Nervous system-informed psychotherapy for youth and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Serving Kingston, Ontario in-person and virtually across Ontario.
Nervous system-informed psychotherapy for youth and adults navigating trauma, anxiety, depression, and substance use. Serving Kingston, Ontario in-person and virtually across Ontario.
About
Matthew (Matt) Kennedy brings over 15 years of experience in the mental health and addictions field. His practice is grounded in a neuroscience-based, nervous system-informed framework, recognizing the role of physiological state in emotional and psychological functioning. Drawing on principles of neuropsychotherapy, he integrates bottom-up and top-down approaches to support durable change.
Matthew is trained in Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART), a structured and effective approach for treating trauma, depression, anxiety, and other mental health concerns. ART uses guided eye movements to support the processing of distressing experiences, often without requiring clients to verbally relive or extensively describe them.
As one of the first clinicians in Canada trained in Tholáge® Neuropsychotherapy, Matthew works with suppressed or avoided emotional experiences, using guided techniques to help bring these experiences into awareness so they can be processed differently. Tholáge® is particularly effective for clients who feel stuck, disconnected, or unable to access underlying emotional responses through cognitive approaches alone.
Matthew is also a certified tholage® Trauma-Sensitive Practitioner, offering tholage® coherence training and HRV biofeedback to help clients improve emotional regulation and build resilience through heart rate variability and physiological coherence practices.
Matthew incorporates vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) as part of a nervous system-informed approach. VNS may support shifts in physiological state and can be used to help clients move out of states such as shutdown or heightened stress. Matthew is among the first psychotherapists in Ontario bringing Dolphin Neurostim vagus nerve stimulation using microcurrent into clinical practice, offering this as part of in-person sessions to support nervous system regulation.
Known for his warmth, sense of humour, and signature dad jokes, Matthew brings levity into the therapeutic space, because tough work and laughter aren't mutually exclusive.
Registered Psychotherapist (RP), College of Registered Psychotherapists of Ontario (CRPO)
Master of Arts in Counselling Psychology
Bachelor of Applied Arts in Behavioural Psychology
Formally Trained In
Accelerated Resolution Therapy® (ART)
Tholáge® Neuropsychotherapy
tholage® Trauma-Sensitive Practitioner
Clinical Vagal Stim Therapy, Center for Pain and Stress Research
Draws From
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT)
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
Solution-Focused Therapy
Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress
Anxiety and Panic
Mood Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Anger and Emotional Suppression
Nervous System Dysregulation
Emotional Regulation and Resilience
Sleep Difficulties
Chronic Stress and Burnout
Addiction and Substance Use
Young Adults (Ages 16–24)
Students
Those in Conflict with the Law
The NeuRoute™ Framework
NeuRoute™ is an applied neuropsychotherapy framework targeting the nervous system as the foundation for emotional regulation, behavioural change, and durable recovery. It integrates state-based regulation with trauma memory reconsolidation, creating new neural routes of safety, agency, and flexibility.
Interrupt acute and chronic physiological stress states to create immediate access to calm, safety, and presence.
Build autonomic flexibility and the ability to intentionally shift state, and reliably recover from activation.
Create durable neuroplastic change in trauma and emotional memory networks at both event-specific and pattern-based levels.
Consolidate new nervous system routes into identity, behaviour, and relationships so change becomes automatic and durable.
Services & Fees
All sessions are 50 minutes unless otherwise noted. Dolphin Neurostim® Vagus Nerve Therapy is available as an optional add-on to in-person sessions, using a microcurrent device to support nervous system regulation.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy® and ART® are registered service marks of the Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery (RCRR), used with permission.
Receipts are provided for all sessions. Many extended health benefit plans cover Registered Psychotherapist services, check with your provider.
Contact
Start with a free 15-minute phone consultation to see if we're a good fit. No pressure, no commitment, just a conversation.
Sessions are available in-person in Kingston, Ontario, and virtually across Ontario.