Trauma Counselling in Vancouver, BC
Attachment-focused trauma counselling for PTSD, complex trauma, childhood wounds, and relational trauma. In-person in Kitsilano and online across BC.
Therapy for PTSD & Complex Trauma
Trauma is not always what we think it is. It is not only the big, dramatic events. It can be years of feeling unseen, unsupported, or unsafe in relationships that were supposed to be safe. It can be the slow accumulation of experiences that left you with a persistent sense that something is wrong with you, when really, something hard happened to you.
At New Tides, we offer trauma counselling in Vancouver for individuals ready to work through what they are carrying. Our counsellors specialize in supporting clients processing attachment trauma, PTSD, complex PTSD, childhood & developmental trauma, and relational wounds, drawing on EMDR, somatic therapy, parts work, and attachment-focused approaches.
You do not have to know exactly what you are dealing with to reach out. We will figure it out together.
In-person sessions at our Kitsilano clinic and online for clients anywhere in BC.
What Trauma Can Look Like
Trauma shows up differently for everyone. Sometimes it looks like what you might expect: flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance. But often it is quieter than that.
It might look like anxiety that seems to come from nowhere. A persistent feeling of being on edge, or a sense of numbness and disconnection that is hard to shake. Difficulty trusting people, even people you love. Patterns in relationships that repeat no matter how hard you try to change them. A harsh inner critic that will not let up. Physical symptoms like chronic tension, fatigue, or pain that does not have a clear cause. These sometimes less obvious echos of trauma often show up in those with childhood trauma, complex PTSD, relational trauma, or experiences that didn't necessarily look like a single dramatic event.
These are not character flaws or signs that something is permanently broken. They are ways the nervous system learned to protect you. And they can also change with time, care and attention.
How Trauma Therapy Works at New Tides
There is no single right way to work through trauma, and trauma therapy can look many different ways. Our counsellors draw on a range of approaches and collaborate with you to find what feels right. Here are the main approaches our trauma counsellors use:
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EMDR works with traumatic memories that feel stuck, helping the brain process them in a way that reduces their emotional weight over time. It is well-researched and widely used for PTSD, complex trauma, and attachment wounds.
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Somatic approaches pay attention to what is happening in the body during therapy, not just the mind. Trauma can continue to shape the nervous system long after an experience has ended, and body-based work can reach places that talking alone sometimes cannot.
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Attachment-focused approaches work with the relational roots of trauma: the ways early experiences of feeling unsafe or unlovable shape how we move through the world now. This includes AEDP, EFT, and other relationally-grounded approaches.
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Parts-based approaches help you get to know the different parts of yourself, including protective parts that developed in response to difficult experiences. Rather than fighting those parts, trauma therapy that uses parts work as a foundation is often about understanding what these parts and trauma responses have been trying to do for you.
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Structured approaches that build skills for managing trauma responses, emotional dysregulation, and distress. They can be useful on their own or alongside deeper processing work.
PTSD
Single-incident trauma, including physical and emotionally impactful events. This includes events such as accidents, assaults, traumatic loss or witnessing a crime.
Complex PTSD
Complex, ongoing, or developmental trauma that has shaped your sense of self and your relationships, either through early experiences or prolonged periods of stress, trauma and relational stress in adulthood.
Childhood Trauma, Developmental Trauma and Neglect
Emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, and impactful childhood experiences that continue to show up in adult life.
Relational and Attachment Trauma
Trauma that happened within relationships, including with caregivers, partners, or family members, and that affects how you connect with others now.
Sexual Assault and Abuse
Sensitive, non-judgmental support for survivors of sexual violence at any stage of healing. CVAP-funded counselling available for eligible clients. (Link to CVAP page)
First Responder and Veteran Trauma
Specialized support for first responders, military personnel, and veterans navigating occupational trauma and PTSD.
Religious Trauma
Support for those who have experienced harm within religious communities or institutions.
Racialized and Intergenerational Trauma
Culturally sensitive, anti-oppressive support for BIPOC clients navigating racialized experiences and intergenerational patterns.
Perinatal and Birth Trauma
Support for birthing parents and partners processing traumatic birth or perinatal experiences.
Trauma That Doesn't Have One Obvious Cause
There are also many instances of trauma where the cause is not as simple or defined as those above. This is normal and can still be supported by our counsellors.
