Trauma Therapy

What is Trauma?

Trauma refers to what happens in your body during, and after, an event, rather than the event itself. Events that are experienced as traumatic are typically characterized by an inability to take the necessary actions to protect yourself, a loss of choice and a feeling of powerlessness. Experiencing trauma can negatively impact your sense of safety and sense of self, as well as your ability to regulate your emotions, navigate relationships, or function in daily life.

“Trauma is in the nervous system, not in the event.”

— Peter Levine

Common Reactions to Trauma

Dealing with trauma can be incredibly difficult. You don’t have to do it alone. Help is available.

  • Mental reactions to trauma may include:

    • Reduced focus, concentration and memory

    • Intrusive thoughts about the event

    • Repeatedly replaying parts of the event over in your mind

    • Nightmares

    • Flashbacks

    • Confusion or disorientation

  • Emotional reactions to trauma may include:

    • Fear, anxiety and panic

    • Anger or rage

    • Feeling overwhelmed

    • Feeling shocked, confused or disoriented

    • Sadness or feelings of depression

    • Feeling numb and detached

    • Not wanting to be around others

    • Loss of interest in activities

    • Mood swings

    • Difficulty regulating emotions

  • Physiological reactions to trauma may include:

    • Feeling constantly on edge or on guard

    • Inability to relax or feel safe

    • Exaggerated startle reflex

    • Agitation

    • Fatigue or exhaustion

    • Feeling shut down, dissociated or numb

    • Changes in appetite

    • Difficulty sleeping

    • Nausea, vomiting and dizziness

    • Headaches

    • Changes in heart rate or breathing

  • Behavioural reactions to trauma may include:

    • Avoiding reminders of the event

    • Inability to stop focusing on what happened

    • Being very reactive

    • Changes to eating (i.e., eating more or less)

    • Substauce use (i.e., alcohol, cigarettes, prescription medication, drug use)

    • Withdrawing socially

    • Difficulty engaging in daily tasks (i.e., at work, home, in daily life)

    • Limiting where you go and what you do

What is Trauma Therapy?

Trauma therapies are therapy approaches designed specifically to help individuals cope with, and move beyond, the symptoms and responses that arise as a result of experiencing trauma.

Trauma therapies can take a phased or a non-phased approach.

Phased Approaches to Treating Trauma

  • During the first phase, the focus is on helping an individual cope with the impact of trauma. The goal of the first phase is stabilization and resourcing. This may involve helping an individual increase awareness of their trauma responses (i.e., symptoms) and teaching them resources, or helping them access resources they already possess, to help them deal with these symptoms effectively. This phase doesn’t directly deal with any of the individual’s traumatic experiences and instead focuses on helping minimize symptoms by helping the person learn to regulate their nervous system and create more stability in their life. Another goal of this phase is to prepare the individual for the second phase of trauma therapy.

  • During the second phase, the focus moves to processing traumatic experiences that the individual endured. The therapist and client will collaboratively choose which memories to process. During this phase, the individual will use the resources they have learned in phase one in order to help regulate their nervous system while processing the traumatic experiences. The therapist will also carefully track the client and help ensure the client stays regulated. This is important because it avoids re-traumatization, and allows for the work done in session to be integrated, which allows for lasting change and healing.

Non-Phased Approaches to Treating Trauma

  • Some forms of trauma therapy do not take a phased approach. Instead of focusing first on increasing regulation and building resources in preparation for trauma processing, these approaches may help ensure safety and regulation in other ways (e.g., IFS or trauma-sensitive yoga) or move immediately into processing traumatic experiences (e.g., prolonged exposure or cognitive processing therapy).

Processing of traumatic experiences can be done in different ways. Our therapists use a phased approach, or a non-phased approach that helps provide regulation and resourcing in other ways (e.g., IFS or trauma sensitive yoga). Throughout trauma therapy, our therapists will serve to empower clients by offering choice, checking in with the individual throughout the process to ensure they are in a regulated state, and being responsive to feedback the client has about the experience. 

Our Approaches To Working with Trauma

  • Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR)

    EMDR is a therapy approach that was developed to address trauma and has been shown to be very effective in the treatment of trauma. EMDR does not require talking in detail about traumatic experiences, and instead uses bilateral stimulation to resolve unprocessed traumatic memories in the brain.

  • Sensorimotor Psychotherapy (SP)

    SP is a therapy approach that was developed to address trauma and attachment issues. It draws on somatic therapies, neuroscience, attachment theories, mindfulness, and cognitive approaches. SP views the body as an incredible resource and works directly with the body and nervous system in the processing of trauma.

  • Internal Family Systems (IFS)

    IFS therapy maintains that everyone has different parts (e.g., an inner critic). Some parts carry trauma and other parts try to protect these wounded parts. Protector parts can get stuck in extreme roles that have adverse consequences. IFS aims to heal parts from the traumas they have experienced so that the system can come into balance.

  • Trauma Sensitive Yoga (TCTSY)

    TCTSY is an empirically validated, yoga-based clinical intervention for complex trauma and treatment-resistant PTSD. TCTSY has foundations in trauma theory, attachment theory, neuroscience, and hatha yoga. The central aims of TCTSY are to empower participants and foster opportunities for embodiment and reclamation of one’s body.

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