STAIR Stabilization Group
A skills-based group for trauma survivors ready to build the foundation — before going deeper.
In-person in Burlington | 8 Sessions, 90 minutes each | Closed Group | Maximum 8 Participants
You've made it this far. But something still feels unsteady.
You know your history. You understand, at least intellectually, why you feel the way you do. You might have done significant therapeutic work already. But there are still moments — sometimes whole stretches — where emotions arrive fast and hard, leaving you flooded or shut down. Where relationships feel like a minefield of patterns you can’t seem to break free from. Where something in you knows you’re not yet living from the healed version of yourself.
If you’re in perimenopause, you may be experiencing this with particular intensity. Old grief, old fear, old relational pain surfacing in ways that feel disproportionate, uncontrollable, confusing. That’s not you falling apart. That’s biology and history arriving at the same door at the same time.
You don't need to re-live your trauma to start healing it. But you do need the tools.
What is the STAIR Group?
STAIR stands for Skills Training in Affective and Interpersonal Regulation. It’s an 8-session, evidence-based group program developed specifically for people who have experienced complex or developmental trauma — the kind that happens in relationships, over time, early in life.
It was created by leading trauma researchers and has been tested in multiple clinical trials, consistently showing large improvements in trauma symptoms, emotional regulation, and relationship difficulties. In a recent clinical trial, over 80% of participants no longer met criteria for PTSD or Complex PTSD after completing the program.
This is not a trauma-processing group.
You will not be asked to share your story or re-live what happened. STAIR is a skills group — a place to build the emotional and relational foundation that makes deeper trauma work possible, safer, and more lasting when you’re ready for it.
What you'll learn
The group runs across two phases. Each session is practical, experiential, and immediately applicable to your daily life.
Part One: Emotional Regulation | Sessions 1–4
- Understanding and naming what you’re actually feeling — more precisely than just “fine” or “overwhelmed”
- How your nervous system responds to stress and trauma, and how to work with it rather than against it
- Grounding, distress tolerance, and self-soothing strategies that actually work for a trauma nervous system
- Self-compassion as a skill, not just a concept — because shame is often the hardest part
- How to invite more ease, stability, and even pleasure back into your daily life
Part Two: Interpersonal Regulation | Sessions 5–8
- Understanding the relational patterns that formed during your trauma history — and why they made perfect sense then
- Recognizing when old patterns are running the show in present-day relationships
- Building flexibility, warmth, and genuine presence in relationships
- Communicating your needs clearly and asking for what you want without guilt
- Setting limits — not as rejection, but as an act of care for yourself and others
In the final session, you’ll consolidate everything you’ve built and map out what comes next — whether that’s individual EMDR therapy, an EMDR Intensive, or continued individual work with a member of our team.
A note for women in perimenopause
Research now confirms what many women sense but don’t always hear acknowledged: perimenopause is not just a reproductive event. Fluctuating estrogen directly affects the amygdala, prefrontal cortex, and the HPA axis — the same brain systems that were shaped by early trauma. For trauma survivors, this biological shift can make old wounds feel newly raw, can narrow your capacity to tolerate stress, and can intensify emotional reactivity in ways that feel bewildering and out of proportion.
This is not you regressing. It is biology and history colliding — at a moment when your body is also asking you to pay attention.
The STAIR group is designed with you specifically in mind. You’ll have space to understand the neurobiological underpinning of your experience — and to build the skills to navigate both the trauma and the transition.
What to Expect?
Each session follows a gentle, predictable rhythm: a brief grounding practice to settle in, skill-building and discussion, experiential practice in pairs or as a full group, and a grounded close. There is no pressure to share more than you’re ready to. You will leave each session with one small, practical thing to try before the next.
Format: Closed group — the same 6–8 people attend all 8 sessions. No new members join after Session 2.
Location: In-person in Burlington, Ontario. Full address provided upon registration.
Schedule: Sessions run weekly or bi-weekly. Specific dates confirmed at registration.
Facilitators: Led by supervised CJP clinicians under the direct supervision of Christina Janiga, RP, EMDR Certified.
