Racial Trauma Therapy in Alberta
Racism isn't only a series of bad moments. It can be the slur you still hear years later, the constant watchfulness in certain spaces, being overlooked or doubted at work, or the weight of what your family and community have carried for generations. Over time, it adds up.
You deserve a therapist who takes that seriously. KP Psychological offers culturally responsive online therapy for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and people of colour) adults across Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary. Sessions are by secure video, for people who are physically in Alberta at the time of each session.
What racial trauma is
Researchers define racial trauma as the cumulative traumatizing impact of racism on a racialized person. It can include individual acts of discrimination, combined with the effects of systemic racism, built up over time.
Racial trauma isn't a formal diagnosis. But its effects are real, and they can look a lot like post-traumatic stress.
How it can affect you
A 2025 research paper notes that racial trauma can match the severity and symptoms of PTSD, and can come with anxiety, depression, despair and poor physical health. You might notice:
- feeling on guard, or scanning for danger or disrespect in certain places
- replaying hurtful incidents, or intrusive memories of them
- anger, exhaustion or numbness, especially after news of racist events
- self-doubt, or questioning whether what happened was "really" racism
- pressure to code-switch, hold back or represent your whole community
- avoiding places, people or opportunities to protect yourself
Research has linked more frequent experiences of discrimination with a higher likelihood of a PTSD diagnosis.
Intergenerational and historical trauma
For many Indigenous families, and for families shaped by displacement, war or migration, trauma didn't start with one person. The effects of residential schools, colonization and other historical harms can pass down through generations, in families and communities.
If you're a residential school survivor or a family member, the Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program offers counselling at no cost, regardless of status or where you live. Eligible First Nations and Inuit clients can also use Non-Insured Health Benefits (NIHB). We bill both directly once coverage is in place. See fees and insurance.
What culturally responsive therapy looks like here
We see you as a whole person, including your culture, your identity and your experiences of racism and discrimination. In practice, that means:
- Your experiences are taken seriously. You won't have to prove that something was "really" about race.
- Your identity is part of the work, not something to leave at the door.
- We look at systems, not just symptoms. Distress can be an understandable response to real barriers.
- You set the pace, and nothing happens without your consent.
Kyle Poon, R.Psych, describes himself as an anti-racist Registered Psychologist. His passion for this work comes from personal experience, and he works with people of colour, including Asian, Indigenous and First Nations clients.
How EMDR can help with racial trauma
EMDR is built on the idea that overwhelming experiences get stored with their original fear, images, beliefs and body sensations, and keep getting triggered in the present. Racial trauma often works exactly that way: a slur from years ago that still lands in your chest, or a hundred small moments that add up to "I don't belong here."
Here's how we use it:
- Specific incidents. A single event, such as an assault, a police stop or a public humiliation, can be processed much like other trauma, so the memory stays but loses its charge.
- Cumulative microaggressions. Everyday slights are often too many to count. We find the moments that carry the most weight and the beliefs they left behind, and process those as "touchstones," which tends to loosen the whole pattern.
- Vicarious and collective trauma. News of racist violence, or what your family and community have lived through, can affect you as if it happened to you. That can be worked with too.
- Beliefs about yourself. Racism teaches lies, such as "I'm less than" or "I have to be perfect to be safe." EMDR helps replace them with what's true.
- Resourcing first. Before memory work, we strengthen what holds you up: your identity, culture, community, ancestors, faith or the people who have your back.
One thing to be clear about: processing a memory doesn't mean deciding what happened was acceptable, or that racism is your problem to fix. Systemic racism is real and ongoing. The goal is that it stops living in your body, so you have more of yourself for your life and for whatever change you want to be part of.
What the research says
Honest about the evidence. Researchers note that there are still few tested, manualized treatments designed specifically for racial trauma. Most care draws on cultural adaptations of therapies that are well supported for PTSD, and new approaches are being studied.
Trauma-focused therapy. When racism has led to PTSD symptoms, trauma-focused therapies such as EMDR, which international guidelines recommend for PTSD, may help. Research on EMDR for racial trauma specifically is still early, so we'll adapt the work to you and review it together.
Culturally attuned EMDR. Clinicians writing in the EMDR Association UK's journal in 2024 describe what culturally attuned EMDR involves: naming race and oppression openly in the room rather than waiting for you to raise it, therapists doing their own ongoing work on bias, and building intercultural safety before any protocol begins. That matches how we work.
In this video, Kyle explains what trauma is and how it can affect you.
Racism in demanding careers
Being BIPOC in policing, the fire service, health care or the military can mean carrying racism on top of the stress of the job. We work with both. Read more about therapy for first responders and therapy for Veterans and military members.
Who you'd see
You'd work with Kyle Poon, R.Psych. Racial trauma, racial identity and culturally responsive trauma therapy are part of his focus, alongside EMDR, PTSD and complex trauma. He is an EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant. Kyle currently has a waitlist, and the free consult is a good time to talk about timing.
Support for Indigenous peoples
The Hope for Wellness Help Line offers support to all Indigenous people across Canada, 24/7. Call 1-855-242-3310, or chat online at hopeforwellness.ca.
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 with Kyle is $250. Alberta Health Care doesn't cover psychologists, but many extended health plans do, and we can bill most insurance companies directly. See fees and insurance for details.
Common questions
Is racial trauma a diagnosis?
Not formally. But the effects of racism can include symptoms like those of PTSD, anxiety and depression. You don't need a diagnosis to start therapy.
Do I have to explain racism to my therapist?
No. You shouldn't have to educate your therapist or justify your experiences. We'll focus on what happened to you and how it affects you now.
Can you help with intergenerational trauma?
Yes. We can explore how family and community history shapes your life today, at a pace that feels right. Survivors and family members may be able to use the Indian Residential Schools program or NIHB.
Can I work on racism and other issues at the same time?
Yes. Racism often overlaps with work stress, relationships, grief or other trauma. We'll look at the whole picture together.
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
Sources
- Williams et al. (2021), PTSD Research Quarterly: Posttraumatic stress disorder and racial trauma
- Osman et al. (2025): Treating racial trauma, methodology of a randomized controlled trial
- Wartalska (2024), EMDR Therapy Quarterly: Considerations for the use of EMDR in processing racial and other socially inflicted traumas
- Indigenous Services Canada: Indian Residential Schools Resolution Health Support Program
- Indigenous Services Canada: NIHB mental health counselling
- Hope for Wellness Help Line