Complex Trauma Therapy in BC
I believe the key to healing is not just knowing what happened but transforming how the mind, body, and soul still remember it - Janina Fisher
Healing from Complex Trauma (CPTSD)
When people hear the word trauma, they often imagine scenes of someone with PTSD — like a war veteran having flashbacks of a battlefield. While trauma can be a sudden, catastrophic event, it can also be prolonged — like the psychological equivalent of a thousand paper cuts.
For many people, especially those with complex trauma (CPTSD), trauma begins in childhood. When the brain is still developing, it’s harder to make sense of what's happening — and harder to defend against it. CPTSD often stems from ongoing, relational trauma: parentification, emotional neglect, narcissistic caregiving, or needing to hide parts of yourself to stay safe. Physical abuse, sexual abuse, or neglect can also be part of the picture.
Many people with CPTSD don’t have a cohesive memory of what happened. Traumatic memories are often stored in the body and nervous system as emotional or body memories, without a clear narrative. The good news? You don’t need to remember everything to begin healing. Your body holds the story — and it's a valid one.
The Living Legacy of Trauma
What is it like to have emotional or bodily memories without context? This is what renowned trauma expert Janina Fisher calls the living legacy of trauma.
With CPTSD, you may experience life more through the lens of survival parts — protective responses that formed during overwhelming times. These are nervous system-level reactions, not flaws in your logic. A mild criticism from a boss might trigger shame spirals. Waiting for a text might send you into a panic. Even if you logically know you’re safe now — your body reacts as if the danger is still happening.
These are old protective responses being triggered in the present.
To complicate matters, because emotional memories don’t feel like memories, it’s easy to mistake them for personality traits: Maybe I’m just broken. Maybe I’m a depressed person. Maybe this is just who I am. It’s not.
It's also common to question whether what you went through was “bad enough.” But that kind of minimizing is often part of the trauma itself — a protective strategy, not a measure of truth.
CPTSD can impact many aspects of life:
Chronic shame or low self-worth
Mistrust of others
Feeling unsafe in your body
Difficulty regulating emotions or expressing boundaries
Self-sabotage and inner criticism
My Approach to Therapy for CPTSD
I believe all parts of you are welcome in the therapy room — even the ones you feel are causing problems.
My approach to complex trauma is relational, somatic, and grounded in parts work. Because trauma is often stored implicitly — not in words, but in feelings, images, and bodily states — I work with the nervous system, not just the mind.
I’m trained in:
Somatic Attachment Therapy: a body-based approach that helps build safety and connection in the present moment, and supports trauma processing.
Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST): a parts work model developed by Janina Fisher, designed specifically for complex trauma and dissociation.
If you've ever felt like different parts of you are stuck in the past — the inner critic, the frozen child, the overfunctioning caretaker — parts work can help you relate to these responses with curiosity instead of fear or judgment.
I also support clients in:
Learning the language of their nervous system
Accessing imagination and body wisdom
Exploring dream material, intuitive insights, and their relationship with spirituality.
Trauma Counselling in Vancouver and Across BC
I currently offer trauma counselling in BC and in person in Vancouver. Whether you're working through childhood trauma, nervous system dysregulation, or the long-term effects of relational wounding, you're welcome here.
My approach is especially supportive for folks who identify as highly sensitive, empathic, or neurodivergent — people who often feel deeply and notice everything.
What Healing Might Actually Look Like
Maybe you've been in therapy before, or read all the books, but still feel like something's stuck.
That’s okay. Healing from complex trauma isn't linear, and it’s not about becoming someone brand new. It’s about slowly, gently reconnecting with the parts of you that had to go quiet in order to survive.
That might mean:
Feeling a safer in your body
Not spiraling quite as hard when you get triggered
Recognizing, oh — that’s just that part of me showing up again
Learning to relate to yourself with more curiosity and less shame
Making room for rest, connection, and boundaries that actually feel like yours
Discovering or reclaiming your authentic self
Feeling safer and more connected with others
I really believe it’s possible to feel less hijacked, more present, and more like yourself again.
If this sounds like what you’re looking for, you can book a free consultation using the button below or contact me.
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Yes — I offer in-person trauma therapy in Vancouver. My office is in the city on the border of Kits & Fairview. I also virtual trauma counselling in BC.
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I provide complex trauma counselling to people all across British Columbia. As long as you're in BC, we can meet online for secure video sessions.
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That makes sense - there are an overwhelming amount of trauma therapists in Vancouver & BC these days, who use different approaches. Whether you’re googling “trauma therapy in Vancouver” or just know something’s not quite right, you don’t have to have to know exactly what you need. This is why I offer free consultations, so you get a chance to learn if my approach feels like a good fit for you and ask any questions to me before booking a 1-hour session.
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Yes — it’s one of my main specialties. I am certified in Trauma-Informed Stabilization Treatment (TIST), a parts work training specifically for CPTSD. I have also completed a two-year training in somatic-attachment therapy, which is specifically meant for relational and complex trauma. If you’ve tried therapy before, but felt that your therapist did not know how to treat complex trauma, it can be difficult to treat without specialized training and experience. It’s also important that you feel the therapist is a good fit for you.
If you’re looking for a CPTSD therapist in BC, it can be helpful to ask them about their approaches, training, and experience. -
That’s actually something I hear a lot. Minimizing or dismissing your experience is often a symptom of the trauma itself — especially with complex trauma, emotional neglect, or situations where you had to stay functional to survive. You don’t need a specific memory or diagnosis to benefit from therapy. Trauma is less about the events that happened, and more defined by that which was too overwhelming to process at the time.