had a kind word, potential solution, or simply a warm presence, depending on what one needed. Gini wasn’t just a dreamer, she followed through on her visions, from a successful eco-friendly baby store to a trauma therapy collective.
After years of working in both private and not for profit organizations, Gini saw trauma’s roots in many of the challenges people experience in life and the inadequate systemic response to this reality. In 2020, she founded Toronto Trauma Therapy, a collective dedicated to trauma responsive care. Over the years, Gini supported countless clients as a therapist and clinicians as a supervisor. She had a unique talent for seeing people’s gifts and encouraging them to make use of them, and inspiring other therapists to specialize in trauma.
Toronto Trauma Therapy is a space where so many can find something beyond healing and care and it was a dream that Gini brought into reality. Through Toronto Trauma Therapy, Gini was able to use her talent to create a space where true change can happen through learning, growth and support. In 2023, Gini passed from complications from an autoimmune condition. The space Gini held for so many will be forever cherished and we are grateful that her vision and legacy will continue to live on through Toronto Trauma Therapy. You will be missed Gini!