trauma counselling
Most individuals recognize the significant impact of “Big T” Traumas. Fewer are aware of the impacts of “small t” traumas. We help with both.
Trauma counselling can help you heal from past abuse or trauma. Most individuals recognize the significant impact of “Big T” Traumas such as experiencing assault, a natural disaster, a life-threatening injury or illness, or experiencing the impacts of war or forced migration. Fewer people are aware of the additional and significant impacts of “small t” trauma such as growing up with a caregiver who was, for whatever reason, physically or emotionally unavailable, who was unpredictable or scary at times, or who was negatively impacted by the stresses and strains often associated with poverty, mental illness, addictions, or systemic discrimination.
When we experience an early and significant emotional, physical, or sexual trauma, our nervous system changes – it gets very good at dealing with the stressful environment in which the hurt occurred. It’s like an operating system that is optimized for specific conditions. However, as we age, and even if we manage to come into a safe, predictable environment, our nervous system doesn’t necessarily shift back to feeling safe. We can suffer from seemingly inexplicable emotional pain, confusing emotional overreactions, flashbacks (painful and intrusive auditory, visual, or somatic memories), or feel constantly on guard, fearing that ‘something bad’ will happen to us.
If you think you might be struggling with unresolved trauma, it’s time to talk to a trained mental health care provider.
The impact of unresolved trauma can be significant, exhausting, and disruptive to relationships. Many people living with past trauma are afraid to talk about their experience or feel too ashamed to share with others what happened to them. At Transforming Emotions, we know that treating trauma deserves special care, attention, and safety, placing the client in the driver’s seat when it comes to pace and treatment goals.
If you think you might be struggling with unresolved trauma, it’s time to talk to a trained mental health care provider. Whether you prefer a psychologist, social worker, or psychotherapist, our team members to help you take your next steps towards feeling better. Contact us to schedule an appointment today.
What should I expect when seeking trauma therapy?
Good therapy is built on trust and safety. Period. During your first few sessions your counsellor will listen and ask you a few questions to learn a bit more about your history, the challenging circumstances you have experienced in the past, and how those experiences continue to impact you today. Next, your therapist will share with you their ideas for how they will work with you to make sure you are both on the same page in terms of your treatment goals and how to achieve them.
Being able to manage big feelings safely is a necessary starting place for all trauma work. While therapy for trauma can not change the past, it can change the feelings that occur in the present, when you remember the past.
What is Emotion Focused Therapy
While not all therapies acknowledge the centrality of emotion, in our experience the majority of people coming for therapy reach out because they feel bad in some way or another. At Transforming Emotions, we specialize in Emotion Focused Therapy (EFT), including EFT for complex trauma (EFTT), evidence-based treatments that work to change emotion with emotion. More than any other therapy, EFT is grounded in research that has studied not just if therapy works (it does!), but how therapy works.
EFT is informed by principles of neuroplasticity and memory reconsolidation– how our brains change when we create and alter memories. We believe that if you talk about your feelings, you change how you think about your feelings. If you want to change how you actually feel, you need to feel your feelings in a safe place. This is because:
- different parts of our brains are responsible for feeling our feelings and for thinking complex thoughts, and
- pathways in our brain change when they are activated or ‘firing’.
So, if I want to change the pathways associated with my feelings, I need to be feeling my feelings for enduring change to occur. In EFT for trauma, we help you to do this safely, and at a pace that works for you.
How do I get started?
1. Get In Touch
From our Contact Page, book a free phone consultation to help us find the right therapist for you.
2. Tell us About Yourself
A team member will speak with you for 15-20 minute about your concerns. Feeling shy? No problem, if you prefer, you may fill out the form on our contact page, and we’ll send you a brief questionnaire to help us learn more about you and your needs – your choice.
3. Book Sessions
Based on your unique story, we will pair you with the therapist who we think is the best match for what you need. Have someone in mind who you would like to work with? No problem. Let us know and we will take that into account.
