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Have you experienced something that changed you in a negative way—like a loss, a toxic relationship, or medical trauma? Maybe you've endured abuse or grew up in an unsafe environment. You might not call it “trauma,” but you feel something’s off.
Life has felt hard for a while, and deep down, you sense past experiences are affecting you. Others might dismiss your pain, saying it’s normal or not that bad.
If you're feeling unseen, unheard, or misunderstood, or you're struggling with intrusive thoughts, nightmares, emotional outbursts, or feeling stuck in the past, these can be signs of trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD. You’re not alone, and it’s not your fault. Trauma-informed therapy in Winnipeg can help you heal, so you can live free of these struggles. Imagine a life without them—it’s possible. Let yourself hope again.
Reach out to us today. You deserve to thrive and feel safe in your own mind, body, and life—free from the weight of your hard past.
Areas of Trauma Therapy We Offer in Winnipeg
Therapy for Complex Trauma and CPTSD
Complex PTSD (CPTSD) is different from PTSD in that it’s caused by prolonged, repeated trauma, often within close relationships. CPTSD can lead to a deep sense of low self-worth, making you feel like it was your fault—even if the trauma occurred in childhood or when you had little or no control. This continuous negative conditioning creates “implicit memories” that, while originally protective, can cause ongoing suffering. CPTSD is common for those who’ve faced emotional neglect, abuse, complex abandonment, bullying, repeated criticism, or other relational traumas. Our CPTSD therapy helps you understand your body's protective responses, fostering empathy, compassion, and practical strategies to heal and reclaim your well-being.
Healing from complex trauma starts by feeling truly seen, heard, and understood. You don’t have to suffer alone anymore. Let’s start your healing journey today. Reach out here to get a sense of what it would be like to work with our trained and compassionate Winnipeg therapists.
Therapy for Trauma and PTSD
Experiencing PTSD can feel like a constant battle of disturbing thoughts, overwhelming emotions, and uncomfortable body sensations. You might struggle with flashbacks, intrusive memories, or feel easily exhausted, startled, or numb. This can lead to a deep disconnection from both others and yourself. While many try to cope with PTSD through unhealthy strategies, our trauma therapy approach helps you move beyond just masking the pain to achieve genuine healing and freedom.
Our Evidence-Based Therapy Options
Trauma Informed Talk Therapy → Shifting trauma-related beliefs.
- Before Therapy:
“It was my fault. I should have done something differently.” - During and After Therapy:
You begin to question that belief. "What if it wasn’t my fault?" "What if my body has been holding onto guilt that was never mine to carry?"
EMDR Therapy → Reprocessing painful memories at the body-level.
EMDR therapy is an evidence-based approach used worldwide to help process traumatic memories safely. Learn more from the EMDR International Association on how EMDR works.
- Before EMDR:
Memories hit out of nowhere, making it feel like the past is happening all over again. - During and After EMDR:
As you follow the guided movements, something shifts. The memory that once felt overwhelming starts to feel… distant. Lighter.
Somatic Integration → Reconnecting with your body’s wisdom.
- Before Somatic Integration Therapy:
You feel disconnected — like your body and mind are on different wavelengths. Maybe you notice tension, tightness, or numbness but can’t quite explain why. - During and After Somatic Integration Therapy:
You start to listen differently. A flutter in your chest becomes a message, not a mystery. A deep breath becomes a doorway back into safety. You begin to move, tremble, stretch, or sigh — and realize your body knows how to release what it’s been holding all along.
Mindfulness & Nervous System Regulation → Feeling safe in your own body again.
- Before Mindfulness Therapy:
Panic comes out of nowhere. It’s hard to tell what triggered it. - During and After Mindfulness Therapy:
You learn to track your nervous system—how to recognize the early signs of activation and bring yourself back to calm.
Understanding Your Trauma Response: Fight, Flight, or Freeze
When trauma hits—whether once, or repeatedly—your nervous system flips into survival mode.
- You may notice the fight response: anger, agitation, a fierce need to defend.
- Or the flight response: restlessness, avoidance, the drive to escape.
- Sometimes you’ll freeze: feeling stuck, numb, disconnected, as though the body and mind shut down to protect you.
