Individual Counselling

I work with adults and adolescent on identity, loss and belonging

Individual Counselling

Do you find yourself struggling to trust others and are holding back from meaningful connections? These concerns may be the result of unresolved trauma.

What is Trauma?

Trauma occurs precisely when an event is overwhelming to a point where a person is unable to rationalize, defend, process or accept what is happening to them or someone close to them. Trauma fragments the brain’s ability to make sense and therefore move on from the onslaught. The event when it occurs overwhelms and drives us to our basic survival responses.

When the traumatic incident occurred did you find yourself unable to move? You may even find yourself tensing up or being easily startled throughout your day. After a traumatic event, you may develop an exaggerated stress response. It involves a recurrent pattern of reactions related to the initial event. You aren’t alone in experiencing this, it is actually one of the most common signs of having been traumatized.

Other signs include:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Irritability
  • Panic Attacks
  • Numbing
  • Insomnia
  • Flashbacks
  • Hopelessness
  • Loss of a sense of self

What is Complex Trauma?

Complex trauma arises from exposure to multiple traumatic events which often occur during childhood. Emotional, physical and sexual abuse, exploitation or bullying, and even being trafficked are the most common root causes. Sometimes a parent or person caring for a child has their own trauma experiences, and their child inevitably is adversely affected.

Complex trauma is not always the result of childhood trauma. It can also occur as a result of adults’ experience of violence in the home, university, neighbourhood and workplace. The abuse could be physical, sexual, emotional, verbal, financial or spiritual-PTSD, which if left untreated can develop into Complex Trauma. The long-term effects of this exposure should be assessed by a mental health professional as soon as possible.

Some indications that may be experiencing complex trauma are:

  • Persistent unresolved guilt
  • Constant feelings of shame and worthlessness
  • Trouble feeling “safe” within your own body
  • Deep distrust of authority figures
  • Anxiety around intimacy/ aversion to close relationships
  • Being easily startled
  • Self-harming behaviours
  • Chronic pain
  • Using food or substances to cope with strong emotions

Healing is Possible

While these “symptoms” may become the focus of treatment, it is also important to consider the root cause and address the whole person and the experiences that brought up these concerns. A trauma sensitive approach to therapy allows you to explore your current difficulties while keeping in mind that we are complex beings with histories that impact us. We look to understand how we survived our most difficult experiences and how to utilize those strengths while learning new tools to continue to thrive.

The world of therapy has come a long way in the treatment of trauma and PTSD. There is a greater understanding of how trauma is held within the body and manifests symptoms. Through trauma-focused therapy, you can learn to understand not only the circumstances that led to the trauma but also uncover your strengths and utilize them to shift the patterns that are keeping you stuck.

Sessions structure.

Body-centered (somatic) therapy links the healing elements of verbal sharing with the power of bodily relief. It allows you to work through not only the thoughts and underlying beliefs that have resulted from the trauma, but accesses the healing capacity of the brain and body to develop a deeper, more felt sense of internal safety. The goal of somatic therapy is not only to cultivate a deep level of healing, but to bring forward your intuition and inner capacity to better manage stress and maintain a healthy mind-body connection. A commitment to trauma sensitive counselling leads to a renewed commitment to yourself through which you can master methods to self-soothe, feel grounded, and connect with your spiritual self as well.

I prioritize creating a safe, inclusive space that provides culturally competent and trauma informed counselling. I utilize somatic modalities of therapy to harness the body’s innate wisdom and movement towards healing and growth. I believe in the holistic nature of the mind, body, and soul.I  recognize the challenges and hesitations of clients as part of the process of growth and do not view people as needing to be fixed.

Getting help.

In the course of life, you will experience traumatic events that are emotionally painful. If not treated, these events may result in mental and even physical effects. A trauma specialist is a mental health therapist specializing in trauma. They have extensive training and clinical experience working directly with trauma victims.

Going through difficult times may be a normal part of every person/ family’s journey, however dysfunction does not have to be. How we cope with difficulties determines the mental health and happiness of those most beloved to us. Respect, tolerance, and unconditional acceptance are not inherent but rather skills that can be taught and improved upon.

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