Abuse whether it be physical, emotional, financial, sexual or psychological can leave long-lasting and painful damage. The effects from abuse can affect our self-esteem, trust and take away our safe spaces. At Wholesome Psychology, our therapists in Edmonton and St. Albert are passionate about providing a safe, welcoming and compassionate domain for abuse survivors. Our safe space will allow survivors of abuse to begin to heal and process all the things that they have endured. We believe in holistic care that understands everyone's journey is unique and will require unique treatment approaches.
Understanding Abuse in All Its Forms
Abuse is not your fault. Abuse can affect individuals, families, children and teens regardless of gender,age, relationship status or background. Some survivors of abuse may not even realize that they have experienced abuse until later on in their lives. Our team in Edmonton and St. Albert provide counselling to help process and heal from the different kinds of abuse such as:
- Emotional Abuse: Emotional abuse is abuse that takes place with non physical interactions. This can include name calling, intimidation, insults and manipulation. Learn more about emotional abuse.
- Physical Abuse: Physical abuse is when acts of physical violence cause pain or injury to another individual purposefully. Forms of physical abuse include: Slapping, kicking, shoving or choking. See our resources on physical abuse.
- Sexual Abuse: Any unwanted sexual contact, coercion, or assault. For targeted support, visit sexual abuse recovery counseling.
- Financial Abuse: Financial abuse occurs when money is controlled, restricted or tampered with. This can include blocking or affecting a persons access to money and other resources. Learn about the impacts in our abuse counselling section.
- Psychological Abuse: Psychological abuse is when a perpetrator manipulates, threatens or fear and control to frighten someone else or hurt them emotionally and mentally.
Our psychologists have substantial experience supporting individuals, children, and families affected by all types of abuse. We know that understanding and listening is a major step in allowing victims to heal. Our office is a judgement free zone and we work hard to provide compassionate support during every phase of your healing journey. For additional information on trauma please see our page on trauma therapy.
Why Seek Abuse Counselling?
Abuse can cause a plethora of mental health issues or concerns such as Anxiety, Depression, trauma, and trust issues. Victims of abuse often struggle with these issues and can feel hopeless or lost. Our attentive team in Edmonton and St. Albert provides:
- Trauma-informed care in a confidential setting.
- Customized treatment plans to address your unique needs.
- Evidence-based approaches such as CBT, EMDR,Psychoeducation and trauma therapy
- realistic strategies for coping with triggers and rebuilding self confidence
- Safety planning and resources for crisis intervention if needed.
What to Expect During Abuse Counselling
Our skilled therapists are empathetic and provide client- centred therapy. They work with your comfort level and provide strategies to start your healing journey. At Wholesome psychology you can expect the following in during a session for abuse counselling:
- Initial Assessment: This initial session is for our therapists to get background information and work towards creating a treatment plan and approach that fit your needs and boundaries.
- Safety and Trust: All sessions are confidential. Our clients safety and well-being is our first priority.
- Building Understanding: Our therapists work with you to help understand how abuse can cause trauma, and toxic dynamics They also work with you to better understand how abuse may have affected your thoughts, feelings and actions.
- Processing and Healing: Our therapists use evidence based approaches to help you heal from abuse. These approaches allow for you to process traumatic events and memories as well as helping you to manage the emotions and feelings that relate back to the abuse endured. They work with you to rebuild trust and self-confidence. ,
- Recovery and Growth: As you work through your healing journey you will gain coping skills and insight to your emotional and mental well-being. This will allow you to improve your overall health and well being as well as your relationships with others. We encourage boundary setting so you can ensure a safer and more secure life moving forward. Learn more about relationships and healing.
Our Abuse Therapists in Edmonton & St. Albert
At Wholesome psychology, we believe everyone deserves to work with an experienced therapist who is trained in trauma and recovery. We work hard to ensure our team is warm and welcoming. Our therapists bring expertise to each session so you can feel supported and understood. Whether you are looking for support for past childhood abuse, intimate partner violence, or recent experiences, our office is available to provide care for all ages and backgrounds. We provide counselling for families, children, individuals and couples.. You can also learn about our full range of services to address your needs.
Local, Trauma-Informed Approach for Edmonton & St. Albert
Wholesome Psychology is proud to serve Edmonton and St. Albert communities. We provide referrals as needed to trusted community resources and organizations when applicable.
During your healing journey, you may want to better understand or learn more about other topics related to abuse such types of trauma or domestic abuse counseling. We also offer specific support in regards to sexual abuse recovery and PTSD treatment to encourage you to heal and thrive in life after abuse. If you are interested in online or virtual sessions, please see our virtual psychologist services.
How We Support Your Healing
Our trained clinicians provide therapy which focuses on trauma informed care, education and empowerment as well as crisis support if applicable. We aim to provide an empowering and compassionate space to allow for you to fully open up and work towards improved mental and physical health. Whether you have recently experienced forms of abuse, or they occurred sometime ago, our therapists at Wholesome are available to provide support no matter what phase you are in. If you are interested in speaking with a professional Contact us today or meet our therapists serving Edmonton and St. Albert. Our office is also able to provide low-cost options for ongoing support. See our low-cost psychologist services.
Additional Resources
References: What is emotional abuse. The Hotline. (2025, March 14). https://www.thehotline.org/resources/what-is-emotional-abuse/
American Psychological Association. (n.d.). American Psychological Association. https://www.apa.org/topics/physical-abuse-violence
