West Vancouver Taruma Counselling
Healing What Talk Therapy Can't Reach
Something bad happened and you can't shake it. Maybe childhood abuse that still affects your relationships today. A car accident that left you terrified to drive. Assault that destroyed your sense of safety. Medical trauma from scary procedures. Witnessing violence or death. Years later, you're still having nightmares, avoiding reminders, feeling numb or on edge constantly. Regular therapy helped a bit but didn't fully resolve it because trauma doesn't just live in your thoughts - it lives in your body and nervous system. West Vancouver trauma counselling uses specialised approaches that actually process traumatic memories so they stop controlling your present, not just teach you to cope with symptoms forever.
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We work with people throughout West Vancouver - from Ambleside to British Properties - dealing with trauma from abuse, accidents, violence, loss, medical procedures, or any experience that left them stuck in survival mode. Trauma counselling gives you treatment specifically designed for how trauma actually works in your brain and body.
Benefits of Trauma Counselling
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Trauma is healable. Lots of people think they're permanently damaged or that they'll struggle forever. That's not true. Your brain got stuck processing a traumatic event and specialised therapy for trauma helps it unstick. You can actually heal, not just learn to manage symptoms.
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Trauma counselling recognises that trauma lives in your nervous system, not just your memories. That's why you can logically know you're safe now but still have panic attacks, hypervigilance, or emotional numbness. Regular talk therapy often doesn't work well for trauma because talking about it doesn't reset your threat system. We use trauma therapy approaches designed for how trauma actually functions.
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We help you understand that trauma responses are normal reactions to abnormal experiences. Feeling numb or disconnected. Being hypervigilant and jumpy. Avoiding anything that reminds you of what happened. Having intrusive thoughts or flashbacks. Difficulty trusting people. These aren't character flaws - they're survival mechanisms that got stuck on. Trauma counselling helps turn them off.
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Trauma counselling addresses all types of trauma. Single-incident trauma like accidents or assaults. Complex trauma from repeated abuse over time. Developmental trauma from childhood neglect or instability. Medical trauma from procedures, illness, or hospitalisations. Vicarious trauma from witnessing others' suffering. Each type needs adapted approaches and we tailor treatment to what you experienced.
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We work with the physical symptoms trauma creates. Chronic pain, digestive issues, sleep problems, headaches, fatigue - trauma affects your body in measurable ways. As we process traumatic memories and reset your nervous system, physical symptoms often improve alongside emotional ones. Your body can finally stop being stuck in threat mode.
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Trauma counselling helps you reclaim parts of your life trauma stole. Maybe you can't be intimate with your partner after sexual trauma. Can't trust people after betrayal. Can't enjoy activities that remind you of what happened. Can't maintain jobs because trauma symptoms interfere. Processing trauma helps you gradually return to normal life.
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For early experiences affecting your adult relationships, parenting, or sense of self, childhood trauma therapy addresses both the original experiences and the patterns they created. How you attach to people, what you believe about yourself, how you handle stress - these all get shaped by early trauma and can all change with proper treatment.
Creekside Counselling's Approach to Trauma Counselling
First we assess your trauma history safely. What happened? When? Single incident or repeated over time? What symptoms are you experiencing now? How's trauma affecting your life, relationships, work? Are you currently safe? We gather this information carefully without retraumatising you in the assessment itself.
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Trauma counselling always starts with stabilization before processing memories. If you're in crisis, self-harming, suicidal, or unsafe in your current situation, we address that first. You need coping skills, safety, and some stability before diving into trauma work. We never push you into processing before you're ready.
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We teach you grounding and self-regulation skills for managing trauma symptoms. How to stay present when you dissociate. How to calm your nervous system when triggered. How to handle flashbacks or intrusive thoughts. These skills help you manage symptoms between sessions and during trauma processing work.
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EMDR trauma therapy is our primary trauma processing approach. EMDR helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they stop feeling like current threats. The bilateral stimulation used in EMDR activates the same brain processes that naturally happen during REM sleep when your brain processes daily experiences. For traumatic memories that got "stuck," therapy for trauma using EMDR helps complete that processing.
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Here's how trauma therapy EMDR works: You bring up the traumatic memory while following bilateral stimulation - eye movements, tapping, or alternating sounds. This helps your brain reprocess the memory, linking it to adaptive information and filing it properly as a past event rather than a present danger. Most people notice memories losing their emotional charge during processing.
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Trauma counselling doesn't require you to describe traumatic events in graphic detail. With EMDR especially, you can keep specifics private - we just need to identify which memory we're targeting. Your brain knows what you're processing. That's enough for healing to happen.
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We also use trauma focused cognitive behavioral therapy which addresses the thought patterns and beliefs that formed around traumatic experiences. This cognitive behavioral trauma therapy helps you challenge beliefs like "I'm permanently damaged" or "the world is completely dangerous" while teaching coping skills for trauma symptoms.
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For clients who benefit from creative expression, we incorporate art therapy and trauma work together. Some people process trauma better through drawing, painting, or other creative methods rather than just talking. Art can access trauma memories that words can't reach.
