These are the first people you will see when you come to the Men’s Trauma Centre, there is no charge to see a Victim Service worker. Victim Services workers are here to offer you short-term emotional support and can give you information about reporting your abuse/assault to the police if you want to. They can also help you understand how trauma can affect you and your family. They may help you prepare for court should you choose to pursue charges against your offender. They can refer you to one of our counsellors for ongoing therapy, help you apply for Crime Victim Assistance funding for ongoing counselling should you not be able to pay for yourself and refer you to other social service agencies you may need
Counselling
A therapist can meet with you on a one-to-one basis. They are trained and experienced in helping men who have experienced trauma, including childhood sexual abuse. Sessions are usually weekly and may be funded by you or another agency/organization. We offer a sliding fee scale to make therapy more affordable and accessible to as many men as possible:
Individual Therapist – $110.00 – $70.00 per session
Student Therapist – $20.00 per session
Group Therapy – $20.00 per week
All the therapists at the Men’s Trauma Centre are professional counsellors with a Masters degree in Counseling or Social Work. They are all registered with a professional counseling body in BC. All our therapists have experience in working with men who have experienced trauma but each therapist has trained in different therapeutic approaches including EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and Client Centred approaches. You will receive supportive and confidential therapy in a safe environment. For over 10 years we have been working with men who have experienced trauma and are ready to listen to you.
Groups
Groups are offered when there are enough men who are ready to start one. A therapist will talk with you about what group therapy is like, what to expect and whether you are ready to join a group. One of the benefits of being in a group is sharing with other men who have also experienced trauma. We do charge a fee of $20.00 per week for groups and there may be limited subsidies available.
Groups we currently offer:
The Stage One “You Are Not Alone” Trauma Stabilization Group for Men is a 10-week educational program intended to support and begin to facilitate the healing process for self-identifying adult males who have experienced the effects of trauma. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can disrupt a person’s social, physical, mental, and emotional worlds leaving them in a state of heightened anxiety for years. PTSD affects one’s ability to cope with everyday stressors, to navigate relationships, and to care for themselves limiting their capacity to experience a true sense of life satisfaction. The group is designed to provide tools and to build skills to assist participants to:
increase their personal health and well-being
increase their sense of connection and belonging
increase their ability to create personal safety so they can begin to navigate difficult emotions (e.g. anger, sadness, shame) outside of the group
decrease overall stress through helping clients understand how to more effectively manage and reduce PTSD-specific symptoms (e.g., avoidance, intrusive thoughts/memories, anxiety, depression)
Groups typically run in September and January and a brief screening interview is required in order to participate. Please contact us if you are interested in more information and/or want to take that step to move forward in your healing and recovery from PTSD within an inclusive, safe, and supportive group environment.
The Stage Two Trauma Recovery Group is a group that focuses on the shared experience of trauma, so seldom discussed openly or in a thoughtful, corrective/healing way among male survivors. In particular, in a Stage 2 group participants will support each other in the disclosure and bearing witness to each-others’ stories of trauma. The structure of the group allows for the following:
normalization and a sense of inclusion, through increased awareness that other men’s impacts/suffering from trauma are similar to their own
validation and empathy for each others’ experiences
building of self-confidence through empowering feedback from others and
metabolizing of the trauma “story”.
To take part in a stage two group men must have completed the stage one group or done other similar trauma stabilization work and completed a screening interview. The group will run once we have enough men to participate. Please contact us if you are interested in continuing your journey of healing from trauma.
Outreach and Education
We reach out to the community by providing education, awareness raising and promotional the work of the Men’s Trauma Centre in the community. Many men find it hard to ask for help and our outreach work aims to break down the barriers to asking for help and to educate people as to the real impact of trauma on men.
By going out into the community more men hear about the services available to them, other agencies are able to recognise and understand the effects of trauma and use that knowledge in their work. Community relationships are built and together we are better able to support men in this community. When men can recover from trauma they are better able to function as partners, fathers and employees. They are more likely to become engaged in their community and overcome mental health and addiction issues. Outreach empowers family, friends and professionals to better understand the impact of trauma thus creating a healthier more accepting and compassionate community.
We also offer a one day professional development training for staff in other agencies which is about understanding the impact of childhood sexual abuse on men.
Download our Pamphlet