Trauma Counselling

Who this is for

Trauma is a specialty area of mine, including what is sometimes called capital T trauma: sexual abuse, violence, and catastrophic life events. I also work with people whose trauma is cumulative rather than singular.

Signs you might recognize

• Intrusive memories, images, or nightmares
• Hypervigilance, startling easily, never fully relaxing
• Numbness or a sense of watching your life from outside
• Avoiding places, people, or conversations
• Shame that does not respond to reassurance
• Coping strategies that have started to cost more than they help

My approach to this work

Safety and stabilization come first, always. Before we go anywhere near the material itself, you need tools and you need to trust the room. From there I work with a trauma-informed, phased approach, drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy skills for regulation and distress tolerance, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy for the relationship with intrusive thoughts, psychodynamic work for what is underneath, and psychoeducation about the brain and body so that your reactions stop feeling like personal failures. I prefer to do trauma recovery work in person where that is possible.

What to expect in sessions

Sixty minute sessions. You control the pace and you can stop at any point. Nothing gets opened that we do not have time to close before you leave the room.