Trauma Therapy

Experiences of trauma overwhelm

the mind and body.

During a traumatic event, our systems make changes to best help us survive the experience. After the danger has passed, some systems will return to previous functioning, while others will continue defaulting to survival mode. When the system continues entering survival mode, folks often experience symptoms with too much energy (such as anxiety, anger, or hypervigilance) or too little energy (such as depression, dissociation, or numbness). These symptoms tell us that something overwhelming happened and the traumatic information got stuck. To resolve these bothersome symptoms, your mind and body need the opportunity to process this stuck information.


For more information about therapies that can help process trauma, check out the About section.

 
Image by Willian Justen de Vasconcellos

Traumatic experiences may be single incidents or events that occur repeatedly over a long period.

Single Incident Trauma

  • Physical or Sexual Assault 

  • Natural Disaster (ex. wildfire)

  • Victim of Crime (ex. robbery)

  • Frightening Medical Procedure

  • Sports Injury

  • Accidents (ex. car)

  • Workplace Incidents/Injuries

  • Pregnancy/Birth Trauma

  • Traumatic Loss

Complex, Developmental, or Recurring Trauma

  • COVID-19 Pandemic

  • Childhood Sexual Abuse

  • Sexual Harassment

  • Workplace/Street Harassment

  • Dating Violence/Domestic Violence (ex. physical, emotional, and sexual abuse)

  • Adverse Childhood Experiences 

  • Bullying

  • Ongoing Physical, Sexual, or Emotional Abuse 

  • Witnessing Domestic Violence/Unsafe Behaviours 

  • Diagnosis of Chronic Illness

  • Experiences of Betrayal/Infidelity 

  • Physical or Emotional Neglect

  • Social Exclusion

  • Experiences of Rejection or Abandonment

  • Soldier/Civilian in Conflict-Affected Areas

The Three Phases of Trauma Treatment

For safe and effective treatment, experts recommend completing trauma work in three phases. The focus and number of sessions required to complete each phase will be dependent on your experiences and therapeutic goals.

“The experience of emotional overwhelm is similar to that of a shaken bottle of soda. Inside the bottle is a tremendous amount of pressure. The safest way to release the pressure is to open and close the cap in a slow, cautious and intentional manner so as to prevent an explosion.” -Babette Rothschild

Image by Job Savelsberg

1. Safety & Stabilization

Learn:

  • How your brain, body and nervous system made changes 

  • How your self-defence system has become overwhelmed

  • How to become mindful of your body sensations, feelings, and automatic responses

Develop:

  • A felt sense of safety and establish greater safety in your environment 

  • Skills to manage overwhelming symptoms 

  • Capacity to connect with your body and create somatic boundaries

2. Trauma Memory Processing

Process traumatic experiences using mind-body therapies, such as:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)

  • Brainspotting

  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

  • Natural Processing

3. Moving Forward

  • Grieve the losses associated with your experiences

  • Re-evaluate areas of your life that do not reflect your new sense of self

  • Connect or reconnect with people and activities that enhance your well-being

Let's Connect!