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For young children who've experienced trauma, we use play therapy which allows them to process scary experiences through toys, art, and games instead of having to verbalize what happened. Play based therapy meets children where they are developmentally and helps them work through trauma in ways that feel natural.
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For complex trauma from childhood abuse or repeated traumatic experiences, trauma focused therapy works more gradually on multiple memories and the developmental impacts. Complex trauma affects how you see yourself, relate to others, and navigate the world. Treatment takes longer but the same trauma processing approaches work.
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We address trauma-related beliefs that keep you stuck. Believing you're damaged or dirty. That the trauma was your fault. That you can't trust anyone. That the world is completely dangerous. These beliefs formed to make sense of what happened but they're keeping you trapped. We process them alongside the memories.
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Trauma counselling coordinates with other providers when needed. Psychiatrists for medication that can help with severe symptoms. Medical doctors for physical impacts of trauma. Support groups for connection with other survivors. We're part of your treatment team, not working in isolation.
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We also help you build positive experiences and connections as you heal. Trauma makes people withdraw and avoid, which maintains symptoms. Gradually reconnecting with safe people, activities you used to enjoy, and parts of life trauma stole is part of recovery.
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For those who prefer or need remote support, we offer online trauma therapy that works just as effectively as in-person sessions. EMDR and other trauma approaches adapt perfectly to video sessions, and many people actually prefer processing trauma from the safety of their own home.
Pricing Information
Trauma counselling sessions are $165 per 50-minute session. Early treatment usually means weekly sessions for consistent trauma processing and skill building. As symptoms improve, we space out to biweekly or monthly.
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Length of treatment depends on trauma complexity. Single traumatic events often process significantly in 8-15 sessions of EMDR. Complex trauma from years of abuse takes longer - maybe 6-18 months of weekly therapy. Everyone processes at their own pace and we adjust based on your needs.
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We provide receipts for insurance. Most extended health plans in BC cover trauma counselling. Check your benefits - many West Vancouver employers offer good mental health coverage.
Areas We Serve
We're located in West Vancouver and work with trauma survivors throughout the North Shore. Our trauma counselling clients come from all West Van neighbourhoods - Horseshoe Bay, Dundarave, Ambleside, Eagle Harbour, Caulfeild, Whitby Estates, British Properties, Cypress Village, Gleneagles, Bayridge, Chartwell.
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We also see people from North Vancouver, Lions Bay, and throughout Metro Vancouver dealing with unprocessed trauma. Many of our clients tried regular therapy that didn't fully help and need specialised trauma treatment.
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Virtual trauma counselling works well, including EMDR which adapts easily to video sessions. Some people prefer online therapy because their own space feels safer when processing difficult memories. Others prefer in-person. We offer both
Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Counselling
What's the difference between trauma counselling and regular therapy?
Trauma counselling uses specialised approaches (EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, somatic therapy) designed for how trauma actually functions in the brain and nervous system. Regular talk therapy helps you understand trauma but often doesn't fully resolve it. Trauma counselling processes memories at the neurological level so they stop triggering you.
Will processing trauma make me relive it and feel worse?
Trauma processing brings up difficult emotions but in controlled, safe ways with coping skills in place. EMDR is specifically designed to process trauma without retraumatising you. Most people feel relief as memories lose their charge, not worse. If it's overwhelming, we slow down.
Do I have to talk about traumatic details?
No. EMDR especially doesn't require graphic descriptions. We just need to identify which memory we're targeting - you can keep details private. Your brain knows what happened. That's enough for processing to work.
Can trauma from childhood still be treated decades later?
Absolutely. Trauma doesn't expire. We work with people processing childhood trauma in their 40s, 50s, 60s all the time. If it's affecting your life now, treatment can help now, regardless of when trauma occurred.
How long before I feel better?
Many people notice some improvement within 4-6 sessions - sleeping better, fewer nightmares, less triggering. Significant improvement usually happens within 3-6 months of consistent trauma processing. Complete resolution varies but single-event trauma often processes within 6 months.
What if I don't remember everything that happened?
You don't need perfect memories. Trauma memories often come in fragments - images, sensations, feelings rather than clear narratives. We can work with whatever you do remember. Sometimes additional details surface during processing, sometimes they don't.
Will I forget the trauma or the person who hurt me?
No. Trauma processing doesn't erase memories. It changes how your brain stores them so they stop feeling like current threats. You'll still remember what happened but it won't trigger the same emotional and physical reactions. The memory becomes integrated as past, not present.
Can trauma counselling help with physical symptoms?
Often yes. Trauma creates real physical symptoms - chronic pain, digestive problems, headaches, fatigue. As trauma gets processed and your nervous system calms down, physical symptoms frequently improve. Doesn't mean they were "all in your head" - trauma affects your body measurably.
You don't have to carry trauma forever. West Vancouver trauma counselling helps you process what happened so it stops controlling your present and you can finally move forward. Book your session today - healing is possible and you deserve to feel safe in your own body.