Trauma Therapy
at 3 Rivers Counselling
For things your body remembers, even when your mind has moved on
Trauma doesn't always look like a single dramatic event.
Sometimes it's exactly that — something that happened, clearly and completely, that changed how safe the world feels. And sometimes it's quieter than that: years of relationships that taught you to stay small, environments that taught your nervous system to brace, a childhood where safety was unpredictable enough that your body never fully learned to relax.
Either way, you might notice it shows up in ways that don't seem to make sense on paper. Overreacting to things that “shouldn't” be a big deal. Shutting down in moments that call for presence. A felt sense of danger in situations that are, by every external measure, safe.
You've probably tried to reason your way past it. Told yourself it was a long time ago, that you should be over it by now, that other people have had it worse. None of that has likely made the reactions stop — because trauma isn't stored as a story you can think your way out of. It's stored in the nervous system, and it asks to be worked with there.
What Trauma-Informed Therapy Looks Like Here
We work with trauma in all its forms — single-incident trauma, complex and repeated trauma, and the kind of attachment-based trauma that shapes how you relate to other people long after the original relationships are gone.
That work might include:
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EMDR, where the goal is to help a specific memory or pattern finally settle into the past instead of staying present in your body
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Somatic and polyvagal-informed approaches that work directly with the nervous system, not just the narrative
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IFS (parts work), useful when trauma has left you feeling like different parts of yourself want different, even conflicting, things
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Attention to attachment patterns — the ways early relationships taught you what to expect from closeness, and how those patterns might still be running in the background of your current relationships
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A pace that's collaborative, not prescriptive. Some weeks are about doing focused trauma work. Some weeks are about whatever actually needs attention that day. We follow what's needed.
Who We Work With
We support trauma in adults, teens, and children, including people who:
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Have a clear sense of what happened, and people for whom it's harder to locate — just a felt sense that something isn't right
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Are managing PTSD or complex PTSD (CPTSD)
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Notice trauma responses showing up in current relationships, parenting, or work
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Have tried talk therapy before and found understanding without relief
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Are also navigating anxiety, depression, or neurodivergence alongside trauma — these rarely show up alone, and we don't treat them as separate problems
Trauma Therapy,
In-Person or Virtual
Sessions are available in-person in St. Stephen, for our clients from across St. Andrews, St. George, Blacks Harbour, McAdam, and the wider Charlotte County area. We also offer virtual appointments anywhere else in New Brunswick or Canada.
Trauma work, including EMDR, translates well to virtual sessions. If you're not local, you're not getting a lesser version of this work — you're getting the same depth, from wherever you are.
Related Reading
Much of our trauma work is nervous system informed and draws directly on EMDR therapy, IFS, and polyvagal theory which you may want to read more about specifically.
If anxiety is a major part of what you're carrying alongside trauma, our anxiety therapy page may also be useful.
And if you're picturing what virtual trauma work actually looks like in practice, visit our virtual therapy page.
Our Team
Specialized training. Lived experience. Real understanding.
You can read more about each of our therapists on our Team page — look for mentions of trauma, attachment, EMDR, and somatic work.Not sure who to start with? A free 15-minute consult is exactly the right place to figure that out.
Ready to Get Started?
You don't need to have everything figured out before you reach out. If something in this page resonated, that's enough.
Book a Free 15-Minute Consult — no commitment, just a conversation.
Book Online if you're ready to get started.
Questions first?
Send us a message or give us a call 506-636-2557.
EMDR therapy available in-person in St. Stephen, NB and virtually across Canada.
