Complex Trauma and C-PTSD Therapy in Alberta

Maybe it wasn't one terrible event. Maybe it was years of it: growing up unsafe, being hurt by people who were supposed to care for you, or living with abuse, neglect or ongoing fear. Now you might feel like something is wrong with you, even when you know, somewhere, that it isn't your fault.

Complex trauma can shape how you feel, how you see yourself and how you connect with others. It makes sense, and it can be worked with. KP Psychological offers online therapy for adults living with complex trauma and C-PTSD across Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary. Sessions are by secure video, for people who are physically in Alberta at the time of each session.

Book a free 15-minute consultation

A gentle walking path with a handrail through a peaceful forest landscape

What complex trauma is

Complex trauma comes from repeated or long-lasting traumatic experiences, often in close relationships and often starting in childhood. The NHS lists child abuse or neglect, ongoing domestic violence or abuse, and repeatedly witnessing violence or abuse among the experiences that can lead to complex PTSD.

It can also build from other long-running harm, such as years of bullying, racism or discrimination, or repeated trauma at work. Often, there was no way to escape at the time.

What C-PTSD is

Complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) is a diagnosis in the World Health Organization's ICD-11. It includes the core symptoms of PTSD:

  • re-experiencing: intrusive memories, nightmares or flashbacks
  • avoidance: steering clear of thoughts, feelings, people or places linked to what happened
  • a sense of current threat: feeling on guard, jumpy or unsafe

C-PTSD adds three more groups of difficulties, sometimes called "disturbances in self-organization":

  • emotions: strong feelings that are hard to manage, such as marked irritability or anger, or feeling emotionally numb
  • how you see yourself: feeling diminished, defeated or worthless, with shame, guilt or a sense of failure
  • relationships: difficulty staying in relationships and feeling close to others

The American diagnostic manual, the DSM-5, doesn't list C-PTSD separately. Instead, it expanded PTSD to include some of these symptoms. Whatever the label, the experiences are real, and you don't need a diagnosis to start therapy.

How childhood trauma can show up in adult life

Many adults with complex trauma don't connect today's struggles with what happened growing up. You might notice:

  • feeling "too much" or "not enough," or harshly criticizing yourself
  • people-pleasing, or finding it hard to say no
  • feeling unsafe in closeness, or fearing being left
  • strong reactions that seem bigger than the moment
  • zoning out, feeling unreal, or losing time
  • trouble trusting others, or yourself

In this video, Kyle describes some signs of childhood trauma in adults.

What the research says helps

Trauma-focused therapies. The NHS lists trauma-focused cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and EMDR among the treatments for PTSD and C-PTSD. A 2019 review of research on complex PTSD found that CBT, exposure-based therapy and EMDR all worked better than usual care for PTSD symptoms. They also had moderate effects on relationship difficulties. Few studies measured emotion regulation, so research is still developing.

More time and trust. The UK Trauma Council notes that people with complex PTSD may need more sessions and more focus on building a trusting relationship. NICE's PTSD guideline says the same. For people with complex needs, it recommends building in extra time to develop trust, and helping with barriers such as dissociation, emotional ups and downs, relationship difficulties or negative self-beliefs. It also recommends planning for support after therapy ends.

How we work with complex trauma

We start by understanding where you are now, what you have been carrying, and what you want to feel different. Then we plan together. Complex trauma work is paced and collaborative, usually in stages:

  1. Safety and stability. Building trust, and skills to calm your body and ride out strong emotions. This comes first and takes the time it needs.
  2. Processing. When you're ready, working through painful memories with EMDR or another trauma-focused approach, a bit at a time.
  3. Reconnecting. Building a life that feels more like yours: relationships, self-worth, rest and meaning.

Along the way, we may use DBT skills, ego-state and parts work (getting to know different "parts" of you, such as a protective part and a part that still hurts), IFS-informed work and somatic approaches.

Dissociation. Dissociation is common with complex trauma. It can feel like zoning out, feeling unreal or losing time. If it's part of your experience, we'll assess it together and spend longer on preparation and grounding before any memory work.

Everything is explained as we go, and nothing happens without your consent. If you want to stop, we stop.

In this video, Kyle shows the butterfly hug, a simple calming exercise you can use on your own.

Who you'd see

  • Kyle Poon, R.Psych focuses on EMDR and trauma-focused therapy, including complex PTSD, childhood trauma and dissociation. He is an EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant. Kyle currently has a waitlist.
  • Marissa Whalley, R.Psych also works with trauma and PTSD, and is an EMDR Therapist. She currently has openings, often as soon as the following week.

What therapy looks like here

Sessions are 50 minutes, by secure video. How often we meet is up to you. We work it out together, based on what fits you best, including your finances and your coverage.

A session is $250 with Kyle and $235 with Marissa. Alberta Health Care doesn't cover psychologists, but many extended health plans do, and we can bill most insurance companies directly. We also accept Veterans Affairs Canada, RCMP, NIHB, WCB-Alberta and the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program. See fees and insurance for details.

Common questions

Do I need a C-PTSD diagnosis to start?

No. Many people come to therapy knowing only that the past still weighs on them. We'll understand your experience together, whatever label fits or doesn't.

Will I have to talk about everything that happened?

No. You decide what to share and when. With EMDR, you don't have to describe every detail aloud, and we move at a pace that feels manageable.

Why does complex trauma therapy take longer?

Trust and stability come first, and there may be many memories and patterns to work with. NICE recommends extra time for people with complex needs, and processing multiple traumas often takes more sessions. We'll review progress together along the way.

Is EMDR safe if I dissociate?

EMDR can often be adapted. We assess dissociation first, build grounding and stabilizing skills, and decide together whether, when and how to begin memory work.

Do you bill insurance directly?

We can bill most insurance companies directly, so you only pay the part your plan doesn't cover. Tell us your plan at your free consult, and we'll confirm before your first session.

Book a free 15-minute consultation

Written by Kyle Poon, M.Ed., R.Psych, EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant · Reviewed September 2026

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