We are currently accepting new clients for trauma therapy in Winnipeg, offering both in-person and online daytime and evening appointments to suit your unique scheduling and accessibility needs.
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Have you experienced something that changed you—and not in a good way?
Maybe it was a car accident, you watched someone die, experienced a sudden loss, or had to endure a toxic relationship that left deep emotional scars. Perhaps you grew up in a home where you never felt safe, or you've faced years of emotional, sexual or physical abuse.
You might not even label it as “trauma,” but you know something isn't right.
Maybe you've heard things like, “Everyone thinks they have trauma these days.”
And yet, life has felt hard for a long time—without a clear explanation. Deep down, you may have sensed that your struggles are connected to past experiences, but you haven’t been able—or allowed yourself—to fully name it. Perhaps others have dismissed your pain, saying it’s normal, that it wasn’t that bad, or that you just need to try harder.
Do you find yourself constantly on edge, unable to relax, or overwhelmed by anxiety or fear that doesn’t seem to have a clear cause?
Are you easily triggered—by loud noises, certain people, or specific places—and you don’t always understand why?
Do you experience intense anger, shame, or guilt that seems to come out of nowhere? Or maybe you feel numb, disconnected, and like you're just going through the motions of daily life.
If you’re struggling with intrusive thoughts, nightmares, emotional outbursts, numbness, frequent fight, flight, freeze or fawn reactions, or the feeling that you’re stuck in the past, you’re not alone—and it’s not your fault. These are common signs of trauma and PTSD. It doesn't have to stay this way. Support from a caring, trauma-informed therapist here in Winnipeg can help you heal so you can experience the freedom of living a life without these symptoms. Take a moment to just imagine that. A life without these struggles and burdens. 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.
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 therapists offer a safe, supportive space for you to begin healing. Together, using evidence-based approaches such as EMDR therapy, somatic approaches, 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.
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 somatic approaches 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.
If you’ve been feeling stuck or overwhelmed, know that lasting change is possible. Here’s how PTSD counselling can support your healing journey and help you reclaim your life:
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Break free from the past: Understand how your painful past affects your present and learn new ways of coping and living.
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Reconnect with yourself: Rebuild your identity and sense of self beyond what you’ve been through.
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Improve relationships: Develop healthy boundaries and trust in your connections with others.
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Regulate emotions: Find calm and gain tools to manage anxiety, anger, or overwhelm.
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Find meaning and purpose: Move from surviving to thriving, with a clearer sense of direction and hope.
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Heal invisible wounds: Address symptoms like anxiety, depression, or chronic stress that stem from distressing events.
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Build resilience: Learn to integrate your experiences and grow from them.
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Feel empowered: Regain control of your life with the support and strategies that work for you.
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Practice self-compassion: Cultivate a kinder, more accepting relationship with yourself.
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Release shame and guilt: Challenge the negative self beliefs trauma may have left behind.
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.
Struggling with ongoing relational or prolonged childhood trauma? Learn more about our Complex Trauma and CPTSD Therapy.
How Therapy for Trauma Supports Lasting Healing
Trauma counselling 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. It may be a sign that past experiences might be subtly (or overtly) influencing your present, making life feel more challenging than it needs to be.
✔ You feel emotionally overwhelmed—or completely shut down.
When emotions feel too big to handle, or so absent you feel numb, it's a sign your system is working overtime. Whether it's anxiety, sadness, anger, or just a constant sense of unease, these intense feelings can be exhausting. We're here to help you understand what's happening beneath the surface and develop healthier ways to process and respond to your emotional landscape.
✔ You avoid certain places, people, or situations—without fully knowing why.
Do you find yourself making excuses to skip social events, avoiding specific locations, or steering clear of certain conversations? This avoidance, even when its roots are unclear, often signals an underlying discomfort or fear. We can help you gently explore these patterns, understand their origins, and gradually reclaim your freedom to engage with the world more fully.
✔ You struggle with trust, boundaries, or relationships.
Relationships, whether with partners, family, friends, or even yourself, can be incredibly challenging. If you find yourself consistently battling issues of trust, struggling to set clear boundaries, or repeating unhelpful patterns in your connections, we can work together. Our aim is to help you build healthier relationships grounded in respect, clear communication, and mutual understanding.
✔ You get triggered by things that don’t seem to match the moment.
When a seemingly minor event sparks an intense emotional reaction, it can feel disorienting and unfair. These "triggers" often indicate that past experiences are influencing your present, causing your brain to react as if an old threat is still present. At Empower Counselling Services we offer a safe space to unpack these disproportionate reactions, allowing you to respond to the current moment, not the echoes of the past.
✔ You feel on edge, disconnected, and constantly bracing for something bad to happen.
Living with a constant sense of unease, a feeling of being disconnected from yourself or others, or perpetually anticipating something bad to happen can be utterly draining. This state of hyper-vigilance or detachment is often a coping mechanism that, while once helpful, now stands in the way of true peace. Trauma counselling available through our Winnipeg-based practice can help you understand and shift these deeply ingrained patterns, fostering a greater sense of safety, presence, and connection.
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.
What Trauma Can Feel Like
- 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.
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.
Types of Trauma We Treat
Therapy for PTSD
Experiencing PTSD can feel like a confusing mix of disturbing thoughts, overwhelming emotions, and uncomfortable body sensations. You might also struggle with flashbacks, intrusive memories, or feel easily exhausted, startled, or numb. This can lead to a profound sense of disconnection from others and even yourself. While adapting to PTSD often involves unhelpful coping strategies, our approach to trauma therapy helps you move beyond masking the pain to achieve genuine healing and freedom.
Therapy for Complex PTSD
Complex PTSD (CPTSD) differs from PTSD in that it stems from prolonged, repeated trauma, often within close relationships. Unlike single-event traumas, CPTSD can lead to a deep sense of low self-worth, making you believe it was your fault, even if it occurred in childhood or situations where you lacked power. This continuous negative conditioning creates "implicit memories" that, while initially protective, can cause ongoing suffering. CPTSD is common for those who've endured emotional neglect, abuse, or other relational traumas. Our complex PTSD therapy helps you understand your body's protective responses, fostering empathy, compassion, and strategies to heal and reclaim your well-being. You don't have to suffer alone anymore.
Learn more about our CPTSD therapy. Let's start your healing journey today. Reach out here to get a sense for what it would be like to work with our trained and experienced Winnipeg therapists.
Our Evidence-Based Treatment Options
EMDR Therapy → Reprocessing painful memories safely.
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 Therapy → Releasing trauma stored in the body.
Somatic therapy approaches help release trauma stored in the body. Learn more about Somatic Experiencing and how it supports healing.
- Before Somatic Therapy:
Your body feels tense all the time—shoulders tight, jaw clenched, breath shallow. - During and After Somatic Therapy:
You notice your breath slowing, your body softening. For the first time in a long time, you feel grounded instead of stuck in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) → Shifting trauma-related beliefs.
- Before CBT:
“It was my fault. I should have done something differently.” - During and After CBT:
You begin to question that belief. "What if it wasn’t my fault?" "What if my brain has been holding onto guilt that was never mine to carry?"
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.
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 and Somatic Therapy work 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. Sometimes, the most effective first steps are small, gentle ones. This might involve reading a book on emotional well-being, practicing simple mindfulness exercises, connecting with a trusted friend, or exploring local online resources that offer support to the Winnipeg and surrounding community.
Healing can start in small ways, even outside of therapy. Psychology Today shares gentle self-help strategies for trauma survivors.
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!