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Trauma Counselling in Burnaby, BC

Trauma can leave hidden wounds that affect how you see the world and how you feel. These effects can be intense whether you have gone through significant events, ongoing struggles, or smaller experiences that have impacted you profoundly.

At Wellspring Counselling, we offer compassionate trauma counselling in Burnaby, both in person and online. Our goal is to support individuals in navigating the lasting impact of trauma and finding a path toward healing and resilience.

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Trauma Counselling in Burnaby

Trauma Counselling in Burnaby, BC

What is trauma?

Trauma is a personal reaction to situations or events that feel overwhelming or scary. It can come from one upsetting incident, like an accident or losing a loved one, or from ongoing experiences like abuse or neglect. Trauma can shake a person’s sense of safety and stability, changing how they see themselves, others, and the world around them. Its emotional and psychological impacts can be severe and widespread.

Everyone experiences trauma in their way. Even if two people go through the same event, they may react and cope differently. Their past experiences, how strong they feel emotionally, the support they have from others, and their current life situations all influence how they deal with trauma and its long-term effects. For some people, trauma may lead to intense feelings of fear, anxiety, or avoidance of social situations. For others, it might appear as physical issues like tiredness, ongoing pain, or trouble focusing.

Trauma is not a sign of weakness; it is a natural reaction to severe stress. Recognizing this can help lessen stigma and encourage people to seek help. With time, patience, and proper support, recovery is possible. Therapies like EMDR, cognitive-behavioral therapy, and somatic approaches can help people deal with trauma and move toward healing.

Signs and Symptoms of Trauma

People respond to traumatic experiences in different ways, but some common signs include:

  • Experiencing flashbacks, nightmares, or unwanted thoughts about the event.
  • Intense emotional changes, such as sudden anxiety or fear.
  • Avoiding certain places, people, or activities linked to the traumatic experience.
  • Physical reactions like a racing heart or sweating.
  • Struggling to focus or recall specific details related to the trauma.
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The many faces of Trauma

  • “Big T” Trauma: Life-changing events like serious accidents, abuse, or significant loss can lead to conditions such as PTSD or complex trauma. These experiences may cause symptoms like flashbacks, bad dreams, and a constant feeling of being overwhelmed emotionally.
  • “Little t” Trauma: Experiences like chronic neglect, bullying, ongoing criticism, or feeling unsafe over time can significantly affect your nervous system. This can lead to problems with anxiety, low self-esteem, and difficulties forming secure relationships.
  • Core Shame & Guilt: Trauma can lead to strong beliefs that a person is flawed or to blame for bad experiences. These feelings can harm self-worth and make it hard to form healthy relationships and build confidence.

Why Online Trauma Counselling with EMDR Works?

  • Proven Effectiveness: EMDR therapy helps people deal with and recover from traumatic memories. It reduces the emotional pain associated with these memories and supports healing.
  • Safe & Accessible: You can start your healing journey from home with online counseling sessions. This is especially helpful if you find it hard to leave your house after experiencing trauma.
  • Specialized Therapists: Our therapists are trained in trauma-focused methods, including EMDR. They provide caring support to help you deal with difficult memories and find relief.

The benefits of Trauma Counselling

Trauma counseling helps people recover from difficult life experiences. It can address trauma from a single event or ongoing challenges. Counseling supports healing and builds resilience.

Here are some critical advantages of trauma counseling:

  • Processing Painful Memories: Counseling provides a safe space to face and work through painful memories. This guided approach helps lessen the emotional weight of these memories over time, making them easier to manage.
  • Restoring Emotional Balance: Trauma often disrupts emotional well-being, leading to feelings of fear, anxiety, anger, or sadness. Counseling helps individuals identify, understand, and regulate these emotions, fostering a sense of balance and control.
  • Building Coping Skills: Trauma counselors help people manage stress and strong emotions. They teach practical skills that improve daily life and help build resilience for the future.
  • Improved Relationships: Trauma can harm personal relationships, causing people to feel alone or create conflicts. Counseling can help rebuild trust, improve communication, and support healthier relationships.
  • Reducing Symptoms of PTSD and Anxiety: Special therapies like EMDR and cognitive-behavioral therapy can help reduce symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and overarousal, significantly improving overall quality of life.
  • Fostering Self-Understanding and Growth: Counseling helps people reflect on how trauma has shaped their identity and behavior. This understanding allows individuals to grow and move forward with confidence.

Getting trauma counseling is a brave choice that can help you heal. It lets you feel safe again, build confidence, and look forward to a better future.

How can Wellspring Counselling help with Trauma?

Traumatic experiences can happen in many ways, such as physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, losing a loved one, natural disasters, or being a crime victim. No matter what you’ve gone through, our caring and skilled counselors are ready to help you understand your feelings and support you on your journey to recovery.