These reactions aren’t signs of weakness; they’re automatic, biological responses to harm and danger. They’re your nervous system’s way of protecting you, even when the threat is no longer present. Trauma therapy in Winnipeg can help you learn to recognize these responses, reclaiming safety in your body, and gradually moving from desperation toward calm, clarity, and self‑connection.
How Trauma Therapy in Winnipeg Can Help
- Before Trauma Therapy:
You wake up exhausted, even after a full night’s sleep. Your body feels heavy, like you’re carrying something you can’t name. Certain sounds or words make your chest tighten, and you don’t know why. Some days, you feel completely numb—other days, your emotions feel too big to handle. - After Trauma Therapy:
You have many good, even great, days. Many days are filled with moments of gratitude and joy.
You do still have hard days, but they don’t swallow you whole anymore. The anxiety that once felt unbearable now feels like something you can understand and manage. You feel more present in your body, more connected to the people around you. For the first time in a long time, you feel like yourself again.
How PTSD Counselling Can Help You Heal and Reclaim Your Life
Whether your trauma stems from a single event or a lifetime of painful experiences, our local trauma informed therapists offer a safe, supportive space for you to begin healing. Together, using evidence-based approaches such as EMDR therapy and trauma-informed talk therapy to support your healing, we’ll work to help you regain a sense of control, reduce your symptoms, and reconnect with yourself and others in a way that feels safe and grounded. You don’t have to carry this forever. Our warm and compassionate therapists can help you gain lasting healing and peace.
How Therapy for Trauma Supports Lasting Healing
Trauma counselling in Winnipeg helps you process painful experiences, navigate intense emotions, and heal in a way that feels safe—without reliving the painful memories of the past. Whether you're struggling with PTSD, complex childhood trauma, or past experiences that still affect you, working with our caring and competent trauma therapists can help you feel more like yourself again.
But what if you’re not even sure it’s trauma?
Trauma therapy is backed by decades of research on how the brain and body heal from distressing experiences. According to the American Psychological Association, trauma can affect emotions, memory, and even physical health—even if you don’t think your experience “counts.”
Maybe you haven’t recognized your behavioral, physical, or emotional struggles as trauma-related. You might assume what you went through wasn’t “bad enough” to have a lasting impact.
You might be telling yourself:
- “It wasn’t that bad. Other people had it worse.”
- “I should be over this by now.”
- “I don’t even know if this counts as trauma.”
Trauma isn’t just about what happened—it’s about how it still affects you. That’s why trauma therapy focuses on both the mind and body to create deep, lasting healing that goes beyond learning to manage your symptoms.
If any of this resonates with your experience, know that working with a trauma-informed therapist here at Empower Counselling Services can help you heal and empower yourself to navigate life with renewed strength.
Signs Trauma May Still Be Affecting You
If your unresolved past experiences are still affecting you, it might show up as persistent anxiety, intrusive thoughts, or difficulty feeling safe in daily life. Our anxiety therapy can help you develop tools to manage overwhelming emotions and regain a sense of calm.
Does any of the following resonate with you? If you find yourself nodding along, you may benefit from working with one of our local trauma-informed therapists.
✔ You feel emotionally overwhelmed—or completely shut down.
✔ You avoid certain places, people, or situations—without fully knowing why.
✔ You struggle with trust, boundaries, or relationships.
✔ You get triggered by things that don’t seem to match the moment.
✔ You feel on edge, disconnected, and constantly bracing for something bad to happen.
Trauma can show up in unexpected ways—sometimes long after the event itself. According to the National Institute of Mental Health, trauma can affect emotions, memory, and even physical health.
You don’t have to keep pushing through on your own. Reach out to us today to explore how our trauma-informed therapists can help you heal and leave your painful past behind you once and for all.
Why Choose Us
At our practice, we don’t believe in one-size-fits-all therapy. We focus on building a strong therapeutic relationship first—because true healing happens when you feel safe, seen, and supported. Here’s what you can expect when working with us:
Step 1: Creating Safety & Trust
Therapy starts at your pace—no pressure, no rushing, just a space where you can breathe and feel heard.
Step 2: Understanding & Gaining Tools
You’ll learn how PTSD affects your body and mind, and gain practical tools to help with triggers, emotions, and relationships.
