At Bright Horizon Therapies, I specialize in online trauma-informed counselling, offering empathetic support for your recovery. While we provide help for a broad range of concerns, we particularly focus on working with people living with PTSD, complex trauma, childhood abuse, grief, and anxiety.
Our approach combines evidence-based methodologies designed to help you regain strength, peace, and well-being—wherever you are. Every healing journey is unique, and we collaborate with you to create a personalized approach tailored to your needs and pace.
Trauma-informed counselling is an approach that recognizes how difficult or overwhelming experiences can shape the way we feel, think, and relate to others. It doesn’t assume everyone has trauma, but it creates a safe, supportive environment where trust, choice, and empowerment are central to the process. Trauma-informed care is widely recognized as a best practice for counselling because it honours each person’s pace, respects their boundaries, and helps them feel heard and in control of their healing journey.
Trauma-informed counselling can be beneficial for you if you live with anxiety or depression, have experienced childhood abuse, or are in a toxic relationship.
When it comes to depression, trauma-informed care takes a different approach than traditional talk therapy. Rather than pathologizing your symptoms, we explore them as meaningful responses to pain, stress, or past experiences. Depression may show up as a sense of numbness, emptiness, or disconnection — sometimes tied to long-standing patterns of survival like freeze or shutdown. Through trauma-informed counselling, we gently uncover the roots of these feelings, helping your nervous system reconnect with safety, vitality, and self-compassion.
While all of our counselling services are grounded in a trauma-informed framework, we also offer specialized counselling for specific topics. Here is an overview of our services:
Trauma counselling, sometimes called trauma-focused counselling, goes a step beyond trauma-informed practice. It’s a holistic way to heal that brings together your body, mind, and emotions — helping you truly move beyond the effects of trauma.
Whether you’re healing from complex trauma, difficult childhood experiences, relationship violence, or systemic violence, our approach is here to support you on your journey. It’s designed for anyone ready to find relief, rebuild safety, and reclaim their sense of wholeness.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a specialized therapy that helps people process and release distressing memories and experiences. This evidence-based method supports the brain’s natural healing abilities, making it easier to move past memories that feel stuck. EMDR can be especially helpful for people healing from trauma, adverse childhood experiences, abusive relationships, or other overwhelming events.
Grief counselling provides a caring space to process and adjust to the pain of losing someone or something significant. This could include the death of a loved one, the loss of a pet, or intangible or disenfranchised losses that others may not always notice. It respects each person’s unique way of grieving and offers tools to manage sadness, anger, confusion, or numbness that can accompany loss. Our approach supports you in moving through grief at your own pace while feeling understood and less alone.
We understand that finding the right counselling service can feel confusing and overwhelming. Every counsellor has a unique approach, and it’s not always clear where to start. To help you get a sense of what might be most helpful for you, we’ve outlined a few scenarios below that connect common experiences with the services we offer.
Remember, you’re not locked in — you can switch between modalities at any time, since we offer a broad range of approaches to support you as your needs evolve.
If you’re seeking healing from trauma or PTSD, you have options between trauma counselling and EMDR therapy.
Trauma counselling offers an integrative, holistic approach that can be especially helpful if you’ve experienced relationship trauma, complex PTSD, or ongoing relational or systemic wounds. It provides flexibility to work with symptoms like dissociation and supports you through the different phases of healing.
EMDR therapy is a powerful, evidence-based method often used as a stand-alone treatment for single-incident trauma or PTSD. Once you’re well-prepared, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain process and integrate distressing memories, leading to lasting relief.
While these are general guidelines, the best choice also depends on where you are in your healing journey. Since we offer both approaches, you can switch between trauma counselling and EMDR therapy as your needs evolve—there’s no need to commit to just one path.
If you want to rebuild boundaries, connect with your emotions, or develop your full potential, trauma-informed counselling can be a helpful and supportive approach. However, moving toward deeper processing at some stage is often necessary. At that point, you may choose between EMDR therapy and trauma counselling.
If you experience flashbacks, feel that your nervous system is frequently dysregulated, or want to process painful experiences, trauma counselling may be more beneficial. It offers targeted tools to help regulate your nervous system and work deeply with trauma symptoms.
Because abuse often involves relational wounds, trauma counselling is a recommended approach. It combines parts work therapy with EMDR—parts work therapy helps you heal relational wounds and build self-respect for future situations, while EMDR supports processing the abusive experiences.
Trauma-informed counselling or coaching can be good options if you’re more focused on moving forward, such as starting to date again or finding a healthier workplace. They support you in building confidence, setting boundaries, and creating positive change.
