How do I know if what I experienced was trauma?

You do not need to decide whether an experience “counts” as trauma before coming to therapy. We can look at what happened, how it affected you, and what you are experiencing now.

What does trauma therapy look like?

Trauma therapy can look different depending on what you have experienced, what feels manageable, and what you want support with. We may begin by building a sense of safety and understanding how past experiences are affecting you now before deciding whether approaches such as EMDR, DBR, or Ego State Therapy may be helpful.

Can something still affect me even if it happened a long time ago?

Yes. Difficult experiences can continue to influence emotions, relationships, beliefs, or ways of coping long after the experience itself has passed.

What if I remember very little about what happened?

You do not need to have a complete or detailed memory of an experience to begin therapy. We can work with what you notice in the present without trying to force memories to come back.

Is trauma therapy only for people with PTSD?

No. You do not need a PTSD diagnosis to explore how difficult or overwhelming experiences may be affecting you.

Where can I learn more about trauma therapy?

The EMDR & Trauma Therapy page explains how I approach trauma therapy and the therapeutic approaches I may draw from.

Trauma Therapy

When Difficult Experiences Continue to Affect You

Illustration representing how past experiences can continue to affect thoughts, emotions, and responses in the present

Sometimes it is clear that something you went through is still affecting you. Other times, you may simply notice that you feel on edge, shut down, easily overwhelmed, disconnected, or caught in patterns that are difficult to understand.

Trauma does not always come from one major event. Experiences that happened repeatedly, relationships where you did not feel safe or supported, significant losses, or periods of ongoing stress can also have a lasting impact.

You do not need to know whether what happened “counts” as trauma before reaching out.

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Trauma Does Not Always Look the Way People Expect

Trauma can involve one overwhelming experience, but it can also develop through experiences that happened repeatedly or over a longer period of time. What happened matters, but so does how it affected you and the support that was available at the time.

One Difficult Event

An accident, assault, sudden loss, medical experience, frightening event, or another experience that felt overwhelming.

Experiences That Happened Over Time

Growing up around conflict, criticism, unpredictability, neglect, or other experiences that happened repeatedly.

Relationships That Felt Unsafe

Relationships involving fear, control, betrayal, emotional harm, or uncertainty about what to expect.

Loss, Change & Ongoing Stress

Immigration, discrimination, caregiving, repeated losses, major changes, or long periods of feeling overwhelmed.

Trauma Can Affect More Than Memories

Difficult experiences can shape how you see yourself, what you expect from relationships, and the ways you have learned to cope. Sometimes the effects are obvious. Other times, they can become so familiar that they simply feel like part of who you are.

How You See Yourself

You may notice self-blame, shame, difficulty trusting yourself, or feeling as though you should have handled things differently or been able to cope better.

How You Relate to Others

Past experiences can influence boundaries, closeness, asking for help, people-pleasing, or how safe it feels to trust and depend on other people.

How You Learned to Cope

Avoiding feelings, staying busy, trying to stay in control, withdrawing, or putting others first may have helped you get through difficult situations.

Nova Therapy brain illustration representing self-compassion, emotional support, and understanding difficult feelings.

Your Reactions May Have Made Sense at the Time

When you have been through something difficult, your mind and body may develop ways of helping you get through it. Staying alert, keeping people at a distance, avoiding certain situations, shutting down, or trying to stay in control may have made sense in the circumstances you were in.

These responses can become confusing when they continue after the situation has changed. Understanding where they came from can make it easier to approach them with curiosity rather than judgment.

What Can Trauma Therapy Look Like?

TRAUMA THERAPY

Trauma therapy can offer space to understand how difficult experiences may still be affecting you and explore what you need now.

How we work will depend on what you are experiencing and what you hope to get from therapy.

Explore EMDR & Trauma Therapy

RELATED AREAS OF FOCUS

Sometimes More Than One Thing Is Going On

Difficult experiences can sometimes show up alongside anxiety, grief, relationship concerns, substance use, or major life changes.

Anxiety

Relationship Concerns

Grief & Loss

Explore All Areas of Focus

Trauma FAQs

Wondering Whether Trauma Therapy Could Help?

READY WHEN YOU ARE

If some of what you have read feels familiar, you are welcome to book a free 15-minute consultation to talk briefly about what you are looking for and ask any questions you have.

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In-person therapy in Toronto and Thornhill • Virtual therapy across Ontario