PTSD/Trauma

Is PTSD or Trauma Preventing You From Living a Fulfilling Life?

You have difficulty engaging in daily living activities.
In order to feel safe, you have to stick to your routine, which feels confining.
You avoid certain people or places that may bring on disturbing feelings or traumatic memories.
You feel numb, experience being out of your body, or lose time.
Life feels unsatisfying and you lack joy in the simple pleasures of life.
You experience feelings of dread and worry for the future, which keeps you up at night.
You experience nightmares and feelings of intense distress.
You are easily startled.
You wish you could trust others and have more flexibility.
You feel disconnected from yourself, your body, and others, and feel life is passing you by.
You want to connect with people and engage in meaningful relationships, but feel too afraid and vulnerable to open up.
Friends and family have become scarce. They struggle to be around you and don’t know how to support you.
You feel it’s just easier to be alone and that you can only rely on yourself.

If you relate with some of these experiences, you may be experiencing PTSD. If you would like to receive an assessment to confirm a PTSD diagnosis, please contact me to set up an appointment.

Getting Your Life Back

PTSD or trauma therapy can provide relief so you can live the life you want to live. I specialize in PTSD and trauma therapy and am here to support you in healing your past trauma. I understand the mental, emotional, and physical toll trauma can cause and I am here to help you recover from whatever you have experienced. I don’t want you to suffer any longer. I know it can be hard to reach out and ask for help and I am grateful you are seeking support. Your life does not have to be a constant struggle. It is possible to reduce disturbing emotions or triggers, unwanted physical symptoms, and unhealthy negative thoughts and beliefs. You can regain your confidence, self-esteem, and sense of self.

Questioning Whether or Not You’ve Experienced a Trauma?

Whether you have experienced a small trauma, big trauma, or complex trauma, you may be struggling to deal with the aftermath. A small trauma is a single traumatic event, such as being scolded by a parent when you were young or being laughed at in class for something you said. This type of trauma is not to be discounted. This can leave you with lasting negative beliefs about yourself that inform how you interact in the world and how you view the world. A big trauma is a single traumatic event, such as an accident, sexual or physical assault, the death of a loved one, a natural disaster, or war. Complex trauma is an accumulation of traumatic events that are experienced repetitively over time within a family or intimate relationship, such as physical, mental, verbal, emotional, financial, or spiritual abuse or neglect. It is important to recognize that trauma can be something you have personally experienced or something you have witnessed someone else experience.

PTSD and trauma are one of the top reasons people seek out therapy. Whether you have experienced a single event or a number of successive traumas that have impacted your life, psychotherapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) treatment is known to be effective.

What Does PTSD or Trauma Therapy Look Like?

Making sure you feel safe is of utmost importance to me. Speaking about your traumatic experiences can be difficult. I have created a calm and inviting space where you can feel free to openly and honestly share whatever you need to without fear of judgment. I provide an accepting environment regardless of your sexual orientation, gender, culture, or spiritual beliefs.

Along with providing an open, sympathetic, and compassionate environment, you will learn new coping skills and mindfulness techniques to help you ease your PTSD or trauma symptoms. By acquiring these positive coping skills, and helping you build other resources, you will be able to manage and respond to stressors in a healthier way.

I incorporate a mindfulness-based, body-centered approach, so you can learn to listen and reconnect with your body and assess what is a real threat and what is past trauma. Over time, disturbing feelings and anxiety will lessen and you will feel more at ease and confident that you can get through life’s challenges. You will feel better able to handle daily stressors and live your life with more peace, joy, gratitude, and freedom.

You may believe PTSD or trauma therapy can help you attain mental, emotional, and physical healing, but you still may have questions or concerns…

Will I Have to Relive My Trauma in Order to Heal?

My first priority is to ensure your safety during the session and to not re-traumatize you. I have specialized training in trauma therapy and am certified in a number of techniques to ensure your safety. I am open to listening to whatever you feel comfortable sharing. I will never force you to engage in any type of therapy modality you do not feel comfortable with. My goal is to help you regain your ability to speak your truth.

If you have never shared your story, it can be a relief to finally let it out – like a weight has been lifted from your shoulders. For some, healing transpires by revisiting the traumatic experience and allowing for new ways to reprocess it. However, this is not the case for everyone. Your mind and body have the ability to heal from trauma without ever having to talk about it. This may transpire in a number of different ways. You may find a relationship where you feel safe and accepted for who you are. You may experience increased awareness of negative thoughts, limiting beliefs, intense emotions, or unhealthy behaviors that have previously kept you stuck and you are now able to make different choices. Every person is different, I am here to help you take back your power and control by following your lead.

Will Therapy Improve My Personal Relationships?

We will be building a relationship together, so it is important you feel safe and open to us working together. This is your healing journey and it is important you feel I am the right fit. During sessions, you will be able to experiment with new ways of communicating and interacting that will be free of consequences which you may normally experience in a personal relationship. This will allow you to explore and gain effective communication skills to express your needs and set healthy boundaries.

Trauma Therapy is Intense – Is it Worth it?

This is a valid question! You may be wondering if engaging in trauma therapy will leave you broken. It is normal to feel scared about engaging in trauma therapy. During our therapy sessions, I will assess your ability to participate in therapy, how slow we need to proceed, and provide you with helpful coping tools and other resources that you can incorporate during and in-between sessions. I always take my cues from you and what you are ready for. Most people make a lot of progress, changing their lives for the better, and say it was worth it. Day-to-day life becomes easier, you will feel more like yourself, and you will engage more with others, build healthy relationships, and improve communication.

You too can experience ease and balance in your life.

“Vicky offers a safe environment where her honesty and patience assist her in creating connections with clients as they work through sensitive issues together.”

Maria Bouzetos, Registered Psychologist

Contact me at 403-891-1384 for a free 15-minute consultation or to set up an appointment.

Vicky Roubekas, MACP is a Registered Psychologist and currently owns a private practice in Calgary, AB. She specializes in anxiety, PTSD/trauma, and women’s health. Vicky is trained in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), is a Certified Hakomi Therapist, a Certified Embodied Awareness Facilitator, and has a Creative Expression Specialization from the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology. Vicky is also a Peruvian Shaman Practitioner and Reiki Master. To find out more about Vicky click here: Vicky Roubekas Psychology