Private, paced counselling for people still carrying something that happened at work, even if you are not sure it counts as trauma. Registered Psychologists regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP). In-person counselling in Edmonton and St. Albert. Virtual sessions available across Alberta. 50-minute sessions, with evening and weekend hours.

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You Might Be Wondering Whether Workplace Trauma Counselling Is Right for You

You may be asking yourself whether what happened at work is serious enough to count. Maybe no one was physically hurt. Maybe it was a pattern of comments, a meeting that went badly wrong, or a shift you still think about, and the word trauma feels too big for it. You might also wonder whether you should just be able to handle it, because it was only work.

Some people notice their shoulders tighten in the parking lot before a shift, or they replay a conversation at 2 a.m. Others find themselves avoiding one hallway, one coworker, or one name in their inbox. Some keep functioning at work and only feel the weight of it on days off, when it shows up as irritability at home or a flatness that is hard to explain.

These reactions make sense. Work is tied to income, identity, and daily routine, so harm that happens there can be hard to set down at the end of the day. Responses like these often reflect the ways your mind and body have adapted to protect you. They do not mean something is permanently wrong with you, or that you are weak for being affected.

If you are considering whether speaking with someone could help, this page may be a useful starting point. It explains what workplace trauma counselling involves, what the research says, and what counselling does not do. You can read at your own pace and decide what, if anything, feels like a reasonable next step.

Who We Help

Workplace trauma counselling may be a good fit if you are:

• Affected by a specific incident at work, such as an assault, a threat, a serious injury, or witnessing something upsetting
• Dealing with the effects of repeated harassment, bullying, or humiliating treatment at work
• Regularly exposed to other people's crises through your job, as many health care, social service, and front-line workers are
• On leave, between jobs, or back at work and still carrying what happened
• Unsure whether your experience counts, and looking for a private place to sort that out
• A partner, family member, friend, or manager gathering information for someone else. The person would usually book their own sessions, and family members can also seek support for themselves.

If bullying is the main concern, you may also find bullying therapy relevant.

This service may not be the right fit if you need:

• Immediate safety or crisis support. Please use the crisis resources below.
• A report for a workers' compensation, insurance, disability, or legal claim, or a fitness-for-work decision. These needs are outside this counselling service. Psychological assessments are a separate service with their own process.
• A workplace investigation, or human resources, union, or legal representation. Counselling can sit alongside these processes but cannot replace them.
• Counselling directed by a workplace process about your own conduct. Please call the admin team at 780-904-4880 first so they can explain what the clinic can and cannot provide.

If You Need Help Right Now

Counselling appointments are booked ahead of time and are not set up to respond to emergencies. If you are in danger, at work or anywhere else, or you may not be able to stay safe, please reach out to one of these services:

• 911 or your nearest emergency department for immediate danger
• Alberta Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642 (24/7)
• 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline: call or text 9-8-8

Wholesome Psychology is not an emergency or crisis service.

What Workplace Trauma Counselling Is (and Is Not)

Workplace trauma counselling is one-to-one talk therapy focused on experiences at work that are still affecting you. People use the term in different ways. For some it means a single incident. For others it means months of harassment or pressure that slowly wore them down.

These experiences are not rare. Statistics Canada tracks three workplace mental health risk factors: severe time pressure or work overload, violence or the threat of violence, and harassment or bullying. In 2016, nearly one-quarter of employees in Canada reported exposure to at least one of these at work in the previous 12 months (Statistics Canada, 2022). A federal report on post-traumatic stress also notes that workers in some professions, including health care workers and public safety personnel, are at increased risk because of the work they do (Government of Canada, 2025).

Being exposed to a risk factor does not mean an experience was traumatic, and this page cannot tell you whether yours was. Counselling is a place to sort that out with a trained professional, at a pace you set. If your main concern is ongoing pressure rather than a harmful event, workplace stress counselling may be a closer fit.

Workplace trauma counselling does not:

• Replace emergency or crisis care
• Act as a legal service, a workplace investigation, or union or human resources representation
• Decide insurance or workers' compensation claims, or determine who was at fault
• Include a psychological assessment or diagnosis, which is a separate service
• Replace advice from your doctor, lawyer, union, or employer

You decide how much to share and when. What you say in sessions is confidential, within a small number of legal limits explained below. Each clinician works within the scope of their own training and registration, and will tell you if something you need falls outside it.

