Counselling for trauma in Vancouver

Find closure and live a more empowered life

Break the narrative, behaviours and patterns of trauma

Working with one of our Vancouver trauma therapists is an opportunity to re-process your story (emotionally, mentally and physically) and offer some closure to the events that have caused suffering in your life.

Trauma counselling is a tiered process, where the unhealthy self-narratives that we consider “our life story” are transformed, and steps are taken to allow your body to process events that are now over. Our counsellors use, EMDR, CBT and Somatic therapy to help to alleviate the psychological and physical symptoms of PTSD so that your body can recover from stress and recognize that the traumatic experience is no longer occurring. 

Trauma is treatable and with a trauma-informed counsellor, you can break the narrative, behaviours, and patterns that leave you feeling stuck or out of control.  


Experiencing trauma can feel like…

  • Difficulty regulating emotion
  • Memory loss (can occur around the traumatic event itself)
  • Panic attacks when reminded of the trauma (increased heart rate, difficulty breathing, sweating)
  • Avoidance of reminders of the traumatic event
  • Flashbacks
  • Hyper-vigilance
  • Withdrawal from society
  • Numbness & Depression
  • Nightmares
  • Lack of appetite
  • Irritability
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Using substances to dissociate

Trauma lives in both the body and the mind

When you experience an incident that is perceived as dangerous, such as sexual violence, childhood abuse, or a car accident, your animal instinct (or your midbrain) takes over. When this occurs, usually your conscious mind temporarily goes offline so that your body can react appropriately to the external threat, causing you to shut down. Trauma exists by re-living these experiences through external triggers or repetitive thoughts or behaviours that cause mental and physical distress.

Trauma can overwhelm your ability to cope and cause feelings of unease, helplessness and low self-esteem. This can distort your sense of reality and sense of self and erode your ability to feel a full spectrum of emotions and fully experience life. Trauma counselling is a great tool to support you when your capacity to cope is overwhelmed.


“Our sessions provide me with tangible tools to help me work on myself, reset my negative thought patterns, and reinforce positive behaviours like boundary setting and proper communication. I feel like I can grow into the person I want to be thanks to you.”
— BM

How to start with a trauma-informed counsellor

Step 1: Book your free consultation

This is a no-pressure call to determine if trauma counselling is right for you. The consultation is offered in a confidential and compassionate environment.

Step 2: Match with your counsellor

After your consultation, we will match you with the Sana trauma therapist who can best help you.

Step 3: Your first session

Deciding to move forward with trauma counselling is brave, thank you for making it this far. In this session, we will work together to find the best healing environment to support your growth.


Why Sana Counselling?

As trained trauma counsellors, based in Vancouver, we specialize in working with clients from all walks of life. Our holistic approach to counselling integrates the mind-body connection into healing emotional roadblocks. We work with you to provide the tools you need to move forward with your life and to remember yourself.

We’ve supported Vancouverites at our Kitsilano Office to build healthier relationships, since 2016. We serve individuals in relationships and folks of all nationalities and sexual orientations who are experiencing problematic relationship patterns. If you want to sustain and maintain the healthy and loving relationships that you deserve, relationship counselling is for you.