AREAS OF FOCUS
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Helping you move from hurt to hope.
IN-PERSON IN ST. CATHARINES & THE NIAGARA REGION - VIRTUAL ACROSS ONTARIO
Disclaimer: The information on this page is for educational purposes only and is not intended to self-diagnose. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a clinical diagnosis. If you are experiencing the debilitating aftermath of trauma, our team is here to provide a highly structured, safe, and evidence-based environment to support your recovery.
Experiencing or witnessing a deeply distressing, life-threatening, or overwhelming event can have lasting effects on your psychological and physical well-being. When these experiences disrupt your daily functioning, relationships, and sense of safety over a prolonged period, it can develop into Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
PTSD is not a sign of weakness, nor is it a permanent state of being. It is a physiological and psychological survival response—a state where your brain and body remain locked in "survival mode," unable to file the traumatic event away into the past.
At Wellness Counselling Centre, we provide specialized, trauma-informed therapy designed to help you safely process traumatic memories, regulate your nervous system, and transition from a state of constant survival into a life of safety, connection, and Post-Traumatic Growth—the profound positive psychological change and resilience that can emerge after navigating adversity.
Understanding PTSD: The Clinical Framework (DSM-5)
To understand PTSD, it is helpful to look at how clinical professionals evaluate it. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), PTSD symptoms are grouped into four distinct clinical areas. You do not have to navigate these symptoms alone; therapy is designed to address each of these specific categories:
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Intrusive Memories (Re-experiencing): Unwanted, vivid, and repetitive memories of the traumatic event. This includes distressing nightmares, severe emotional distress or physical reactions when reminded of the trauma, and flashbacks (feeling as though the event is happening again in the present).
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Avoidance: Active, conscious, or subconscious efforts to steer clear of anything that triggers memories of the trauma. This includes avoiding external reminders (places, people, activities, or objects) as well as internal reminders (thoughts, feelings, or conversations associated with the event).
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Negative Changes in Thinking & Mood (Cognition & Dysphoria): A shift in how you view yourself, others, and the world. This can manifest as persistent feelings of fear, anger, guilt, or shame; difficulty remembering key aspects of the trauma; feeling detached or alienated from loved ones; and a markedly reduced interest in activities you once enjoyed.
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Changes in Physical & Emotional Reactions (Arousal & Reactivity): A state of constant physiological hyperarousal. This includes being easily startled, feeling constantly "on guard" (hypervigilance), experiencing sudden outbursts of anger or irritability, struggling to concentrate, and experiencing severe sleep disturbances.
PTS vs. PTSD: Understanding the Difference
and Common Sources
It is common to experience distress after a traumatic event, but there is an important clinical distinction between Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS) and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):
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Post-Traumatic Stress (PTS): This is a normal, non-pathological response to an abnormal, highly stressful event. Symptoms like feeling on edge, having trouble sleeping, or experiencing temporary anxiety typically peak in the days or weeks following the event and gradually subside as your nervous system naturally processes the experience. PTS is a common human reaction, not a mental health disorder, and often resolves with time, self-care, and brief support.
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Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): When those initial stress responses do not fade after a month, or if they intensify and significantly disrupt your ability to work, maintain relationships, or manage daily life, it may have developed into PTSD. PTSD is a diagnosed clinical condition where the brain's natural healing process has become blocked, leaving your nervous system stuck in a continuous, active state of survival.
PTSD can develop after experiencing a single event, prolonged exposure to danger, or witnessing harm happen to others. Common sources of traumatic stress that can lead to PTSD include:
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Physical, emotional, or sexual assault
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First responder operational stress and combat-related trauma
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Severe motor vehicle accidents or industrial incidents
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Surviving natural disasters
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Childhood abuse, chronic neglect, or developmental trauma
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Medical trauma (such as life-threatening diagnoses, invasive procedures, or ICU stays)
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Sudden, traumatic loss of a loved one
Healing and Rebuilding: Our Approach to Therapy
While therapy focuses on reducing the painful symptoms of PTSD, our ultimate goal is to help you experience Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG). This framework recognises that the struggle with trauma, while deeply painful, can also serve as a catalyst for profound personal transformation. Through the therapeutic process, many individuals find that they do not just return to who they were before the trauma; instead, they develop:
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A Deeper Appreciation of Life: A shift in perspective, finding greater value in everyday moments and a renewed sense of what truly matters.
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Strengthened Personal Relationships: Experiencing deeper intimacy, safety, and connection with loved ones, and a greater compassion for the suffering of others.
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Increased Personal Strength: Reclaiming your personal power and realising, "If I can survive that, I can navigate whatever comes next."
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New Possibilities and Directions: Developing new interests, shifting life paths, or choosing careers and hobbies that align with a redefined sense of purpose.
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Spiritual or Existential Development: Finding deeper meaning, purpose, and connection to something larger than yourself.
Our Therapeutic Toolkit
To support your recovery and foster post-traumatic growth, our clinicians utilise highly effective, research-backed, and trauma-informed modalities:
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EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing): A gold-standard, highly researched therapy that uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain safely reprocess traumatic memories, stripping away their distressing emotional and physical charge.
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Somatic & Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: Focuses on releasing the physical survival energy (fight, flight, or freeze) trapped in the body, helping your autonomic nervous system return to a state of safety and calm.
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Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helps you identify, understand, and heal the protective and wounded "parts" of your personality that were forced into extreme roles by the trauma, fostering inner self-compassion.
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Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): A specific cognitive protocol designed to help you evaluate and change upsetting thoughts and "stuck points" (such as "I am unsafe everywhere" or "It was my fault") that have kept you trapped in the trauma.
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Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) Skills: Teaches concrete distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and mindfulness skills to help you manage intense triggers and hyperarousal safely.
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Narrative Therapy: Helps you externalise the trauma, allowing you to reframe your personal history and write an empowered narrative where you are the author of your own survival and growth.
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Art Therapy: Provides a safe, creative, and non-verbal outlet to express, organise, and process traumatic memories and emotions when words are difficult to find.
Whatever your are facing, there is a place to start.
Living in a constant state of survival is exhausting, but you do not have to carry the weight of PTSD alone. Healing is not just about reducing your pain; it is about reclaiming your autonomy, rebuilding your safety, and discovering your capacity for growth.
Reach out to Wellness Counselling Centre today to connect with a trauma specialist who can support you on your journey toward recovery and post-traumatic growth.
Meet Your Support Team Who Work With
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
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Ciara Pember, MACP (Cand.)
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying)
ciara@wellnesscc.ca
*Offers affordable therapy
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Lewis Lau, MACP
Registered Psychotherapist
(Qualifying)
lewis@wellnesscc.ca
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Ashley Wills, MA
Registered Psychotherapist
Erin Coffell, MACP
Registered Psychotherapist
erin@wellnesscc.ca
Cassandra Umbriaco, MACP
Registered Psychotherapist
cassandra@wellnesscc.ca
Stefanie DeJong, M.A
Registered Psychotherapist
stefanie@wellnesscc.ca
Andrea Cottee MACP
Registered Psychotherapist
andrea@wellnesscc.ca
