Online Therapy for Trauma and PTSI

When searching for help healing from trauma, it is important to understand what trauma means in a therapeutic setting.

Trauma is commonly used to refer to events or incidents that affect us in a negative way. "Big T Trauma" generally refers to more intense and acute incidents or events, including a car accident, sexual assault or divorce. "Little t Trauma" generally refers to everything else. Through research and understanding, we have come to learn that trauma is not about the actual event itself, but rather how the mind and body respond in the days, weeks and months following the triggering incident. Many individuals can experience the same event and have different side effects.

Take the COVID-19 pandemic for example. Every person on this earth was affected and impacted by the global pandemic. You might have lost your job, or perhaps you just had to shift to work from home. Maybe you suffered the loss of a loved one, or you personally were hospitalized, or you didn't test positive at all. The various ways each individual was impacted is truly endless, which makes it easy to understand how people have different reactions to the trauma caused by the pandemic.

No matter what you have walked through in life, and regardless of what has happened to you, with therapy you can learn to heal and move forward on your journey in the direction you wish to be travelling. Our Care Coordinator will be happy to speak with you more about your desires to receive counselling for trauma during a free consultation call.

At the Journey Counselling and Psychotherapy, our approach to Trauma Counselling is unique and tailored to you.

Trauma based therapy is at the root of everything that we do. First, we must ensure we match you with the best suited counsellor or therapist on our team. Our Care Coordinator will discuss your desires and goals for therapy during our free consultation call. She will also answer any questions you may have, and assist you in navigating the intake system.

Our virtual sessions allow you to connect with your trauma counsellor from the safety and security of home or wherever feels most comfortable for you.

In your first session, it is important for your therapist to spend some time getting to know you, without focusing too much on the issues you are seeking therapy for. This helps to ensure we build trust and rapport while gathering information that will assist in developing coping strategies and reframing negative thought patterns.

Our goal for the first few sessions is to build trust and safety so you can explore your triggers without being overwhelmed.

Some times of interventions that can help with trauma include:

Trauma Focused- Cognitive Behvaioural Therapy
Dialectical Behaviour Therapy
Mindfulness
Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
Somatic Therapy

We firmly believe that therapy is only successful when you find the right therapist. It is our commitment to you, to ensure you feel safe and supported throughout the process. If you have any questions about how online help with trauma may work, please contact us. We’re here to help.

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Trauma Counselling in Ontario FAQs

What is Intergenerational Trauma?

Intergenerational trauma can often be called ancestral trauma or multigenerational trauma.

By definition, this type of trauma is experienced somewhere along your family tree and passed through the linage until it reaches you. It usually begins because of a specific event and can be experienced through things like parenting techniques, attachment styles, abuse, and neglect. It can also be passed through genetic changes to a person's DNA after they experienced said trauma.

If you are experiencing isolation, memory loss, anxiety, difficulty finding and or maintaining intimate relationships, explosive conflict, unresolved grief or fear, substance abuse, denial, anger or emotional outburst or depression, you may be experiencing the effects of intergenerational trauma.

What is the difference between PTSD and PTSI?

PTS, PTSD, PTSI and PTG are commonly used abbreviations when talking about trauma.

PTS refers to Post Traumatic Stress. This occurs in the moments, days and weeks after a traumatic event.

PTG refers to Post Traumatic Growth, which one can experience as they heal and emerge from a trauma. It is usually referring to the resilience factor that promotes healing and growth from a difficult incident.

PTSD, refers to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, which is the most commonly used and well known term for labelling the after effects of trauma. PTSD is considered a psychiatric disorder, diagnosed only by a professional after the individual has exhibited symptoms of prolonged coping stress and heightened nervous system arousal following a trauma (30 days or more).

PTSI stands for Post Traumatic Stress Injury. In recent years, research and observation of trauma survivors has taught us that the effects of trauma are more an "injury" than a "disorder". Think of it this way; if you fall off your bicycle and break your arm you have an injury. If you experience a trauma that hurts your brain and the way you perceive and process danger, you also have an injury.

The words we use can affect healing or promote recovery. Considering yourself or someone else as injured rather than damaged or disordered is much more kind and gentle. Words matter!

What causes trauma?

Trauma can mean so many things to so many people. Really, there is no one single cause. The potential for trauma is present every day. It can be as small as someone cutting you off in traffic, or as complex as a natural disaster. People have risk factors (things that put them at risk of adverse reaction) and protective factors (things that would protect from or promote healing) that will determine how they process threats or perceived threats.

Since you never truly know what might be a trauma for you, or how you might be affected down the road, makes it hard to pinpoint exactly what causes trauma. What is important to focus on is how you feel and react following a trauma.

Why should I seek therapy for trauma?

Trauma often causes us to live in a heightened state of arousal. This can feel like rapid or shallow breathing, tightness in the chest, fear or panic that never persisted before, or a hyper-vigilance. It can also feel like sadness, shame and loss of hope. After experiencing a trauma, it can be difficult to get through the simplest tasks without a struggle. Coping was never meant to be a long term solution. Developing coping mechanisms can help you to get through the difficult moments, or nervous system stress. They are not mean to be prolonged solutions. Understanding your triggers, accepting how your body wants and needs to process the post traumatic stress, and healing from what happened to you is the most successful way to survive trauma. If you are thinking about starting therapy to unpack your past and begin your journey towards healing, you are in the right place. The hardest part about beginning therapy is just getting started.

Get help from a counsellor for Trauma and PTSI

When you're ready to take the first step on your journey to wellness, we are ready to walk alongside you.

Through the free consultation, our Care Coordinator will help you navigate the first steps.

The Journey Counselling and Psychotherapy