Our team are all trauma-informed counsellors.
This means we believe life is not without trauma. This means we believe you when you tell us about your trauma response. This means we are here to help in a compassionate and non-judgemental way. This means we have the skills to support you in your healing from trauma.
Trauma is the impact of that big event that happened. Trauma lives inside of you. Trauma can impact your mood, relationships, self-esteem, sense of safety and more.
You can heal from trauma and find freedom on the other side. We would love to help!
Trauma-Informed Counselling in North Vancouver
Trauma-informed counselling means we are going to work to create a space that helps you feel safe and secure. We believe you when you share with us your story, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs. We are inspired to work together – with your guidance – to find a way to support you to move through your trauma.
Our goal is greater peace and freedom for you. If you don’t pursue counselling, we believe that you are doing the best thing for you. You might be worried the feelings will be too big and take over your life. Great choice because you know what to do to keep yourself safe in your own life.
Our goal is greater peace and freedom for you. If you do pursue trauma counselling, we will move at a pace that feels comfortable for you and support you to process all that you need to along the way. We might need to move through some tough moments to get through to the sunshine on the other side. We will be with you every step of the way.
We would be honoured to walk with you at this time.
Trauma Counselling In-Person or Virtually
Trauma counselling can be hard work. It can be so scary to be ready to move into the fire and reconnect with the traumatic experience you lived through. You might not be ready to go right into the tough stuff and you might take your time! You might be ready to dive in and move through the tough stuff. This is great and we would love to move at the pace that works for you.
We believe it is important to unpack and explore the traumatic event you lived through, the impact it had on you, and how the trauma is still alive and affecting you today.
We think you are remarkable and powerful to have lived through what you lived through and we want to support you to find greater healing and freedom from this challenging experience. We believe in you and we would be honoured to walk alongside you at this moment in your healing.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is an emotional response an individual experiences as a result to living through a distressing event. Living through a traumatic situation can have an impact on an individual’s self-esteem, emotional well-being, sense of safety, mental health, ability to form or maintain healthy relationships, and more. Immediately following the event, it is common for individuals to experience feelings such as shock and denial. Long-term emotions could include shame, powerlessness, helplessness, and even fear.
Traumatic events can be difficult to define, since the reactions to a certain event could vary between individuals. The same event could be more traumatic for some people than others. Traumatic events typically include:
- A single event (e.g., a car accident, the sudden death of a loved one, violent assault)
- An event that occurred in the past (e.g., living through a natural disaster or a war, childhood neglect, a racist or discriminatory encounter)
- An ongoing situation (e.g., physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, poverty, violence in the community, living with a loved one with mental health or substance use disorders)
Traumatic events can occur at any age and can have long-term harmful effects. Everyone’s reaction to trauma may be different. If you have recently experienced a traumatic event, or are ready to work through your trauma, please know that you are not alone. Our trauma counsellors are ready to support you throughout your healing journey.
Recovering from Trauma
If you have recently gone through a traumatic event, please reach out as soon as you can. Research has shown that those that seek support quickly after a traumatic event are more likely to be able to recover more smoothly.
If you are ready to explore and unpack some historical trauma, we are here for you. We know it can be really hard to reach out and want to talk about things that have happened to you. We are in awe of your courage and strength to be willing to face some of these dark times in your life.
With the care of our trauma-informed counsellor, you can trust you are in good hands and we will respect and move at a pace that feels right for you.
Online Trauma Therapy Throughout BC
If you are feeling ready to explore trauma therapy and prefer to be in the comfort of your own home, we can make that happen! Our skilled trauma-informed counsellors provide in-person and online therapy.
We would love to meet you where you are at and support you move through your trauma towards a brighter tomorrow.
Somatic Therapy
Gone are the days when you go to counselling and try to find a positive spin for your negative thought! We love affirmations and yet when we are in trauma therapy, we need to go deeper. Somatic therapy honours the wisdom of the body and the memories it holds. When we connect to our body while we are healing from our trauma we can elicit powerful shifts that can bring us closer to freedom and peace.
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) was founded by Francine Shapiro. She uncovered, as she was processing her own health difficulties, that when she darted her eyes back and forth she seemed to feel better and less scared. She uncovered the power of bilateral stimulation in supporting desensitization to a disturbing thought/event and a reprocessing towards a more helpful thought/event.
We have counsellors on our team trained in EMDR who know the power of it and how it can bring deep healing. If you are interested in this approach specifically, please make a note when you reach out.
Strategies for Regulating and Supporting Oneself Outside of the Counselling Room
If you have recently lived through a traumatic experience, the road to healing can seem long and daunting. Luckily, there are many steps you can take to help you move forward in the right direction. We are here to help you find healthy ways to cope with trauma outside of the counselling room.
- Taking proactive measures to reduce stress and anxiety is extremely important. This can be achieved through many ways, one of them being meditation and breathwork. Simply closing your eyes and taking deep breaths can improve stress levels and help you feel more relaxed.
- Another helpful tip would be to stay active with exercise. Practicing physical movement can help release endorphins. If vigorous exercise isn’t your thing, simply taking a walk or stretching can also help. Anything that allows you to move your body will help you relax.
- Do not isolate yourself. Reaching out to friends and family can help you work through and process your emotions in a healthy way. Instead of bottling your emotions, talk to people you trust about how you are doing.
- Lastly, it is crucial to practice self-care as much as possible. Take some time for yourself to engage in activities that make you feel happy. Even just taking breaks throughout your day can go a long way. Healing from trauma is a time to be gentle with yourself.
