Trauma therapy in Coquitlam
Trauma isn't just what happened to you. It's what your body still carries from it.
You may have done the work of understanding your history. Named the experiences, identified the patterns, connected the dots. And still your body reacts as if the danger is present. That's because trauma is stored in the nervous system, not just in memory. Healing it requires working with the body directly.
Understanding trauma beyond the event
Trauma isn't always a single event. Sometimes it's the accumulation of experiences where you weren't safe, weren't seen, or had to become someone you're not in order to survive. This is often called developmental or relational trauma, and it shapes everything: how you attach, how you trust, how you show up in relationships, and how your body holds tension.
Whether your trauma has a clear origin or lives more as a felt sense that something went wrong early on, somatic therapy can help. We work with what your body carries, not just what your mind remembers.
Common Experiences
How trauma shows up
Trauma doesn't always announce itself. It often hides in patterns you've normalized.
"Healing trauma isn't about going back to who you were before. It's about your nervous system finally learning that the emergency is over, and discovering who you are without the bracing."
How I Work
A somatic approach to trauma
I work slowly and carefully. Trauma therapy that rushes into the wound before the body is ready can do more harm than good. We build regulation and safety first. Always.
From there, we work with the body's own intelligence to process what couldn't be processed at the time. I use somatic tracking, parts work, depth psychology, and relational attunement to support integration that's grounded and sustainable.
Safety and pacing first
Trauma work that moves too fast can re-traumatize. We build safety in the body before we go anywhere near the wound. That means developing nervous system awareness, learning what regulation actually feels like for you, and establishing a ground you can return to.
Working with the body, not just the story
Trauma lives in the nervous system. Your body holds what your mind may have organized into a narrative or may have no words for at all. We work with both: the felt experience in the body and the meaning you've made of what happened.
Parts and protective patterns
Trauma creates protectors. Parts of you that learned to shut down, fight, flee, freeze, or perform in order to survive. We don't try to get rid of them. We build relationship with them, understand what they're protecting, and help your system learn that the emergency is over.
Integration, not catharsis
The goal isn't to relive your trauma or have a dramatic emotional release. It's to help your nervous system process what it couldn't at the time, and to integrate that experience so it stops running your life from the background.
What recovery looks like
Trauma recovery isn't linear, and it doesn't look the same for everyone. But over time, clients consistently describe shifts like these:
Is somatic trauma therapy right for you?
This work is a good fit if you know your history is affecting your present but talking about it hasn't been enough to change how your body responds. If you want a therapist who works with your nervous system directly and who paces the work so it doesn't overwhelm you, this is what I do.
It's also for people whose trauma doesn't fit neatly into a single event. Relational trauma, developmental trauma, attachment wounds, religious trauma, the chronic stress of living in a body or an environment that didn't feel safe. All of these can be held here.
Most people begin with Therapeutic Foundations. We build capacity and safety first. If deeper identity-level work becomes relevant, that path is available too.
Begin trauma therapy in Coquitlam
Book a free 15-minute consultation. We'll talk about what you're carrying, how this approach works, and whether it feels like the right space for you.
Coquitlam, BC V3C 2H3