Trauma Counselling to Support Healing and Recovery

Trauma is a psychological and emotional response to deeply distressing or disturbing events that overwhelm an individual's ability to cope. It can result from a wide range of experiences, including accidents, abuse, loss, violence, or witnessing traumatic events. Trauma affects both the mind and body, including how your nervous system reacts to these experiences. Sometimes trauma also includes the impact of what didn’t happen—such as unmet needs, neglect, or the absence of safety or care—which can be just as harmful emotionally.

Trauma disrupts a person’s sense of security and well-being. Common symptoms include anxiety, depression, flashbacks, feelings of helplessness, and difficulty in relationships. These reactions can be intense and long-lasting, significantly affecting how a person thinks, feels, and behaves.

At Schaefer Counselling Services in St. Albert, I understand that trauma is unique to each person and can show up in different ways. My trauma counselling approach creates an accepting, non-judgmental, and supportive environment where you can explore your experiences, process emotions, and begin healing.

Types of Trauma

Trauma can range from severe, life-altering events—such as physical or sexual abuse, accidents, or natural disasters—that deeply affect your sense of safety and trigger strong emotional responses, to more subtle but persistent experiences like emotional neglect, loss, or ongoing stress. Even less obvious traumas can accumulate over time, leading to significant emotional distress and challenges with emotional regulation, relationships, and mental health.

Symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

When trauma is not fully processed, it can lead to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Symptoms include:

• Intrusive memories or flashbacks of the traumatic event

• Avoidance of reminders, places, or people linked to trauma

• Hyperarousal such as irritability or feeling constantly on edge

• Emotional numbness or difficulty connecting with others

• Persistent negative thoughts or moods

• Sleep problems including nightmares

These symptoms can make you feel stuck in a cycle of distress, with trauma memories often stored in a fragmented and emotionally charged way.

Treatment Approaches

At Schaefer Counselling Services, I offer a range of trauma-informed, evidence-based therapies designed to support your healing journey:

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR helps your brain process traumatic memories by using bilateral stimulation—such as eye movements or tapping—while recalling distressing events. This process reduces the emotional intensity of those memories, allowing you to regain control and move forward.

• Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART): ART combines visualization and eye movement techniques to quickly reprocess traumatic memories and emotional distress. This gentle yet effective approach facilitates rapid healing and resilience.

• Somatic Therapy: Somatic therapy focuses on the connection between mind and body. It helps release physical tension and trauma stored in the body, promoting deeper healing beyond cognitive processing.

• Parts Work: Parts work helps you identify, understand, and integrate different “parts” or aspects of yourself. This approach fosters internal harmony, self-compassion, and healing from trauma by addressing fragmented or conflicting parts of your experience.

These approaches can be used individually or integrated depending on your needs, to help you move past trauma symptoms such as intrusive thoughts, avoidance, hyperarousal, emotional numbness, and negative mood states.

If you have questions about trauma counselling or want to explore which therapy might be best suited to your healing, please contact me. Together, we can find the path toward greater emotional well-being and resilience.