Trauma-informed counselling is likely the best choice to support you in healing and personal growth. Alternatively, trauma-informed coaching may be helpful if you’re seeking focused, goal-oriented support to build new skills and create positive change.
Trauma-informed counselling can help you explore these patterns with curiosity and compassion. Together, we’ll uncover how past experiences might be influencing your present, even if they don’t fit the traditional definition of “trauma.” This process supports you in gaining clarity, shifting unhelpful patterns, and reconnecting with the person you’re becoming — one with more choice, confidence, and ease.
People-pleasing tendencies are common and often connected to past trauma. In this case, you can choose between trauma-informed counselling or healthy boundaries coaching. Both approaches support you in establishing and maintaining healthy boundaries.
Trauma-informed counselling offers a more comprehensive process, allowing you to work deeply with past experiences that influence your patterns. Healthy boundaries coaching is trauma-informed and goal-focused, providing practical tools to set boundaries effectively. However, coaching may not always delve as deeply into past wounds.
Since we offer both services, we can support you in whichever approach feels right, and you can switch between them as needed.
If you have experienced systemic violence, racism, or discrimination, trauma counselling is often the recommended approach. Because these experiences involve relational wounding and complex trauma, an integrative method like trauma counselling can provide the flexibility needed to address both personal and systemic layers of harm.
While EMDR therapy is effective for processing specific traumatic memories, it may not fully address the broader relational and systemic impacts. Trauma counselling combines multiple approaches, offering a more comprehensive pathway to healing and self-empowerment.
Yes. Addictive behaviours often develop as ways to cope with overwhelming emotions or traumatic experiences. Trauma-informed counselling provides a safe, non-judgmental space to explore the root causes of these behaviours and develop healthier coping strategies. By addressing underlying trauma and emotional needs, this approach supports lasting recovery and personal growth.
With over 14 years of experience supporting people through trauma, loss, and emotional challenges, I bring an integrative, trauma-informed approach grounded in compassion, anti-oppressive practice, and evidence-based tools like EMDR and parts work therapy. I’ve supported hundreds of clients in reconnecting with their inner strength, setting healthy boundaries, and creating meaningful change—at their own pace.
As the host of Trauma Demystified, I’m passionate about making trauma healing more accessible, clear, and empowering. I was honoured to receive the GHP Mental Health Award for Leading Social Justice in Trauma Therapy Advocate (Canada)—a recognition of my commitment to inclusive, trauma-informed care.
Whether you’re navigating anxiety, grief, or complex trauma, my work centres your voice, your nervous system, and your goals.
Is trauma-informed counselling covered by insurance?
Depending on your plan, many insurance providers in Canada cover counselling services provided by Bright Horizon Therapies. I would recommend that you contact your insurance provider to confirm coverage for my professional designation. If insurance is a concern, I offer variable pricing options to make support more accessible.
What if my insurance doesn't cover your services?
Many clients find that working with the right therapist matters more than just choosing someone covered by insurance. That’s why they prioritize their well-being and personal growth by investing in trauma recovery with me. Healing isn’t just about the cost of a session—it’s about the relationship you build with your mental health professional, the quality of support, and the counsellor’s experience in addressing your specific needs. If finances are a concern, I offer variable pricing options to ensure you can still access high-quality support.
How do I know that you are the right counsellor for me?
Healing is deeply personal, and finding the right counsellor is essential for your journey. I specialize in trauma recovery, including childhood abuse, complex trauma, and relationship trauma. My approach is client-centred, combining effective tools like EMDR, parts work therapy and boundary-setting for lasting transformation. To learn more, check out my podcast, “Trauma Demystified.” I also integrate anti-oppressive practices to ensure respectful and inclusive services for clients from diverse backgrounds. If you’re unsure, I offer a free consultation to explore whether we’re a good fit.
Can I get trauma-informed counselling in Calgary
Yes! While we provide trauma-informed counselling online to clients in Canada and worldwide, we also offer trauma-informed counselling in Calgary at the Grain Exchange Building. No matter where you are, you can access expert support.
You don’t have to walk this path alone. With the right support, meaningful and lasting change is possible. Whether you’re seeking clarity, relief, or a deeper connection to yourself, we’re here to guide you with non-judgment and care.
We offer a free consultation so you can explore your options in a safe, supportive space. You can book through our secure online booking system or message me at nat@brighthorizontherapies.com – whatever works better for you. We’ll meet you where you are and walk beside you as you move toward healing.
