All cultures use stories to organize people around them. We use stories in our own lives to build our identities, who we are, and create meaning in our lives. Paying attention to our core stories and the language we use to describe ourselves, our problems, and what is precious to us is central. We can work together to re-author those stories.

Sometimes we can forget that we have bodies and that our thoughts, emotions, and the resulting behaviours are grounded in our physical bodies and impact our bodies. When we are nervous about a big meeting, or a test coming up, or remembering a trauma we can tense our jaw, hunch our back, upset our stomach and digestion, and trigger a negative cycle of thoughts and bodily responses. Practices like meditation and grounding exercises help us to change our physical state, and can change our thoughts and emotions.

Instead of asking what’s wrong with you, Trauma Informed Practice directs our attention to what happened to you. Trauma often involves a loss of safety and control. In our sessions, we endeavour to first make you feel safe, then feel in control of what happens in the sessions. We work collaboratively and build trust as we explore ways that you can take back control.

The person-in-environment approach looks at people within the full context of their lives. It recognizes that someone’s challenges aren’t just about who they are as a person, but also about their surroundings—like family, community, culture, and systems they interact with. For example, struggles with career, discrimination, or lack of support can affect mental health and choices. This perspective helps us see that behavior is shaped by more than just individual traits; it’s also about what’s happening around them. So instead of blaming the person, we consider how their environment impacts their situation and well-being.

Building on Trauma Informed Practice, Strengths and Response Based Practices add to the question of what happened to you by focusing on your strengths and resilience in coping and responding to difficult circumstances. For more on Response Based Practice, please visit the Center for Response Based Practice.

Our brains lay down pathways that help keep us safe. However, these sometimes don’t serve us well. Exposure and Response Prevention is an evidence-based treatment that can support people to reduce symptoms of anxiety and OCD.