Therapy for Trauma & PTSD in Stratford, Ontario
At Good Therapy, we specialize in trauma-informed therapy. Our therapists have lived experiences that give them the ability to empathize with you and your unique experience with trauma.
What Is Trauma
Trauma is an emotional response or reaction to a terrible life event or series of events that happened in your past regardless of how recent or long ago, where your survival was threatened and your sense of safety was fractured. Trauma makes you feel like you are experiencing the traumatic event over again, in the present, even if it happened months or years ago.
According to leading expert on trauma, Dr. Gabor Mate, trauma is defined as:
“…a psychological wound, not the event itself, but rather the internal impact and meaning the event creates inside of you.”
He emphasizes that trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you so trauma is not the event that inflicted the wound. It is not the sexual abuse, the war, the loss of a loved one, the abandonment, the inability of your parents to see you for who you were.
Trauma is the wound that you sustained as a result of the event(s), that causes profoundly disturbing physical sensations and emotions.
What is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a physical, emotional, and mental health condition caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event in your past that gets triggered in your present day, causing disturbing physical sensations and
emotions, for example, intrusive memories, thoughts, flashbacks, and persistent fear, that often lead to emotional numbness or hyperarousal.
Individuals with PTSD may struggle with relationships, isolate themselves or have difficulty trusting others. They may also experience a sense of detachment from daily life, as trauma distorts and shatters their worldview.
PTSD is linked to dysregulation of the body’s stress response system, particularly heightened activity in the amygdala (the part of the brain that processes fear) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to hypervigilance, sleep disturbances, and a heightened startle response. Over time, these reactions can impair your overall health and well being, making living your life difficult, and your relationships feel strained. Unresolved trauma can prevent you from moving forward.
Therapy can help you understand the source of your trauma and begin the process of healing. At Good Therapy, we take the time to understand who you are as an individual, the things that are adding stress and overwhelm to your life, and barriers to your healing. We look at all the interconnected aspects of your life in order to get the results you need to be free from the grip of traumatic past events.
Our therapists have specialized training in trauma, trauma-informed care, and PTSD in order to support your healing journey.
How We Can Help
Therapy has been proven to be extremely effective in treating symptoms of trauma and PTSD. At Good Therapy, our therapists are trained in trauma-informed therapeutic approaches that are highly effective in treating trauma and PTSD. We help you learn
how to minimize intense emotional responses that make you feel like you are experiencing the traumatic event over again and interrupt you sense of safety and security. Our compassionate therapists offer a number of evidence-based treatments including EMDR, trauma-informed Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, and somatic (body) approaches.
EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) is the leading edge form of therapy referred to as the “gold standard” of trauma therapy which is based on the latest neuroscientific research. At Good Therapy, we have trained EMDR therapists who can help you process your experience, develop strategies and tools to eliminate triggers, and reduce or resolve trauma symptoms.
At Good Therapy, We Specialize in Trauma Informed Therapy
How long will it take to get results?
You can expect to leave your first session validated and acknowledged, along with a plan of what will be involved in your therapeutic journey. Together, you and your therapist will determine how many sessions it will take to start to experience some relief.
Will I get triggered in therapy?
Part of therapy involves developing healthy emotion regulation skills that help you manage emotional responses to triggers. Your therapist will be supporting you along the way so you remain within your window of tolerance.
For more information on trauma and PTSD, check out our blog post, EMDR therapy for Stress and Trauma.
How long are the sessions and do we have to be in the same room or can we do them virtually?
Expect your therapy sessions to be 50-75 minutes each. At Good Therapy, we offer both in person and virtual therapy sessions. You and your therapist will determine a therapy plan together that suits your unique needs.
Book a Discovery Call Now
If you would like to speak with someone on the phone: Give us a call at (226) 261-0059
If you prefer to email, use the contact form below. We answer emails daily Monday to Friday between 9am and 5pm.