Therapy for Veterans and Military Members
Service can leave marks that don't show on the outside. You might be sleeping badly, scanning every room you walk into, or feeling far away from the people you love.
KP Psychological offers online EMDR and trauma-focused therapy for Veterans and military members across Alberta, including Edmonton and Calgary. Sessions are by secure video, for people who are physically in Alberta at the time of the session. We accept Veterans Affairs Canada (VAC) coverage.
Whether you released last year or decades ago, you're welcome here.
Military trauma, operational stress injuries and moral injury
Trauma in service can come from many places: combat or deployments, training accidents, losing people you served with, or harassment and sexual trauma. It can also come from years of living on high alert.
An operational stress injury (OSI) is a lasting mental health difficulty that comes from service, such as PTSD, anxiety or depression. It's an injury, not a weakness.
Moral injury is the distress that can follow when something goes against your values. It might come from something you did or were ordered to do, or something you saw and couldn't stop. It can also come from feeling betrayed by people or systems you trusted.
You might notice:
- Hypervigilance: always on alert, scanning for danger
- Feeling numb or disconnected from family and friends
- Grief for people you've lost
- Trouble sleeping, or nightmares
- Anger that flares up quickly
- Guilt or shame that won't settle
These are human responses to what you've been through. You can read more about trauma and PTSD therapy.
If your body still feels like it's on duty, this guided exercise from Kyle's Calm with Kyle channel is one way to practise settling it.
Transition to civilian life
Leaving the military is a big change, even when it's your choice. You may be adjusting to a new routine, a new role and a new sense of who you are, all at once.
You might miss the structure, purpose and team you had. You might feel out of step with civilian life, or unsure how to talk with family about your service.
Therapy can be a place to make sense of the change and move beyond simply coping. We start by understanding where you are now, what you have been carrying, and what you want to feel different. Then we plan together.
If your sleep has been off, this video covers sleep hygiene skills you can start with.
EMDR in the VA/DoD PTSD guideline
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense (VA/DoD) publish a clinical practice guideline for treating PTSD. Their 2023 guideline gives a strong recommendation to three trauma-focused therapies.
These are Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), EMDR and Prolonged Exposure (PE). CPT works on the beliefs trauma can leave behind, and PE works by gradually facing memories and reminders.
Of these, we offer EMDR, which is our main approach.
EMDR is designed to help the brain process stuck, disturbing memories so they're stored more like ordinary memories. You hold a memory in mind while following eye movements, tapping or tones, without having to retell every detail aloud. Researchers are still studying exactly how it works.
Guidelines describe what the research supports, but no therapy works the same way for everyone. We'll talk through your options and choose together. Informed consent guides every stage: if you want to stop, we stop.
Kyle has used EMDR for over 10 years, and he teaches it to other clinicians as an EMDRIA Approved Trainer and Consultant. Read more about EMDR therapy and how online EMDR works.
Using Veterans Affairs Canada coverage
We accept VAC coverage. Two VAC programs can pay for psychological treatment.
Treatment Benefits. If you have an approved VAC disability benefit, Treatment Benefits cover psychological services through your Medavie Blue Cross card. Some treatment needs pre-authorization (approval in advance) the first time.
Mental Health Benefits. Since April 2022, Mental Health Benefits have covered psychological treatment right away for former Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members while VAC decides their claim. This applies if you've applied for a disability benefit for an anxiety, depressive, or trauma- and stressor-related condition, such as PTSD.
Coverage lasts up to 2 years or until a favourable decision. You don't need to apply for it separately.
Billing and timing. Registered providers bill Medavie directly, so you don't have to submit claims yourself. VAC says to allow up to six weeks for pre-authorization processing, so it's worth reaching out early.
Former RCMP members with an RCMP disability pension, which VAC administers, get Treatment Benefits through Medavie too. Read more on our first responders page.
Not sure what you qualify for? Check with VAC, or bring your questions to your free consult. You'll find more detail on our Fees and insurance page.
Serving CAF members
Yes, we see serving Canadian Armed Forces members. While you serve, your care is covered by the CAF health system rather than VAC, and your CAF health services team is the first stop for mental health care.
If you'd like to work with us while serving, ask your CAF health services team about a referral and how sessions can be covered, or bring your questions to your free consult. After you release, VAC programs such as Mental Health Benefits may apply.
Support for families
Service can affect the whole family. Partners, children and parents may carry worry, change and loss of their own.
The VAC Assistance Service is free and available 24/7 for Veterans, former RCMP members and their families. Call 1-800-268-7708.
If you'd like support as a couple, Marissa Whalley, MC, R.Psych offers Gottman Method couples therapy online. Family members aged 16 and older can also book their own free consult, and our fees are on the Fees and insurance page.
Common questions
Can I start before VAC approves my disability benefit?
It depends. If you're a former CAF member who has applied for a disability benefit for a qualifying condition, Mental Health Benefits cover treatment while VAC decides. Otherwise, you can use other benefits or pay privately while you wait.
We can talk through your options at your free consult.
Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
No. In EMDR, you don't have to retell every detail aloud, and if there are things you'd rather not say, that's okay. You set the pace, and if you want to stop, we stop.
How many sessions will I need?
It depends on what you're carrying and what you want to feel different. Preparation comes first, and its length varies. Complex or long-standing trauma usually takes longer than a single event.
We'll track your progress together and adjust as we go. Sessions here run 50 minutes.
What if therapy hasn't helped me before?
That's worth talking about. EMDR is not right for everyone in every moment. We'll work with you to understand what didn't work before and offer appropriate changes or another approach.
If we're not the right fit, we'll help you find an appropriate referral.
Book a free 15-minute consultation
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