Language: Plain, accessible language throughout. You don’t need to know therapy terms to benefit fully.
What this is not: A trauma-processing group. You will not be asked to re-live or narrate your trauma.
Is the STAIR Group right for you?
This group may be a strong fit if:
- You have a history of complex or developmental trauma — childhood abuse, neglect, relational trauma, or early loss
- You struggle with overwhelming emotions, emotional numbness, or difficulty staying regulated under stress
- You notice painful relational patterns repeating, even when you understand intellectually where they come from
- You find it hard to ask for what you need, say no, or set limits without guilt or fear
- You are in perimenopause and noticing that old emotional material is surfacing with new intensity
- You have done some individual therapy and feel ready to try a group experience
- You are preparing to do deeper trauma processing — EMDR, Brainspotting, or narrative work — and want to build a stronger foundation first
As with all groups at Christina Janiga Psychotherapy, a brief individual intake call with one of our clinicians is required before joining. This is not a barrier — it’s how we ensure the group is the right fit for you at this stage of your healing.
Who Facilitates the Group?
The STAIR Stabilization Group is facilitated by supervised clinicians at Christina Janiga Psychotherapy — therapists in advanced clinical training, trained in trauma-informed care, under the direct supervision of Christina Janiga, Registered Psychotherapist, EMDR Certified, and EMDR Consultant (EMDR Canada & EMDRIA).
Working with supervised clinicians means receiving high-quality, closely monitored care at an accessible fee. All group sessions are reviewed in regular clinical supervision with Christina. This is not a compromise in the quality of care — it is a thoughtful model that makes evidence-based group therapy available to more people, while giving our trainees the real-world clinical experience that shapes exceptional therapists.
YOUR NEXT STEPS
- Join the waitlist below.
- A member of our team will reach out within 2 business days to schedule a brief, no-pressure intake call.
- If the group is a strong fit for where you are right now, we’ll confirm your spot and send everything you need.
Invest in your healing.
Building emotional and relational skills is not an alternative to deep trauma work — it is the foundation of it. The time and investment you put into the STAIR group directly increases your capacity to benefit from whatever deeper work comes next: EMDR therapy, an intensive, Brainspotting, or continued individual therapy. Many of our clients describe it as the turning point that made lasting healing finally feel within reach.
Step 1: Intake Call
A brief 20–30 minute individual call with one of our clinicians. We’ll get to know you, answer your questions, and confirm that the group is the right fit for this moment in your healing. No pressure, no commitment.
Step 2: Join the Group
Eight sessions, 90 minutes each, in person in Burlington. Same group of people, every week or bi-week. A predictable, safe container for building skills that will last.
Group fee information available on our Pricing page or by contacting us directly. Limited reduced-fee spots are available for clients working with supervised interns.
Frequently Asked Questions
A brief individual intake call with a CJP clinician is required before joining the group. If you are currently in individual therapy elsewhere, that works too — we’re glad to connect with your therapist with your consent.
You are always in control of how much you share. The group is designed so that you benefit fully even with a lighter footprint. Many people find they share more naturally as trust builds — and that’s completely okay. You will never be asked to share your trauma story.
We ask that you let the facilitator know in advance when possible. One absence is workable. Because this is a closed, relational group, consistent attendance matters for the whole group’s sense of safety and connection — so we ask for genuine commitment to all 8 sessions when you register.
Completing STAIR prepares you well for deeper individual trauma processing work — EMDR Intensives, Brainspotting, individual EMDR therapy, or other modalities offered at CJP. Your facilitator will discuss next steps with you in the final session, and warm referrals within our team are available.
Many extended health benefit plans cover registered psychotherapy services. Sessions are facilitated by supervised Registered Psychotherapists. We recommend checking your specific plan. A receipt will be provided for each session attended.
Please visit our Pricing page or contact us directly for current group fee information. Limited reduced-fee spots are available.
This group runs in-person in Burlington, Ontario. Virtual delivery may be considered in future cohorts — join the waitlist to be notified.