Trauma-Focused Counselling

55 or 85 Minute Sessions, In Person or Online

You were built to rise.

Unresolved trauma doesn’t just live in the past, it lives in the body. It can shape how you think, feel, respond, and connect. At Tideline Wellness, our trauma-focused counselling provides a compassionate space to untangle the lasting impact of trauma and begin the journey back to safety, clarity, and self-trust.

Understanding Trauma

Trauma is not just something that happens to you, it is something that happens inside of you. When an experience overwhelms your ability to cope, your body and brain shift into survival mode, often leaving lasting imprints long after the event is over.

What matters most is not the event itself, but the impact it had on you. Two people can walk through similar experiences and respond very differently, because trauma is deeply personal and shaped by factors like your history, your nervous system, and the support you had at the time.

Trauma can come from:

• A single overwhelming incident such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster

• Ongoing or repeated exposure such as childhood abuse, neglect, or systemic oppression

• Subtle but chronic experiences such as emotional invalidation, abandonment, or toxic relationships

Sometimes trauma is clear and recognizable. Other times, it weaves itself into your daily responses; hypervigilance, people-pleasing, chronic pain, emotional shutdown, irritability, or a feeling of being constantly “on edge.” These are not flaws. They are protective adaptations your nervous system developed to keep you safe.

The good news is that healing is possible. With the right support, your body and mind can learn to feel safe again. Through trauma-focused counselling, we begin to gently untangle these patterns, rebuilding trust, stability, and a deeper connection to yourself as we go.

A Somatic and Compassionate Approach

Trauma-focused counselling recognizes the inseparable link between trauma and the nervous system. Sessions blend talk therapy with evidence-informed, body-based practices designed to regulate the nervous system and restore internal safety.

This may include mindfulness, breathwork, grounding exercises, somatic awareness, or movement-based healing, depending on what feels right for you. You will never be asked to relive or retell anything before you are ready. Our work centers around empowerment, stabilization, and pacing the healing process in a way that honours your readiness and resilience.

Traumatic Relationship Recovery

Many forms of trauma are rooted in relationships. Kristin supports individuals who are currently in emotionally unsafe or traumatic relationships, those who have recently left one, and those still feeling the long-lasting effects of past relational trauma.

Her approach offers a grounded, non-judgmental space to explore patterns, rebuild identity, and restore emotional and physical safety. With more than two decades of experience, Kristin has worked across the full spectrum of relational trauma, including volunteering at the Lurana Shelter, which supports some of Canada’s most complex and high-risk domestic violence cases.

She also designed and built the national Family Law Advocacy Program for Mamas for Mamas, supporting women navigating separation, high-conflict relationships, and domestic abuse while dealing with the legal system. This experience gives her a deep and practical understanding of the emotional, relational, safety-based, and logistical challenges clients face in these situations.

Relational trauma is profound, but it is also survivable. Healing is possible, and you do not need to navigate it alone.

Signs Trauma Therapy May Help

• Chronic anxiety or emotional overwhelm
• Feeling numb, disconnected, or “stuck”
• Nightmares, flashbacks, or sleep challenges
• Relationship or trust difficulties
• Triggers, phobias, or avoidance patterns
• Unexplained pain, fatigue, or chronic tension
• Repeating relational patterns
• Difficulty feeling safe in your body or in relationships

Healing is not linear, but it is possible. Your body is capable of change. Your nervous system can learn safety. And your emotional world can find steadiness again.

Available In Person or Online

Autoimmune counselling is available in our Kelowna office or virtually throughout British Columbia. Whether you prefer in-person support or the comfort of home, you have access to care that meets you where you are.

Begin the Process of Reclaiming Your Life

You are not broken. Your body and mind adapted to help you survive, and with the right support, they can learn to thrive again. Your healing is possible, and your story is far from over.

Book your 55 or 85-minute trauma counselling session - online or in person.