About Pathfinders
Complex Trauma, Emotional Healing, and DBT-Informed Therapy in Waterloo Region
Healing is a deeply personal journey; one that deserves presence, safety, and a real human relationship. That’s the heart of Pathfinders.
And About Me, Sherry Slejska.
Trauma-Focused Psychotherapist | Developmental and Relational Approach
Pathfinders is me, a trauma-focused psychotherapist committed to deep, relational, transformative work.
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People sometimes see the name “Pathfinders Wellness” and imagine a large team or a corporate practice. Perhaps one day this space will grow into a community of clinicians who share the same values of integrity, presence, and depth.
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But it begins here, with one therapist who sits with you, not above you.
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I chose a solo practice intentionally. Trauma healing asks for steadiness, attunement, and real relationship. Your story and your nervous system deserve continuity. Your healing deserves to be held by someone who knows you and shows up consistently.
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Here, you are not passed from person to person.
You meet with one clinician, fully, thoughtfully, and with care.
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This work is intimate, grounded, and steady.
And I walk alongside you for the journey.
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My Therapeutic Approach
My work is trauma-focused, developmental, and relational. I support adults who struggle with emotional overwhelm, chronic shame, anxiety, depression, relational difficulties, identity confusion, or the long-term impact of early experiences that shaped their sense of self.
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Many clients come to therapy unsure of what they need. They only know that life feels heavy, that their emotions shift quickly or shut down entirely, or that relationships feel painful or confusing. Together, we explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion, not judgment.
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My approach integrates:
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developmental and relational psychodynamic therapy
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DBT-informed emotional and behavioural skills
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nervous-system and somatic regulation
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attachment and parts-informed work
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meaning, identity, and self-organization
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This is an approach rooted in pacing, presence, and respect for the body’s natural protective systems. We strengthen emotional capacity, deepen internal safety, and support the forming of a coherent, grounded sense of self.
​You do not need a diagnosis to begin this work. You only need a sense that you want something to feel different.
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I work from a trauma-focused, developmental, and relational approach that integrates psychodynamic therapy, DBT-informed skills, nervous-system regulation, and attachment-based healing.
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A Balanced Approach
INTEGRATED
You are more complex than a single approach to care
I draw from a range of evidence-based and emotionally rooted approaches, including:​​
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trauma-focused psychotherapy
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relational and psychodynamic therapies
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attachment-based healing
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DBT-informed emotional and behavioural skills
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nervous-system and somatic-informed practices
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parts work and identity integration
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compassion-focused, values-oriented change
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harm reduction grounded in dignity, autonomy, and choice
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These approaches work together to support healing across mind, body, emotion, and relationship. Integration allows your therapy to be responsive, flexible, and tailored to your nervous system and developmental needs.
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EMBODIED
​Trauma lives in the body before it becomes story.
Healing begins with restoring safety, steadiness, and a felt sense of presence in the nervous system so your body no longer has to work alone to protect you
Therapy includes grounding, interoception, and somatic awareness practices that help you notice your internal cues with more clarity, understand and trust your emotional signals, and gradually reconnect with a steadier, more regulated, and fully embodied sense of self.
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You learn not just to understand yourself, but to inhabit yourself with steadiness and compassion.
RELATIONAL
Healing happens in relationship. I do not treat you from a distance. I meet you with steadiness, attunement, and genuine compassion.
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Together, we create a space where:
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shame softens
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defenses are understood, not judged
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emotions have room to breathe
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trust grows gradually and safely
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you are not alone in your experience
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This relational foundation supports deep repair and helps you rebuild the capacity for connection, boundaries, and secure attachment, both within yourself and with others.