Trauma Therapist Vancouver — PTSD Treatment & Trauma-Informed Counselling

Dr. Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and doctoral-level trauma therapist in Vancouver specializing in PTSD, complex trauma, immigration trauma, and political persecution. He offers EMDR, neurofeedback, somatic therapy, and trauma-informed psychotherapy in English and Farsi.

Understanding Trauma and PTSD

Trauma is not what happened to you — it is what happens inside you as a result. Traumatic experiences overwhelm the nervous system’s ability to process and integrate them, leaving them stored in a fragmented, dysregulated state. When triggered, these unprocessed memories produce responses — flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional shutdown, shame, rage — that feel as immediate and threatening as the original event.

PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) develops when trauma responses persist long after the threat has passed and begin to interfere with daily functioning. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) refers to trauma from repeated, prolonged, or inescapable experiences — childhood abuse, domestic violence, war, political persecution, refugee experiences — which tend to affect identity, relationships, and emotional regulation more pervasively than single-incident trauma.

Trauma Treatment Approaches

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) — The gold standard evidence-based trauma therapy, endorsed by the WHO and APA for PTSD. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge. See: EMDR Therapy Vancouver.

Neurofeedback — For clients with severe PTSD, neurofeedback helps regulate the hyperaroused nervous system before trauma processing begins. It directly targets the brainwave dysregulation that underlies hypervigilance, sleep disruption, emotional flooding, and shutdown. See: Neurofeedback Therapy Vancouver.

Somatic therapy — Trauma is stored in the body as well as the mind. Somatic approaches (including body-oriented awareness, Somatic Experiencing techniques, and EFT tapping) help release the physiological charge of traumatic experiences without requiring verbal recounting.

Trauma-informed CBT — Cognitive approaches adapted for trauma address the shame, self-blame, and distorted beliefs about safety that develop after traumatic experiences.

Types of Trauma Dr. Samuel Specializes In

Immigration and refugee trauma — The experience of leaving your country under threat, losing your home, your community, and your sense of belonging is itself traumatic. Many immigrants and refugees in Vancouver carry unprocessed trauma from their journeys, complicated by the stress of adaptation and the grief of loss.

Political trauma — Persecution, imprisonment, torture, witnessing violence, and forced displacement all produce complex trauma responses. Dr. Samuel has specific training in working with survivors of political violence, including clients from Iran, Afghanistan, and other conflict-affected regions.

Childhood and developmental trauma — Abuse, neglect, and adverse childhood experiences shape the developing nervous system and produce the complex patterns of C-PTSD: emotional dysregulation, chronic shame, difficulty trusting, and dissociation.

ICBC and accident trauma — Motor vehicle accidents, workplace injuries, and other sudden traumatic events can produce acute PTSD. Dr. Samuel accepts ICBC clients for trauma treatment.

Trauma Therapy for the Iranian Community

Dr. Samuel is Iranian-Canadian and offers all trauma therapies in Farsi. He understands the specific cultural context of Iranian trauma — the role of آبرو (face/shame) in suppressing trauma disclosure, the collective grief of political events in Iran, and the particular challenges of processing trauma across cultures and generations.

See also: Farsi Therapist Vancouver | Counselling for the Iranian-Canadian Community

What to Expect from Trauma Therapy

Effective trauma therapy begins with safety and stabilization — not with recounting the traumatic event. Dr. Samuel’s first priority is building your capacity to tolerate difficult emotions and return to a calm baseline before any trauma processing begins. This phase may involve neurofeedback, somatic grounding, and coping skills development.

Processing begins only when you have sufficient resources in place. The pace is always led by you — you can slow down, pause, or stop at any point. Trauma therapy can produce not only symptom relief but a fundamental shift in how they relate to themselves and others.

Book a Trauma Therapy Consultation in Vancouver

A free 20-minute consultation is available to discuss your history, your goals, and the approach most likely to be helpful for your specific situation.

Call or text: 6047210604
Email: [email protected]
Location: Suite 1300, 1500 West Georgia Street, Vancouver, BC (downtown)
Sessions 7 days a week, 9am–9pm. ICBC accepted.

