Trauma and EMDR Solutions
Specialized counselling for PTSD, C-PTSD, first responders, veterans, healthcare professionals, and anyone else affected by trauma.
Book Now: https://peakpsychsolutions.janeapp.com/#/staff_member/5
It is never too soon or too late to seek support for trauma. Trauma can affect how we think, feel and respond to the world, making it difficult to tap into or reach our peak potential. While we often associate trauma with experiences such as childhood abuse, domestic abuse, violence, warfare, serious accidents and sexual assault, other painful life experiences can also have a lasting emotional impact. These may include divorce, coercive control, interpersonal conflict, betrayal, unexpected death, infertility, bullying, financial loss and infidelity.
At Peak, all therapists have specialized training in trauma therapy. Our team has extensive experience supporting first responders, veterans and medical personnel with operational stress injuries. We also support therapists, teachers and other professionals affected by direct or vicarious trauma through their work, as well as people affected by trauma in their personal lives.
People often understand intellectually that they are safe after a traumatic experience, yet their emotional and physical reactions continue to signal that a threat is present. Recognizing or changing trauma-related thoughts may not be enough to ease these automatic responses. Our therapists draw on specialized approaches, including Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), to help clients process difficult experiences and develop a greater sense of safety and connection between mind and body. The approach we use reflects each therapist’s training and your individual needs.
Our work also extends beyond easing post-traumatic reactions. We support opportunities for post-traumatic growth, helping clients reconnect with themselves, strengthen relationships and explore what feels meaningful as they move forward. Growth looks different for everyone, and it does not mean minimizing what happened or feeling pressured to find a silver lining.
We go at your pace. We understand that approaching painful experiences can feel overwhelming, and you do not need to share everything or begin processing trauma right away. We start by building a trusting therapeutic relationship and supporting your sense of safety. Together, we move toward more focused trauma work when you feel ready, with your comfort, choice and goals guiding the process.
We work closely with vocational support professionals and insurance providers when trauma affects your ability to work.
More ON Posttraumatic Stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can develop after exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence through direct experience, witnessing, learning of certain events involving someone close, or repeated occupational exposure to traumatic details.
Experiences associated with PTSD may include:
Unwanted memories, nightmares or flashbacks that make the experience feel as though it is happening again.
Strong emotional or physical reactions to reminders, such as fear, sweating or a racing heart.
Avoiding thoughts, conversations, people, places or activities connected to what happened.
Persistent fear, anger, guilt or shame, including blaming yourself or others.
Negative beliefs about yourself, other people or the world, or difficulty remembering parts of the experience.
Feeling disconnected from others, losing interest in meaningful activities or struggling to feel positive emotions.
Feeling constantly on guard, being easily startled or experiencing irritability.
Difficulty sleeping or concentrating, or engaging in risky or self-destructive behaviours.
More on Complex Posttraumatic Stress disorder
(C-PTSD)
Complex PTSD often develops following prolonged or repeated trauma, particularly in situations where escape felt difficult or impossible. Alongside the core symptoms of PTSD, it involves persistent difficulties with managing emotions, self-worth and feeling safe and close to others. Complex PTSD is identified by the pattern of symptoms, rather than the duration of trauma alone. You may question whether what happened was “bad enough” for this description to apply or for you to seek support. We take the impact of your experiences seriously, whether or not they meet the criteria for a particular diagnosis.
These descriptions are not diagnostic checklists, and you do not need to meet the criteria for PTSD or complex PTSD to benefit from trauma therapy.
TRAUMA AND OTHER MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
Trauma can act as a catalyst for mental health concerns, interacting with genetic predispositions and other biological, psychological and social factors. It may contribute to the onset of difficulties or intensify concerns that are already present, including:
Mood and anxiety disorders
Borderline personality disorder
Psychosis
Substance use and addiction
At Peak, we consider how traumatic experiences may be contributing to your concerns, alongside the other factors that shape your individual needs.
Therapeutic Approaches for Trauma AT Peak
At Peak, we draw on a range of approaches to support coping, process traumatic experiences and foster recovery. Your treatment reflects your needs, preferences, readiness and your therapist’s training.
Building Coping Skills
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Exploring how trauma affects thoughts, emotions and behaviours, while developing strategies to manage distress and reduce patterns of avoidance.
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT): Building skills for emotional regulation, tolerating distress, communicating needs and strengthening relationships.
Mindfulness: Developing awareness of thoughts, emotions and body sensations through practices adapted to your comfort, helping you feel more grounded in the present.
Reprocessing Traumatic Experiences
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Using bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, while reprocessing distressing memories to help reduce their emotional intensity and ongoing impact.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): Using guided eye movements and imagery techniques to change how distressing memories are experienced, without requiring you to describe every detail aloud.
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Exploring parts of yourself that carry emotional pain or have developed protective responses, supporting greater self-compassion and opportunities to process difficult experiences.
Trauma reprocessing can help memories feel more connected to the past rather than experienced as a threat in the present, reducing their emotional intensity and shifting the meanings associated with them. We go at your pace, building a trusting therapeutic relationship and supporting your sense of safety before moving into focused trauma work.