You do not need a formal diagnosis to reach out. If past experiences are showing up in your life now, that is enough reason to get support.
Types of Trauma We Work With
What Therapy Can Actually Look Like
Stabilization & Safety
One of the most common fears people have about trauma therapy is that they will have to tell their whole story, relive everything, or spend every session in a dark place. That is not how it works here.
Trauma therapy at New Tides typically moves through phases. We start with stabilization: building safety in the relationship, developing resources and tools for managing difficult feelings, and making sure you feel grounded and supported before we go anywhere harder. This phase is not a waiting room for the real work. It is the real work.
Deeper Trauma Processing
When and if it feels right, we can move into deeper processing, working with specific memories or patterns at whatever pace makes sense for you. Some clients focus mostly on the present, understanding how the past is shaping things now without needing to go back through it in detail. Others find it important to revisit and make sense of what happened. Both are valid. This is where approaches such as EMDR Therapy, Attachment Focused Therapy, Parts Work and Somatic Therapy can be woven in, even if that’s not where you started.
You do not need to walk in knowing which approach is right for you. Your counsellor will work with you to figure that out as you go.
Connect with one of our trauma therapists who specialize in supporting clients with PTSD, Complex Trauma & Attachment Trauma
Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma Counselling in Vancouver
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Trauma-informed counselling means a counsellor approaches all their work with an understanding of trauma and its effects, creating a safe environment for anyone who has experienced it. Trauma counselling or therapy specifically focuses on helping you process and work through traumatic experiences. All of our counsellors are trauma-informed, and several specialize in active trauma processing.
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No. Many people who benefit from trauma counselling have never received a formal diagnosis. If past experiences are affecting how you feel, function, or relate to others, that is enough reason to reach out.
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No. Trauma therapy does not require you to retell your story in detail, and many effective approaches work without doing that at all. You and your counsellor will figure out together what feels right. You always set the pace.
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CPTSD (Complex PTSD) usually comes from repeated or prolonged experiences, often in childhood, rather than a single event. It can shape things like trust, self-worth, and relationships in ways that go beyond typical PTSD symptoms.
It’s important to note that while sometimes CPTSD comes from extreme circumstances, for those who experienced trauma when they were young, experiences that can be massively impactful to a small child can often be much smaller or seem insignificant, or “not bad enough” to many clients, and often elicit shame or feelings of brokenness. -
Yes, intergenerational trauma is absolutely a real thing, and it's something several of our counsellors have quite a bit of experience working with.
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Yes. EMDR can be done effectively online. Several of our counsellors offer EMDR sessions via video for clients across BC.
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Many extended health plans cover sessions with a Registered Clinical Counsellor. We recommend checking your plan directly. We also offer sliding scale sessions and CVAP-funded counselling for eligible clients.
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Yes. Several of our counsellors specifically work with childhood trauma, including experiences that happened a long time ago and still show up in how you relate to yourself and others now.
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Yes. Trauma doesn't need to be recent for it to still be affecting you now, and it's never too late to work with it. Some of our clients are seniors who have chosen to work on their early childhood trauma and have seen quite meaningful change to what life feels and looks like now.
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Yes, several of our counsellors work specifically with trauma connected to religious upbringing or community.
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Yes, medical and birth trauma are real and valid reasons to seek trauma therapy, particularly if you still experience physical effects, flashbacks or if you’re wanting to have another pregnancy in the case of traumatic births.
You don’t have to have it figured out to reach out.
All of our counsellors offer a free 15-minute consultation, exploratory conversation where you can get a sense of who feels like the right fit and we can learn a little about what you are looking for. We want you to find the right person to support you in this important work.
In-person sessions at our Kitsilano clinic (1682 West 7th Ave, Suite 300, Vancouver BC) and online for clients anywhere in British Columbia & beyond.
She/Her
Registered Clinical Counsellor
“To heal you have to get to the root of the wound and kiss it all the way up”
- rupi kaur
Specializes In:
Self-awareness
Childhood trauma
BIPOC experiences
Self-esteem and self-worth
Relationship challenges
Attachment wounds
Neurodivergence
Family dynamics
Personal growth
Burnout
Also Loves Supporting:
Creatives
Educators
Older adults
Young adults
Helping professions
People who have lived outside Canada