Trauma Counselling in Kelowna & Lake Country
Understand your responses to difficult experiences with gentle, trauma-informed support.
What Is Trauma Counselling?
Support for the ways difficult experiences affect your life today.
Trauma can follow a single distressing event or develop through ongoing experiences such as abuse, emotional neglect or feeling unsafe. You may be unsure whether “trauma” describes what you’ve been through.
You might notice feeling on edge, shutting down during conflict or struggling to trust others, even when you want connection. Trauma counselling provides space to explore these experiences and how they affect you.
My trauma-informed approach puts your safety, comfort and choices at the centre of our work together.
You choose what to share. We take it at your pace.
Why Trauma Responses Can Persist
Understanding what happened doesn’t always change how you feel or react.
You might know you’re safe but still tense up when someone raises their voice. Or find yourself going quiet during a disagreement when you want to speak.
Responses that helped you cope in the past can continue long after those circumstances have changed. Recognizing them can be a useful first step, even when that awareness doesn’t bring immediate relief.
In trauma counselling, we explore what brings up these reactions and what helps you feel more settled, present and able to choose how you respond.
What to Expect in Trauma Counselling
We begin with what’s affecting your life today. You can share what feels relevant without telling your whole story at once.
In our sessions, we may:
Explore situations that leave you anxious, overwhelmed or shut down
Notice how stress shows up in your thoughts, feelings and body
Practise ways to feel more grounded when difficult feelings arise
Talk about boundaries, relationships and the support you need
You can ask questions, pause or let me know when something feels too much. We decide together what to focus on.
My Approach to Trauma Counselling
I’m Petra Nielsen, a Registered Therapeutic Counsellor offering trauma counselling in Kelowna. My training includes Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) Level 1 with Janina Fisher, PhD.
I draw on this training to understand how past experiences may affect your daily life and adapt our work to your needs.
Together, we pay attention to what feels helpful, what feels difficult and when you need more time or support.
You don’t need to know where to begin. We can find a starting point together.
Support for the Effects of Trauma
Difficult experiences can affect how you feel about yourself and connect with others.
You may be seeking support for childhood emotional neglect, abusive relationships or a lingering sense of disconnection. Trauma counselling offers space to explore how these experiences affect your life today and what you would like help with.
Trauma Counselling That Fits Your Needs
I may draw on IFS-informed counselling, EMDR-informed techniques or hypnotherapy, depending on your needs and preferences.
I’ll explain any approach we consider and we can discuss whether it feels right for you. You’re welcome to ask questions or tell me when you’d prefer to try something different.
Find Support Through Trauma Counselling
Book a free consultation for trauma counselling in Kelowna and Lake Country.
A free consultation gives you the chance to:
Ask questions
Get a sense of what working together would feel like
Talk about what you are looking for support with