Counselling for PTSD and Complex Trauma in Calgary
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) affects millions of people worldwide, often silently. According to the World Health Organization, about 3.6% of the global population will experience PTSD at some point in their lives. In Canada, this number rises to nearly 1 in 10 people. Contrary to popular belief, this disorder is not limited to veterans or victims of major disasters; PTSD can occur after an accident, an assault, a sudden loss, or even a difficult childbirth. It deeply impacts mental health, relationships, and daily life. However, despite its prevalence, it is often misunderstood or trivialized. This article offers concrete and compassionate advice to better understand PTSD, recognize when to seek help, and know what to expect during therapeutic support.
What is PTSD?
PTSD is a mental health disorder that can develop after exposure to one or more traumatic events. It is not limited to war veterans or victims of violence. PTSD can affect anyone, regardless of age, gender, or background.
Imagine going through something really scary, shocking, or upsetting—like a serious accident, an assault, a natural disaster, or even witnessing something traumatic happen to someone else. Most people feel shaken afterward, but with time, they gradually feel better. For someone with PTSD, however, those intense feelings don’t fade away. In fact, they can linger for months or even years and get in the way of everyday life.
Common signs of PTSD include:
Flashbacks or nightmares that feel like you’re reliving the trauma
Avoiding places, people, or situations that remind you of what happened
Feeling on edge, easily startled, or constantly alert (like you’re always in “survival mode”)
Struggling with negative thoughts, guilt, or emotional numbness
PTSD is not a weakness, and it’s not something you can just “get over.” It’s a real mental health condition that deserves compassion, understanding, and support. The good news? Healing is possible. With the right help—like therapy, support groups, and sometimes medication—many people learn to manage their symptoms and regain control of their lives.
If you or someone you know is struggling after a traumatic experience, it’s okay to ask for help. Talking to a mental health professional is a brave and powerful first step. Remember: you’re not alone, and support is always within reach.
Common Causes of PTSD
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs after exposure to a traumatic event. However, the way each individual reacts to trauma can vary greatly. What causes PTSD in one person may not have the same effect on another. Therefore, it is not a sign of weakness, but rather a complex response from the brain and body to extreme stress. Some of the most common causes of PTSD include:
- Physical or sexual assaults: These are among the most frequent triggers, particularly for women. The emotional and physical impact of such violence is often profound and lasting.
- Serious accidents: Whether it’s a motor vehicle accident, a fall, or a fire, these sudden experiences can leave a strong traumatic imprint.
- Natural disasters or war situations: Earthquakes, floods, bombings, and armed conflicts confront victims with the fear of death, loss of safety, and helplessness.
- Sudden grief or loss of a loved one: A sudden death, especially if unexpected or traumatic, can trigger PTSD.
- Childhood abuse or prolonged neglect: Chronic trauma experienced in childhood has a lasting impact on emotional development and stress regulation in adulthood.
- Medical trauma: A difficult hospitalization, a serious diagnosis, or invasive medical procedures can also leave deep psychological scars.
It is important to note that it is not only the nature of the event that matters, but also the individual’s subjective experience, their perception of danger, and the lack of resources or support at the time the trauma occurs.
Most Common Symptoms assosciated with PTSD
- Re-experiencing (flashbacks, nightmares): One of the most striking symptoms of PTSD is the re-experiencing of the trauma. Unlike a simple memory, this experience is invasive and uncontrollable, as if the event is happening again. This combines intrusive, repetitive memories, recurring nightmares, and physical reactions. These manifestations can occur at any time, progressively isolating the person who fears situations that may trigger a re-experience.
- Avoidance: To protect themselves from the pain linked to memories, individuals with PTSD develop avoidance strategies, which, although understandable, reinforce the disorder in the long term. Avoidance offers temporary relief but maintains fear and prevents the brain from naturally processing the trauma.
- Hypervigilance and heightened reactivity: PTSD keeps the nervous system in a constant state of alert, as if danger could reappear at any moment. This leads to exaggerated startle responses, irritability or explosive anger, difficulty concentrating, and sleep disturbances. This state of hypervigilance is exhausting and can lead to social isolation, as the person fears losing control over their reactions.
Cognitive and emotional changes: Trauma often alters the way individuals perceive themselves and the world, with profound consequences, such as feelings of detachment: feeling disconnected from others or one’s own emotions, loss of interest, toxic guilt or shame, and a negative outlook on the future. These symptoms may appear weeks after the event, or sometimes months or even years later.
What to Expect During PTSD Counseling
Starting therapy for PTSD can be intimidating, especially if you’re not sure what to expect. Here’s what you can anticipate during your initial sessions, in simple terms:
- A safe and confidential space: You will be welcomed with kindness, without judgment. There’s no pressure to share your story immediately.
- A gentle assessment: The therapist will ask questions about your symptoms, emotions, and goals to better understand what you need.
- Concrete tools: You’ll gradually learn to recognize your triggers, manage anxiety, and calm your body with simple and effective techniques.
- A respected pace: Nothing will be forced. Therapy progresses at your pace, based on what you’re ready to explore.
- Ongoing support: Counseling is also about building a trusting relationship with a professional who accompanies you through every step of your journey.
At Innerlogue Therapy and Psychology, we believe that warm, personalized support can transform pain into resilience. You don’t have to face it all alone.
What Therapeutic Approaches are Used for PTSD?
PTSD doesn’t simply go away with time. It often requires a tailored therapeutic approach. Effective therapies include:
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT): This helps patients identify and change negative thoughts related to their traumatic experience, while also gradually confronting painful memories in a safe, controlled environment.
- Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE): This method takes a gradual approach, exposing the individual step-by-step to elements associated with their trauma—whether through detailed recounting or mental visualization. This technique reduces the intensity of anxious reactions linked to these memories.
- EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): This technique uses a different method but is equally effective. By guiding the patient to follow specific eye movements while recalling the traumatic memory, this approach helps the brain reprocess the event, reducing its painful emotional charge, as if it could finally “digest” what had been stuck.
- Somatic Therapy: This innovative approach focuses on the physical manifestations of PTSD. It operates on the premise that the body stores the memory of emotional shocks and aims to release accumulated tension through specific techniques. By learning to recognize and regulate bodily reactions linked to trauma—muscle tension, blocked breathing, or dissociative sensations—patients gradually regain a sense of embodied safety.
- Mindfulness: This complementary practice helps manage PTSD symptoms. Through adapted meditation practices, it cultivates the ability to observe painful thoughts and emotions without identifying with them or becoming overwhelmed. This compassionate acceptance of internal experiences creates a space between the traumatic memory and the automatic distress response.
Each of these methods can be adapted to the person’s specific needs and may sometimes be combined for a more personalized approach. The key is to find, with the help of a professional, the approach that will allow the patient to gradually regain control of their life.
At Innerlogue Therapy and Psychology, we offer personalized, confidential, and secure support tailored to your needs, pace, and experiences.
You Are Not Alone
Living with PTSD can be overwhelming, but it is important to remember: you are not alone. Thousands of people around the world are going through this journey, and many have found the inner peace they thought they had lost forever.
At Innerlogue Therapy and Psychology, our team of specialized therapists is here to guide you, without judgment, with patience and compassion.
Seeking help is not a sign of weakness; it’s an act of courage.
We’re here for you. Contact us for a free evaluation session or to discuss treatment options that may suit you.
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References
World Health Organization. (2022, September 13). Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-(ptsd)
American Psychiatric Association. (2017). What is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)? https://www.psychiatry.org/patients-families/ptsd/what-is-ptsd
