Trauma doesn't always look like what you'd expect. It doesn't always come with dramatic flashbacks or obvious distress. Sometimes it shows up as feeling emotionally flat, being easily startled, struggling to trust people, or simply feeling like you're not quite yourself anymore.
If something happened — an accident, a loss, a frightening experience — and you haven't felt the same since, that matters. And it's treatable.
What Trauma Actually Feels Like
People who've experienced trauma often describe feeling:
- Constantly on edge — waiting for something bad to happen
- Emotionally numb or shut down — disconnected from feelings
- Overwhelmed by things that never used to bother them
- Intrusive memories, images, or sensations from the event
- Difficulty being present — spacing out or feeling detached
- Hypervigilance — scanning for danger even in safe situations
- Irritability or anger that feels out of proportion
- Avoiding reminders of what happened
These aren't character flaws. They're your nervous system's response to an overwhelming experience — and they can be worked through.
My Approach: Trauma-Informed & Practical
I use EMI therapy (Eye Movement Integration) as a core part of trauma treatment. EMI therapy helps the brain process distressing memories using guided eye movements — allowing those memories to become less intense without needing to relive them in graphic detail.
We also work on nervous system regulation — practical tools that help your body feel safer day to day. This isn't just about understanding what happened. It's about changing how your system responds to the world around you.
If your trauma is connected to a motor vehicle accident, ICBC direct billing may cover your sessions at no cost.
Trauma After a Motor Vehicle Accident
Car accidents are one of the most common causes of PTSD and trauma symptoms in adults. If you're experiencing driving anxiety, intrusive memories of the crash, sleep disruption, or emotional numbness since your accident — that's trauma, and it's exactly what I work with.
Related: Concussion Counselling Nanaimo | Anxiety Counselling Nanaimo
Frequently Asked Questions
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