Your reactions aren’t random. They make sense. Trauma therapy with a skilled professional helps you understand why your brain and body respond the way they do—and how to gently change those patterns.
Step 3: Healing & Moving Forward
We’ll use gentle, evidence-based techniques to help your brain and body release stored negative memories so they no longer control your life. Healing isn’t about forgetting—it’s about reclaiming your life, one step at a time.
The Science Behind Trauma Therapy
PTSD impacts the brain by keeping it stuck in a survival loop. Understanding this can be a game-changer for healing. In therapy you will learn:
✔ Why trauma responses feel automatic (and how therapy helps shift them).
✔ The role of the nervous system (and why talk therapy alone isn’t always enough).
✔ How EMDR therapy works with the brain’s natural healing process.
Trauma isn’t just emotional—it affects the brain’s wiring and stress response. Harvard Medical School explains how trauma impacts the brain and why therapy can help retrain these patterns.
Dr. Bessel van der Kolk’s groundbreaking book, The Body Keeps the Score, explores how trauma is stored in the body—and how therapy helps release it.
Your brain isn’t broken—it’s just been doing its best to keep you safe. Therapy with a local professional in Winnipeg helps your nervous system shift out of survival mode and back into balance.
What if I Don't Feel Ready to Start Trauma Therapy?
Not sure if therapy is the right step? Healing can start in small ways, even outside of the therapy office. Read our blog on how to begin healing from trauma, even if therapy feels overwhelming, for gentle, no-pressure ways to start your journey.
✔ You don’t have to be "ready"—you just have to be curious.
Taking the first step toward healing can feel daunting, and many people believe they need to be "ready" before healing can begin. The truth is, you don't need to have all the answers or feel perfectly prepared. All it takes is a flicker of curiosity—a willingness to explore why things are the way they are, and a gentle openness to the possibility of positive change. That curiosity is a powerful starting point.
✔ Signs that now might be the right time.
Are you constantly feeling overwhelmed, disconnected, or finding yourself avoiding situations? Perhaps you're noticing that past experiences are heavily influencing your present, or that relationship patterns keep repeating. If these struggles are impacting your daily life, your relationships, or your sense of peace, these are often clear indicators that reaching out for support now could make a significant difference—and that working with a therapist could truly help.
✔ Gentle, no-pressure ways to start healing (even if therapy feels like too much right now).
Healing doesn't always begin with a grand leap into intensive therapy. Healing can start in small ways, even outside of therapy. Psychology Today shares gentle self-help strategies for trauma survivors.
The Power of Feeling Truly Heard, Seen, and Understood
Recovering from trauma—whether a single event or ongoing experiences—can feel isolating and overwhelming. Many people who struggle with PTSD or traumatic stress often feel unseen, unheard, or misunderstood. Your struggles are so real, and while even you often can't understand why you act the way you do, you often feel blamed for "just not trying hard enough." This can deepen emotional pain and make healing even harder.
At our practice, we provide a safe, supportive space where you are truly seen and validated. Our caring therapists are trained in evidence-based approaches like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and trauma informed talk therapy that help you process trauma at both the emotional and physical levels. We don’t just focus on short-term relief—we’re here to help you heal at the root.
You don’t have to carry your pain alone. With the right trauma recovery support available here in Winnipeg, healing is possible—and you deserve it. Reach out today.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. Therapy isn’t about forcing painful memories—it’s about healing at a pace that feels safe for you. - What if I don’t remember parts of my trauma?
That’s okay. You don’t have to remember every detail to heal. Therapy helps process emotions and patterns, even without full memories. - How long does therapy take?
Everyone’s journey is different. Some people feel relief after a few months, while others benefit from longer-term support. Healing is always possible.
Have more questions? Visit our therapy FAQ page for answers to common concerns about the therapy process, what to expect, and how to get started.
If you're looking for additional resources, the Canadian Mental Health Association (CMHA) provides nationwide support options.
Getting Started with Trauma Counselling in Winnipeg
Healing doesn’t mean forcing yourself to “get over it.” It means learning how to move forward in a way that feels safe, gentle, and sustainable.
Therapy doesn’t have to start with a huge leap—it can begin with a small, intentional step. Discover a new path forward with therapy for trauma in Winnipeg. Reach out today to book a session or ask any questions you might have for us. We look forward to connecting with you.