Trauma & PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a natural emotional response to frightening or dangerous experiences that involve actual or threatened serious harm to oneself or others. However, for some people, the thoughts or memories of these events seriously affect their lives, long after any real danger has passed. These types of experiences are called traumatic or trauma events.
PTSD can appear at any time after a traumatic event, and common symptoms include:
- Re-experiencing the traumatic event over and over.
- Having recurring nightmares.
- Experiencing unwanted, disturbing memories of the event,
- Acting or feeling as if the event is happening again = flashbacks.
- Feeling upset when reminded of the event.
- Staying away from activities, places or people that are reminders of the traumatic experience.
- Avoiding friends and family.
- Losing interest in activities that used to be enjoyable.
- Being unable to feel pleasure.
- Constantly worrying.
- Getting angry easily.
- Sleep disturbances.
- Experiencing panic attacks.
Trauma therapy involves 3 stages – developing strategies to self-sooth from triggering memories, processing traumatic memories safely, and reconnecting to one’s world on personal, social and professional levels.
Why Work With Me?
Experience
In my 13 years as a Registered Psychotherapist I have grown by engaging in continuing education, meeting regularly with peers to share best practices, developing a broader toolbox of appropriate clinical interventions, and limiting my caseload so that I can be present and focused for each client and each session.
Service
My service to clients is based on the principles of both strengths-based therapy and client-focused therapy. Using both of these techniques allows me to be present and focused on client strengths and client needs.
Flexibility
I do my best to schedule clients as soon as possible in my very busy practice. Often a cancellation by another client will open up an earlier session for you. There are no fixed number of psychotherapy sessions for each client - it will be a discussion between client and therapist about how many sessions the client would like to have.
K7P 1N3 (Venture Business Centre)
One Block North of Princess and Gardiner’s Road – across from Canadian Tire.