How Is Trauma-Focused Therapy Different From General Counselling?
10 min read
Cory Arthurs
Counselling Therapist
- Helps with: Life Transitions, Emotional Regulation, Repairing Relationships, Complex Trauma
- Languages: English
- Where: Kelowna
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Developed by Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is an approach to healing trauma through the body.
- 4 counsellors trained
- In person or online
What it helps with
Concerns sensorimotor psychotherapy can help withWhat it helps with
How it works
What a course of sensorimotor psychotherapy looks likeHow it works
Early on
Notice your body
Your counsellor helps you notice sensations, posture and urges to move, like a tight chest or a pull to turn away, as you talk about what is happening now.
As you go
Practise new responses
Together you slow down and try small movements, such as pressing your feet into the floor, so your body can find a sense of safety and control.
Over time
Keep building steadiness
You bring what you learn into daily life, like grounding yourself when stress rises. You and your counsellor decide together how long to keep going.
Sensorimotor psychotherapy may suit you if you
- Feel stress or past events in your body, not just your thoughts
- Want to understand how your nervous system reacts to stress
- Find talking alone has not helped you feel settled
- Like going slowly and noticing what happens moment by moment
- Want simple grounding tools to use between sessions
- Want to feel more at home in your body again
Something else may fit better if you
- Are in crisis right now: call or text 9-8-8
- Prefer not to focus on body sensations or movement
- Mainly want practical tools for changing thoughts and habits
- Would rather have space to talk things through without exercises
Not sure? A free consultation can help you choose.
Where
Sensorimotor psychotherapy in person in Burnaby, Kelowna and Surrey, or onlineWhere
About
More about sensorimotor psychotherapy
Developed by Pat Ogden, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is an approach to healing trauma through the body. In this modality, it is suggested that trauma is stored in the body in the form of action tendencies, or urges to act, and that by paying attention to and completing these actions in the context of a supportive relationship with the therapist, the impact of trauma can be released from the body.
Theory
When recalling traumatic memories, they are often experienced as though they are happening again as the body prepares to defend itself against danger. When this happens, the “thinking” brain becomes less active, and the nervous system reacts as though it is fighting to survive, even when the threat has long passed. Because of this, the body needs to learn that it is safe in the present. Clients are guided to track the actions that the body wants to take and are guided in completing these actions. This allows memories to be “updated” with a new sense of mastery and control that was not present when they initially occurred.
Techniques
Sensorimotor psychotherapists are skilled at attuning to the moment-by-moment experience of the client and bringing the client’s awareness to their inner sensations or urges to act to aid in the processing of trauma memories. New bodily felt experiences can in turn shift cognitive processes, leading to a “bottom-up” healing process. Clients are still encouraged to share their story, with the added layer of being guided in attending to their inner experiences as they emerge in the present.
Benefits of Sensorimotor Psychotherapy
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy can aid in healing by helping people reconnect with their bodies and learn better ways of dealing with stress and trauma.
Some of the benefits may include:
- Emotional regulation
- Decreased anxiety and stress
- Increased body awareness
- More feelings of safety and control
- Coping skills
- Nervous system regulation
- Enhanced resilience and wellbeing
Can Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Help With?
There are some issues that Sensorimotor Psychotherapy can assist with:
- Trauma and PTSD
- Complex trauma
- Anxiety and panic
- Chronic stress
- Emotional dysregulation
- Grief and loss
- Relationship issues
- Dissociation
- Low self-esteem
Also, people who feel separated from their emotions and sensations and need to improve mind-body connections.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy at No Fear Counselling
No Fear Counselling offers Sensorimotor Psychotherapy by our qualified therapists who want to offer you trauma-informed treatment. We work with you to comprehend how your trauma affects your mental and physical being, providing you with effective ways to heal.
In some cases, the therapist at No Fear Counselling can use Sensorimotor Psychotherapy along with other types of therapy like EMDR Therapy, Trauma Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, Emotion-Focused Therapy, and Mindfulness-based Therapy, among others.
In-person and online counselling services are provided in Canada.
Start Your Healing Journey Today
Trauma may affect how you think, feel, and perceive the world around you. There is always hope for recovery from trauma when given the right treatment.
No Fear Counselling provides Sensorimotor Psychotherapy in Vancouver, Surrey, Burnaby, Richmond, Coquitlam, Langley, Victoria, and Penticton, as well as online counselling throughout Canada.
Get in touch with us today and have a free consultation with an experienced therapist who will help you become resilient and feel safe again.
References:
Ogden, P., Minton, K. & Pain, C. Trauma and the body: a sensorimotor approach to psychotherapy. New York: W. W. Norton & Company.
Counsellors trained in sensorimotor psychotherapyTrained in sensorimotor psychotherapy
Deborah Buthmann
Counselling Therapist
- Helps with: Attachment Concerns, Anxiety, Assertiveness/Boundaries, Guilt/Shame, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Self Esteem, Depression, Complex Trauma, Loneliness, Sleep Concerns, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Relationship Concerns, Acute Trauma, Life Transitions, ADHD and ADD, Repairing Relationships, Burnout, Stress Management, Childhood Anxiety, Childhood Depression, Codependency, Emotional Regulation, Grief, Loss and Bereavement, Immigration & Acculturation, Inner Child Work, Panic Attacks, Social Anxiety, Self Compassion, Work and Life Balance, Motor Vehicle Accidents, Phobias, Spirituality, Suicidal Ideation, Narcissism, High Sensitivity, Perfectionism, Medical Trauma, Mood Swings, Neurodiversity
- Languages: English, German
- Where: Online
Kristina Hayer
Counselling Therapist
- Helps with: Anxiety, Burnout, Depression, Self Esteem, Self Compassion, Stress Management
- Languages: English
- Where: Surrey · Online
Sophia Johl
Counselling Therapist
- Helps with: Complex Trauma, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Addictions / Substance Use, Personal Development/Growth, Life Transitions, Anxiety, Acute Trauma, Self Esteem, Mood Swings, Depression
- Languages: English, Punjabi
- Where: Burnaby · Online
FAQs
Common questions about sensorimotor psychotherapyCommon questions
Can't find your answer? Ask us a question.
You talk with your counsellor, and you also pause to notice what your body is doing as you talk. Your counsellor may ask where you feel an emotion, or invite a small movement, like standing up or pressing your hands against a cushion. You can share as much or as little as you like, and you can say no to any exercise.
No, you do not have to share details you are not ready to share. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy often starts with what you notice in your body right now, so the work can begin without telling the whole story. Your counsellor goes at your pace and helps you feel steady before any deeper work with painful memories. If you are in crisis or thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8, call 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433), or call 911 if you are in danger.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy starts with the body, while cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) starts with thoughts and behaviour. In CBT you might write down a worrying thought and look for other ways to see it. In Sensorimotor Psychotherapy you might notice your shoulders tense as you talk and explore what helps them soften. Some people find one fits them better, and some use ideas from both.
Often yes, though some people prefer to meet in person for body-focused work. Many parts, like noticing sensations and trying grounding movements, can happen by video from a quiet, private space at home. You can meet in person or online from anywhere in BC, and our intake team can suggest a counsellor who fits how you want to meet.
It may be, depending on your plan and your counsellor's credentials. Many extended health plans cover Registered Clinical Counsellors and Canadian Certified Counsellors (RCC/CCC), so check your own plan to see what it includes. Our fees and funding page explains our rates, and we offer sliding scale rates for eligible people.
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