The healing journey can be overwhelming, but you don’t have to go through it alone. Our team provides a supportive and understanding environment. We use effective techniques to help with the effects of trauma. These include cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), mindfulness practices, body-based therapies, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and more. We aim to help you feel better, learn healthy coping skills, build meaningful connections, and create a life filled with purpose and resilience.

You can choose not to let trauma shape your future. Healing is possible, and we are here to support you every step of the way.

Our Approach: Compassionate, Effective, Personalized

  • Understanding Your Story: We begin by listening deeply to your experiences, exploring how trauma has impacted your thoughts, emotions, and sense of self.
  • EMDR for Deep Healing: EMDR therapy helps your brain reprocess traumatic memories, lessening their power and allowing you to view the past from a healthier perspective.
  • Beyond EMDR: We tailor therapy to you, incorporating Emotion-Focused Therapy, CBT, and supportive techniques to address shame, guilt, and the broader impacts of trauma.
  • Rebuilding Resilience: Learn tools to manage triggers, regulate emotions, and build a stronger sense of safety and self-worth in the present.

A Special Message from the Director

Clients Say

Testimonials

Mr. Gordon is someone that captures the spirit and the heart of active engagement. He is empathic, genuine and incorporates action and creative problem solving into his practice. I have no hesitation in recommending Mr. Gordon as an effective career and personal counsellor.

NA

I had no experience with therapy and was unsure of the whole process. Alistair made everything very accessible and unintimidating. It was clear that he puts quite a lot of effort and preparation into every session. I'm so glad that I decided to do this, and could not have asked for a better person to help me with this. I would highly recommend Alistair to anyone who has ever thought that they might benefit from talking to a professional.

EH

I am a young professional which for a long time now, has struggled with anxiety, insecurity, and difficulty in finding effective life coping mechanisms. Alistair was referred to me by a friend and upon the first meeting, I found Alistair to be empathetic, compassionate and intuitive. I have now been seeing Alistair regularly for 6 months and through that time my anxiety has significantly decreased, I have found effective methods of dealing with stress, found support dealing with identity issues, as well as finding inner strength to get through a tough break up. Alistair again and again, went the extra mile -thank you Alistair for your candor, openness and a safe space to get support. Thank you for playing such a large role in keeping me healthy and positive.

KL

I have been working with Alistair Gordon as my counsellor at Wellspring for almost 6 months now and cannot begin to tell you how far I have come with his help. I have tried working with other counsellors and therapists in the past but never really found one that clicked for me. I always felt judged, unsupported, and rushed at those appointments until I booked my first appointment with Wellspring and with Allistair. To anyone on the fence about booking an appointment or engaging in therapy: if you are willing to do the work, you couldn't ask for a better partner in your healing journey.

ER

When I decided to find a counsellor, I tried to find someone that I could relate to, someone that is like-minded and down-to-earth and with Alistair I really found the right person. He uses an integrative approach, showed me techniques to relax and get aware of my emotions, and helped me see things in a new perspective. Of course this is an ongoing process but I enjoy meeting and working with Alistair every time. The downtown office is a very neutral place - not too intimate, not too clinical - which is helpful to overcome apprehension, especially the first couple of times. What I find remarkable is that Alistair almost always knows what I'm trying to say, even if I can't put it into words. Working with Alistair helped me a lot and it was the right decision to put my trust in him.

MA

Alistair really cares about you the person, and I could really feel him trying to tackle my challenges. He was also very available for off-session contact via text and email. I think he did a great job with confronting me where I needed it. Alistair always could remember the important peoples' names in my personal life, which really helped with talking about my problems. I really felt like I was talking to a friend.

MS

Alistair is an awesome counsellor. He has been so helpful in working with me through some tough times in my life. He's always been available to chat with me in-between sessions. I'd recommend Alistair to anyone - he's really the ideal counsellor in my view.

JG

I enjoy how sessions are collaborative where I can take the lead for the direction of what we talk about, and at the same time I know that Alistair will offer helpful guidance and insight along the way. I also like how we focus on the future instead of just the past. I find this to be empowering and helpful to move forward in life.

RM

Alistair is an awesome counsellor. He has been so helpful in working with me through some tough times in my life. He's always been available to chat with me in-between sessions. I'd recommend Alistair to anyone - he's really the ideal counsellor in my view.

JG

I have always felt very comfortable with Alistair. He has a calming presence, and you can tell he cares about being the best counsellor for you. He helps you with all aspects of your concern, and is always able to help me find a solution to the problem I'm having.

SD

Alistair is an exceptionally talented counsellor and has always demonstrated strong ethics, great compassion, wisdom and respect for others. I highly recommend him as a counselling practitioner.

MB

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Trauma Counselling in Burnaby, BC

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