Further Reading

Related services: EMDR therapy Vancouver, neurofeedback for PTSD, individual therapy. Blog: what is neurofeedback and can it help PTSD? For Iranian-Canadian clients with trauma: Iranian therapist Vancouver and Farsi therapist Vancouver.

And no — your problem doesn’t need to be a crisis to belong here. Most of the people Samuel sees are simply tired, stuck, or quietly carrying something heavy.

Fees and expenses are covered by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available.

Frequently Asked Questions — Trauma & PTSD Therapy in Vancouver

What is the difference between trauma and PTSD?

Trauma is what happened and how your nervous system responded; PTSD is a specific pattern that can follow it — intrusive memories or nightmares, avoidance of reminders, feeling constantly on guard, and a shift in mood or beliefs that lasts more than a month. Many people carry trauma without meeting the PTSD definition and still benefit from treatment. Samuel Ezzatilord, PhD, RCC, CCC, LMCC, works with both, and does not require a diagnosis to start.

How do I know if what happened to me ‘counts’ as trauma?

If it still affects how you sleep, react, trust or feel in your body, it counts — regardless of whether anyone else would call it serious. Trauma is defined by its effect on you, not by the size of the event. Car collisions, medical events, a controlling relationship, migration, and a childhood that required constant vigilance are all common reasons people come to this practice.

What kind of trauma therapy does Samuel offer in Vancouver?

EMDR for processing specific memories, Internal Family Systems (IFS) for the parts of you that protect against them, trauma-informed CBT for the thinking and avoidance patterns, and neurofeedback training alongside counselling for a nervous system that will not settle. The combination is chosen with you after the first conversation, and pacing is set by your system, not by a protocol.

Will I have to talk about what happened in detail?

No. Effective trauma treatment does not require retelling the story in detail, and Samuel never pushes for it. EMDR works with the memory held privately in mind; IFS works with the parts guarding it. You control what is said and when.

Is trauma therapy covered by extended health, ICBC or CVAP in BC?

Yes in most cases. Registered Clinical Counsellor sessions are covered by most extended health plans; ICBC covers counselling on an active claim after a motor-vehicle collision without a referral; the Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP) funds counselling after a crime. Fees and expenses are covered by ICBC, CVAP, FNHA, IFHP, RCMP, VAC, and most other insurers, and direct billing is available. Samuel confirms your specific coverage on the free call.

How long does trauma therapy take?

A single-incident trauma — one collision, one assault, one medical event — often responds within 8 to 16 sessions, sometimes fewer with EMDR. Complex or developmental trauma, where the pattern was built over years, takes longer, with the pace set by how quickly your system feels safe. Samuel reviews progress with you openly rather than keeping you coming indefinitely.

What is Samuel’s background in trauma?

Twenty-five years of trauma-informed practice: refugee-camp trauma work with the International Red Crescent, veterans’ mental-health programs, and hospital care within a BC health authority, before private practice in Vancouver. That background taught him that a braced nervous system learns slowly and only when it feels safe — which shapes how every session is paced.

Can trauma therapy be done online?

Yes. Secure video sessions are available anywhere in British Columbia, and EMDR, IFS and trauma-informed counselling all work well by video when you have a private space. In-person sessions are at 1300–1500 West Georgia Street in downtown Vancouver; neurofeedback training is in person only. Many clients mix the two.

Is trauma therapy available in Farsi?

Yes. Every trauma service — counselling, EMDR, IFS and neurofeedback training — is offered in Farsi as well as English, with an understanding of the specific experiences many Iranian-Canadian clients carry: migration, loss, political events, and the habit of holding everything together. جلسات به فارسی برگزار می‌شود.

How do I start trauma therapy?

With a free 20-minute phone call directly with Samuel — no receptionist, no intake form, no obligation. Call or WhatsApp 604-721-0604, or text a single line and he will call you back within a day. You say as much or as little as you want; he tells you honestly whether he is the right fit.