Signs Workplace Trauma May Be Affecting You

Reactions after upsetting or traumatic events show up differently for each person (Canadian Psychological Association [CPA], 2020). After something difficult at work, you might notice:

• Replaying what happened, or having it come back when you do not want it to
• Bad dreams or broken sleep, especially before a shift
• Feeling on guard at work, or scanning for a certain person or sound
• Avoiding a place, a task, a coworker, or even the drive in
• Feeling flat or numb, or pulling away from people outside work
• Being shorter with family or friends than you used to be
• Harsh thoughts about yourself, such as "I should have stopped it" or "I am not cut out for this"
• Trouble concentrating or making decisions you once handled easily
• A racing heart, sweating, or tension when something reminds you of work

For many people, strong reactions shortly after an event gradually ease over the first month or so (CPA, 2020). When they linger, grow, or start to crowd out sleep, relationships, or work, that can be a reasonable time to talk with someone. These are common responses to harmful experiences, not signs of weakness or a permanent problem. This list is not a diagnostic tool, and structured support may help you make sense of what you are noticing in the context of your own life.

How Treatment Works Here

• Find your therapist. Browse our therapists' profiles or use the Match with a Therapist tool for help choosing. If you would rather talk it through, the admin team can help at 780-904-4880.
• Book your first session. You can book online or by phone. The first session covers confidentiality and its limits, consent, and what you hope to get from counselling. Many people start with how things are now rather than the details of what happened.
• Build your plan together. You and your therapist agree on goals and pace. Goals might be sleeping better, feeling steadier at work, or making a decision about your job.
• Ongoing sessions. Sessions are 50 minutes, usually weekly or every two weeks, and the schedule can change as your needs change.
• Progress check-ins. Your therapist reviews how things are going with you regularly, and the plan adapts if something is not working.

There is no fixed number of sessions. Counselling is collaborative, and your voice shapes the plan at every stage, including whether to slow down, change focus, or take a break. You can read more on Getting Started with Therapy.

Evidence and Approaches

The research below comes mainly from clinical guidance on post-traumatic stress, which applies when reactions after a traumatic event are significant and lasting. Many people who seek workplace trauma counselling do not meet the criteria for a diagnosis, and you do not need one to begin. Your therapist will talk with you about which approaches suit your situation and which ones they are trained to offer.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)

What it helps with: Intrusive memories, avoidance, and harsh self-beliefs after a frightening or harmful work event.

Evidence summary: Clinical guidance recommends individual trauma-focused CBT, such as cognitive processing therapy, for adults with PTSD or clinically important symptoms more than one month after a traumatic event, and names work-related trauma among events linked to PTSD (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence [NICE], 2018). A Canadian fact sheet notes that an American Psychological Association guideline strongly recommends CBT, cognitive processing therapy, and cognitive therapy (CPA, 2020).

Limitations: Most of this evidence comes from adults with significant post-traumatic stress, so results may differ for other workplace experiences. Pacing is agreed together, since memory work can feel hard at first.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

What it helps with: Distressing memories of a specific workplace incident that still feel vivid or stuck.

Evidence summary: Clinical guidance recommends offering EMDR to adults with PTSD or clinically important symptoms more than three months after a non-combat trauma, and considering it between one and three months if the person prefers it (NICE, 2018). The guideline found less evidence for EMDR than for trauma-focused CBT, although direct comparisons did not show a significant difference between them (NICE, 2018).

Limitations: Direct evidence for EMDR in the first three months after an event is very limited. Not every therapist is trained in EMDR therapy, so ask about it when choosing a clinician.

Early Support and Active Monitoring After a Recent Incident

What it helps with: The first weeks after a workplace incident, when strong reactions are common and may ease on their own.

Evidence summary: For people with milder symptoms within a month of a traumatic event, clinical guidance suggests considering active monitoring, meaning planned follow-up to check how things are going (NICE, 2018). The same guidance advises against psychologically-focused debriefing for preventing or treating PTSD, because evidence showed no benefit and some suggestion of worse outcomes (NICE, 2018). Many people's reactions gradually improve within the first month or so (CPA, 2020).

Limitations: Active monitoring is not a fit when reactions are severe, getting worse, or affecting safety. This guidance is not specific to workplace support programs.

What Results to Expect

Recovery after a workplace experience is rarely a straight line. Some people notice shifts within a few months. Others, especially after repeated or long-running harm, benefit from longer-term work. Setbacks around reminders, anniversaries, or changes at work are common and do not erase progress.

Outcomes depend on many things: the nature of what happened, whether it is still happening, what else is going on in your life, the support around you, and the fit between you and your therapist. No therapy can guarantee a particular result. That includes returning to the same job, a decision on a claim, or a change in how your workplace responds.

Fit matters. If an approach or a therapist does not feel right, you can say so, and changing either one is always an option.

Confidentiality and Privacy

What you share in counselling is confidential. Psychologists at Wholesome Psychology are regulated by the College of Alberta Psychologists (CAP) and follow CAP's Standards of Practice and the Canadian Code of Ethics for Psychologists published by the Canadian Psychological Association (CPA). Other clinicians follow the standards of their own professional bodies.

In Alberta, the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA) generally applies to private clinics. It sets rules, based on consent, for how personal information is collected, used, and shared. The Health Information Act (HIA) covers health information held by health custodians, such as Alberta Health Services. It can also apply when a clinician works for or on behalf of a custodian. Your therapist can explain which rules apply to your records.

