Occupational Therapy Services for Trauma in British Columbia

Not exactly, but there can be overlap. You might think of me as a clinically informed life coach with a trauma lens. As an occupational therapist, I focus on you — what drives you, what matters to you, what you believe in, and how trauma-related concerns are getting in the way of living in alignment with those things.

We explore your values, your motivators, the habits and roles that anchor your sense of self — what I call your guiding compass points. Trauma can knock that compass off course: it can disrupt sleep, drain energy, distort self-perception, strain relationships, and make daily life feel unrecognizable.

My job is to help you reconnect with what matters and build a practical path back toward it — through skill-building, body-based practice, routine reconstruction, and real-life application.

If you're also working with another type of mental health clinician, this care complements that work well.

In occupational therapy, "occupation" means any activity that occupies your time and gives your life structure or meaning — from morning routines and work, to creative pursuits, relationships, spirituality, and rest. When trauma-related mental health concerns disrupt those things, the disruption often reaches into every corner of daily life: sleep falls apart, energy runs out, routines stop working, and it can feel like you've lost touch with who you are. That's where OT comes in.

We start with what matters to you — your values, your sense of purpose, the roles and activities that make you you — and we work outward from there, rebuilding routines and skills that fit your real life, not an idealized version of it.

Trauma-sensitive yoga is one tool in a much larger toolkit. Depending on what resonates with you, sessions may also draw on:

• Health literacy and trauma education — we explore topics like the neurobiology of trauma, the effects of adverse childhood experiences, the relationship to chronic pain, and the concept of radical self-care. These aren't lectures — they're tools for learning the difference between your symptoms and your self, for reflection, and for building the understanding that's fundamental to recovery. We go at the pace that works best for you.

• Creative expression — such as body-mapping, drawing, or writing — as a way to explore sensation, emotion, or identity before, during, or after a somatic practice.

• Nature-based practices — using the outdoors, natural sensory input, or time in green/blue spaces as grounding and regulation tools.

• Spiritual and meaning-focused support — your beliefs, values, and meaning-making are welcome here, whether that's rooted in a specific tradition or something more personal. This is non-doctrinal and can be useful for those with atheistic, agnostic, or general sense of spirituality who have sustained this type of moral injury. You bring the language, I hold the space.

• Mindfulness, breathing, and sensory tools — practical, adaptable strategies you can use anywhere to help you regulate your symptoms in the moment.

• Trauma-informed somatic practice — choice-based, consent-forward somatic approaches using strength-based and other movement approaches aside from or in addition to yoga.

• Routine design — the practical, yet flexible, infrastructure filtered through your guiding principles that makes everything else sustainable.

These aren't separate "add-ons." They're woven into sessions based on what fits you, your goals, and where you are in the process. For example, I might invite you to do a body-mapping exercise before and after a somatic practice, or we might use a nature walk as a graded exposure. The combination is always shaped by your preferences and your comfort.

General practice groups are open, educational, and experiential — like our trauma-sensitive yoga sessions. Treatment groups are smaller, more structured, and focus on building specific skills for trauma recovery. Treatment groups require a more formal assessment, either within the group or in an individual session beforehand.

No. You never have to disclose details of your trauma. We work with how trauma is affecting your life now — your sleep, routines, energy, mood, relationships, and sense of self — and we build from there.

Start with a free 30-minute consultation. It's a short call or video session where you can learn about what I offer and decide if it feels like a good fit. No commitment.

No experience needed. Trauma-sensitive yoga is not about achieving poses — it's about noticing your body and making choices about how (or whether) you move. Similarly, trauma-informed strength practice uses the same choice-making approach. You set the pace.

Yes. General practice groups (like the 30-minute trauma-sensitive yoga session) are open to all adults and don't require an assessment. Small treatment groups may require a brief intake, depending on the group.