Counselling Services with a Trauma Psychologist
Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling offers counselling services by a trauma psychologist. We all go through traumas in our life. Traumas range from being rejected by friends or family to larger traumas, such as being in a car accident, or a victim of physical or sexual assault. Working with a trauma psychologist can help you cope with what has happened to you in the past, work on recognizing and coping with current triggers of the trauma and help to plan for how we want to effectively cope with situations in the future when we might be triggered by past traumas. Coping with trauma can be particularly difficult when an individual has experienced more than one traumatic event. Meeting with a trauma psychologist allows you to get help coping with the trauma in a safe environment.
Counselling Services with a Veteran Affairs Psychologist
At Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling, we work with a range of individuals who have experienced trauma, including trauma from childhood, sexual or physical assault, car accidents. Or you may have been traumatized because of your job. In addition to working with individuals on traumas previously noted, Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling provides a veteran affairs psychologist to meet with veterans. We have training with veterans in mind and work with veterans to address the challenges they face, both individually, and, where applicable, with their families.
Counselling Services with a First Responders Psychologist
Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling has also completed first responders training and is sensitive to the needs of first responders. We also have lived experience of working in difficult environments and coping with the impact this has on us and our families. Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling works with you in a supportive environment to help you process the traumas you have faced as well as the impact these traumas have had on you and loved ones around you.
EMDR
Because Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling provides researched, evidence-based counselling services, one type of therapy we offer is Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), which has been found to be effective for treating trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). EMDR is one of two therapies Veteran Affairs Canada deems as effective therapies for working with veterans.
Because traumas tend to get stuck in our memories and not fully processed, we tend to have strong vivid pictures, smells, and other senses related to these events. Traditional methods such as challenging our thoughts may not be overly effective in these cases. EMDR is a therapy which uses bilateral stimulation to help these vivid memories be processed so they are a memory, and we do not feel like we are back in the moment, reliving the traumatic event. Bilateral stimulation can be achieved using the movement of the psychologist’s hand, following a light moving side to side on a light bar, you tapping your hands, holding “tappers” in each hand which vibrate in an alternating pattern, or listening to sounds alternating between ears. Online, EMDR can be done by tapping your hands or using an app with a ball that moves from side to side on your screen. You decide which method of bilateral stimulation you use. You can also try different methods until you find what you are most comfortable with. Feel free to visit this link for more information on EMDR as well as links to resources about EMDR outside of this webpage.
Whatever the source of your trauma, at Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling, we personalize our treatment plans to meet your specific needs. These plans can be updated and modified as needed. At Chilliwack Mountain View Counselling, we work with you to address the areas you want to address, in the time frame you want to do so. You are in control of the pace we work. We always welcome an ongoing dialogue to address any questions or concerns you may have as we work towards improving your mental health, and helping you to live a happy, present life.