Your employer is not told that you attend counselling, or what you talk about, without your consent, apart from the legal limits listed below. If an employer program, insurer, or other third party is paying for sessions, ask before you begin what information they may request, so you can decide what you are comfortable with.

There are legal limits to confidentiality. Your therapist may need to share information without your consent if there is:

• A risk of serious harm to yourself or someone else
• Suspected abuse or neglect of a child (mandatory reporting under Alberta law)
• A court order requiring records to be released

Your clinician will explain these limits clearly during your first session. You are welcome to ask questions about privacy before you share anything personal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I have to describe what happened at work in detail?

No. You decide what to share and when. Many people start with what is hard right now, such as sleep, dread before a shift, or tension at home, and talk about the event itself only if and when it feels useful. Some trauma-focused approaches do involve working with memories of the event, but your therapist will explain what that involves and agree on the pace with you first.

Is what I share private, and will my employer find out?

What you share is confidential, and your employer is not told that you attend counselling without your consent. The limits are a serious risk of harm, suspected abuse or neglect of a child, or a court order, as described in the confidentiality section above. Your therapist reviews these limits with you in the first session.

How many sessions will I need?

There is no set number. Some people come for a short period to work through one incident or one decision. Others, particularly after repeated harm, find longer-term counselling useful. You and your therapist review progress regularly and adjust the plan together.

What if the therapist is not the right fit?

Fit matters. If something does not feel right after a session or two, you can raise it with your therapist or contact the admin team at 780-904-4880 for help finding a different clinician. Changing therapists is a normal part of finding the right match. New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

Can I have sessions online?

Yes. Virtual sessions are available across Alberta, which can help if travelling to an appointment is hard or you would rather talk from home. The same confidentiality standards apply. It helps to choose a private spot where you will not be overheard.

What if the harassment or unsafe situation at work is still happening?

You can start counselling while things are still going on. Your therapist can help you think through supports and next steps that fit your situation, and ways to look after yourself day to day. Counselling cannot investigate your workplace or act on your behalf, so you may also want advice from human resources, a union, or a lawyer. If you are threatened or feel unsafe at any point, call 911.

Do I need a diagnosis, a referral, or a workplace report before starting?

No. You can start counselling without a diagnosis, a doctor's referral, or a report to your employer. Reimbursement depends on your insurance plan, so it is worth checking its requirements before booking.

Can counselling help with a decision about returning to work?

Counselling can give you space to think through how work is affecting you and what you want, including questions about returning, staying, or leaving. It cannot determine fitness for work, provide legal or employment direction, or guarantee a return-to-work outcome.

Meet Your Clinicians

The team includes:

• Registered Psychologists
• Registered Provisional Psychologists, who practise under the supervision of a senior registered psychologist
• Registered Social Workers, regulated by the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW)
• Canadian Certified Counsellors (CCCs)
• Mental Health Therapists
• Student Therapists, who are master's-level practicum students working under clinical supervision

All psychologists on the team are registered with the College of Alberta Psychologists. Training and focus vary from one clinician to the next. Each profile describes that person's experience and approaches, so you can look for someone whose work includes trauma or workplace concerns.

You can browse Our Therapists, use the Match with a Therapist tool, or call 780-904-4880 for guidance. For a broader look at trauma support, see trauma therapy.

Children and Youth

Workplace harm does not only affect adults in full-time jobs. Employees aged 15 to 24 were more likely than those aged 55 and over to report harassment or bullying at work (Statistics Canada, 2022). Children and teens can also feel the effects when a parent is struggling after something at work. The federal report on post-traumatic stress notes that it can affect families, not only individuals (Government of Canada, 2025).

Wholesome Psychology offers counselling for children, adolescents, and young people. Therapists who work with younger clients use age-appropriate approaches and work with caregivers to support a steady environment at home. You can learn more about child and youth counselling and support for child and youth stress and trauma.

Taking a Next Step

If you would like to explore workplace trauma counselling, you can start in whichever way feels most manageable:

• Book a session online
• Use the Match with a Therapist tool
• Call the admin team at 780-904-4880
• Email info@wholesomepsychology.ca
• Read Getting Started with Therapy to see what to expect

Starting the conversation is enough.

New clients may access their first session at 50% off to help find the right therapeutic fit.

References

• Canadian Psychological Association. (2020). "Psychology Works" fact sheet: Post-traumatic stress disorder.
• Government of Canada. (2025). Federal framework on post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD): Report to Parliament 2025. https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/publications/diseases-conditions/federal-framework-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-report-parliament-2025.html
• National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. (2018). Post-traumatic stress disorder [NICE guideline].
• Statistics Canada. (2022). Mental health risk factors, 2016 (Quality of Employment in Canada). https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/14-28-0001/2020001/article/00001-eng.htm