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The DSM-V diagnostic guide defines PTSD as a traumatic event in which: “the person has experienced, witnessed, or was confronted with an event or events that involved actual or threatened death or serious injury, or a threat to the physical integrity of self or others.” 

Trauma

At Champaigne Klassen we treat both children and adults who have developed Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder from a very wide range of situations. For example, traumatic stress can develop from military combat, emotional, sexual and physical assault, deployment to peace-keeping duties, bullying, motor vehicle accidents, life-threatening illness, and the witnessing of death or assaults. It can also develop from the threat of and or actual danger experienced by military personnel, police officers, paramedics and other first responders.

We provide individualized treatment for PTSD depending on the unique need of the client. We work closely with First Responders. We have been providing psychological services to Canadian Veterans since 2010.

Since PTSD and the trauma response are complex, we provide a variety of treatment approaches that take a holistic approach to reduce the suffering and maximize the functioning of the whole person. We view each person as unique and we work collaboratively with clients in providing what they need to heal. A range of trauma processing interventions, such as, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Emotion Focussed Therapy (EFT), hypnosis, inoculation/exposure therapy and Acceptance Compassion Therapy (ACT) can be used.  We train individuals to calm their thinking and their body’s trauma reactions. To do this work clients need to become highly skilled at calming. To this end neurofeedback/biofeedback training is an important adjunct to the psychological treatment of PTSD as there are always psycho-physiological components to a person’s reactions. Training in relaxation and self-regulation is vitally important. Learning to regulate the autonomic arousal of the nervous system consists of lowering muscle tension, reducing elevated heart rate, reducing skin conductance level (sweating), improving peripheral hand temperature (warming hands up), reducing elevated blood pressure and increasing heart rate variability.

Sometimes, we may also need to provide clients with exposure therapy with the support of a behavioural therapist from our office where they practice the skills they have learned in session while in the presence of anxiety provoking cues. We have helped hundreds of clients learn to calm while driving, going back to their work environment, in crowds at stores and restaurants and in other various anxiety provoking situations.