Ashley Guite Psychotherapy

14/07/2026

Why do my emotions feel so intense?

Have you ever wondered why you can stay calm one moment and feel completely overwhelmed the next?

Many people blame themselves for "overreacting," when in reality their nervous system may be doing exactly what it was designed to do—protect them.

In my newest blog, I explore:

What emotional dysregulation is

Why our brains and nervous systems react the way they do

The fight, flight, freeze and fawn responses

How childhood experiences can shape emotional regulation

Practical strategies that can help you feel more grounded

Whether you're living with anxiety, ADHD, trauma, or simply finding emotions difficult to manage, I hope this article offers understanding, compassion, and hope.






Read the full article here:
https://www.ashleyguitepsychotherapy.com/blog/why-are-my-emotions-so-intense-understanding-emotional-dysregulation-and-how-to-regulate-your-nervous-system

07/07/2026

Celebrating Alexia and an exciting new chapter! 🎉

Today we're celebrating Alexia Smith, Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) as she transitions from her role as a student therapist and continues her journey with AGP.

This milestone reflects Alexia's hard work, dedication, and commitment to providing thoughtful, compassionate care. She creates a warm, collaborative space where clients feel safe, heard, and supported as they navigate life's challenges.

Alexia enjoys working with older teens, adults, and caregivers experiencing anxiety, depression, life transitions, relationship challenges, emotional regulation, identity exploration, perfectionism, and sleep concerns. Her approach is grounded in trauma-informed, relational, and somatic practices, thoughtfully integrating CBT, DBT, attachment theory, mindfulness, and parts work to meet each client's unique needs.

As Alexia begins this next chapter in her career, we're excited to see the positive impact she will continue to have within our practice and in the lives of the clients she supports. Congratulations, Alexia, on this well-deserved achievement!

Alexia is currently accepting new clients, with individual therapy sessions available for $150 per session.

Email: [email protected]

Phone: (343) 649-2680

18/02/2026

“The road to freedom is a beautiful system.” — Phil Jackson

In IFS, freedom doesn’t come from controlling ourselves better.
It doesn’t come from silencing anxious parts, disciplining procrastinating parts, or overpowering protective parts.
Freedom comes from a system working beautifully.
IFS understands the mind as an internal family — parts with roles:

• Protectors
• Firefighters
• Exiles
• And the overarching, Self

When the system is chaotic, polarized, or burdened, we feel stuck.
When protectors are extreme, we feel rigid or reactive.
When exiles are overwhelmed, we feel flooded.

But when the system is integrated — when parts trust Self leadership — something shifts.
Not because parts disappear.
Not because we “fix” ourselves.
But because every part has a place, a role, and a relationship.
That’s the beautiful system.
No one part carries the whole.

The goal isn’t domination — it’s coordination.
Flow emerges when roles are clear and leadership is steady.
In IFS, freedom isn’t the absence of parts.
It is a system where every part is seen, respected, and no longer polarized.

If you are curious about parts work through IFS please reach out for an appointment or a consultation.

1 (289) 210-7322

Online booking:
https://aws-portal.owlpractice.ca/agpsychotherapy/booking?therapist_id=1&location_id=1&rate_id=&day=2023-11-08&time=&video_session=0

[email protected]

13/02/2026

American Psychological Association

Mindfulness meditation: A research-proven way to reduce stress
Psychologists have found that mindfulness meditation changes our brain and biology in positive ways, improving mental and physical health.

Chronic stress can impair the body’s immune system and make many other health problems worse. By lowering the stress response, mindfulness may have downstream effects throughout the body.

Psychological scientists have found that mindfulness influences two different stress pathways in the brain, changing brain structures and activity in regions associated with attention and emotion regulation.

Psychologists have found that mindfulness meditation changes our brain and biology in positive ways, improving mental and physical health.

09/02/2026

AGP offers virtual psychotherapy across Ontario for teens and adults. Our work is grounded in a compassionate, trauma-informed psychodynamic approach that integrates attachment-focused therapy, somatic psychotherapy, CBT, DBT, IFS, and mindfulness.

Therapy offers a space to understand how past experiences continue to shape emotional responses, relationships, and patterns in the present. Through careful attention to internal experience and the therapeutic relationship, we support greater emotional awareness, flexibility, and the capacity to respond differently over time.

If you are considering therapy, please reach out to learn more or book a consultation today at

09/12/2025

Often we are so accustomed to a 'Fawn' response that we confuse being 'Good' with being endlessly tolerant of All behaviours. This allowing of crossing boundaries does not make a person kind, it is draining and discouraging. A persons goodness comes from shifting out of this response and truly allow your goodness to come from an honest, boundaried and sincere place within.

25/11/2025

Hi everyone, I am letting you know about the therapeutic skills group: Foundations for Emotional Resilience, facilitated by Alexia and myself.

Over three weeks, Alexia and I will teach:
- Core mindfulness skills.
- Tools for recognizing emotions sooner and staying grounded.
- Healthy ways for managing stress.
- and how to sustain these skills over time.

To register, contact Alexia at [email protected]

We look forward to seeing you there.

18/11/2025

How much does your overthinking cost you on a daily basis?

In therapy, we often explore the hidden emotional toll of overthinking: the tension it creates in the body, the way it hijacks our presence, and how it slowly chips away at our sense of ease.

If you find yourself feeling stuck in your thoughts, you’re not alone—and you don’t have to navigate it alone.

At AGP, we help clients build awareness, reduce cognitive overwhelm, and reconnect with the parts of life that bring genuine joy.

Alexia Smith is currently accepting new clients, book with her today.


Online Booking: https://aws-portal.owlpractice.ca/agpsychotherapy/booking?therapist_id=1&location_id=1&rate_id=&day=2023-11-08&time=&video_session=0
Website: https://www.ashleyguitepsychotherapy.com/

15/11/2025

Now Accepting New Clients — Compassionate, Grounded, Trauma-Informed Support.

Whether you’re feeling overwhelmed, longing for clarity, or simply needing a grounded space to process what you’re carrying, therapy can offer meaningful support.

Free 15-minute consultations
Sliding-scale pricing available to help reduce financial barriers

If you or someone you know is considering therapy, connect with Alexia Smith today.

You can learn more or book a consultation through AGP.

Booking: https://aws-portal.owlpractice.ca/agpsychotherapy/booking?therapist_id=1&location_id=1&rate_id=&day=2023-11-08&time=&video_session=0

Website: https://www.ashleyguitepsychotherapy.com/

Psychology Today: https://www.psychologytoday.com/profile/1595579

11/11/2025

Do you self-identify as an "over-thinker"? Is it possible there is something else going on underneath that label?

When we’re stuck in rumination, it’s often not about the thoughts — it’s about the feelings we’re avoiding.

We can’t think our way out of deep emotions.
Growth begins when we face what we feel.
Face the feeling to change the feeling.