Complex trauma impacts people's lives in different ways - but it often comes with multiple symptoms and diagnosis that can be overwhelming. Many individuals who find their way to group have found that just individual counselling or other groups have not met their needs.
This is a closed group - which means an intake is required for people who are interested in this group. If this is something that would be helpful - contact for more information. Cost of the group is $120 per month (including therapy groups twice weekly and therapeutic movement groups twice weekly).
Note: due to increasing costs (this is a cost recovery based group), fee will increase to $150 as of January 2025 - for those that have previous arrangement (such as subsidy), no change will occur.
This is a 3 phased group for survivors of complex trauma.
Women's group:
Phase 1 - group A: Tuesday and Thursday 4-5 pm
- group B Tuesday and Thursday 5-6 pm
Phase 2 -group A: Fridays 9 - 1030 am
-group B: Mondays 530 - 7 pm
Phase 3 - monthly (date posted in events)
Men's group:
Phase 1 - Monday and Wednesday 12-1 pm
Phase 2 - Tuesdays 12 - 1:30 pm
2SLGBTQIA+ group:
Will be starting in January 2025
Monday and Wednesday 7-8 pm
Dr Kennedy, psychiatrist
Tracy Harvey, (group facilitator) trauma specialist
Veronica Isla, therapeutic movement and yoga instructor (and coordinator extraordinaire!)
Laura Hahn (group facilitator)
Bobbi Bradley (group facilitator)
Scott Wensmenn (group facilitator)
Shieghla Kowalzik (group facilitator)
AHS Addiction and Mental Health Access: 1-888-594-0211
Distress line of SW Alberta: 403-327-7905
Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642
Hope for Wellness Helpline: 1-855-242-3310 (24/7 support for Indigenous people across Canada)
Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-387-5437
Chinook Sexual Assault Centre: 403-694-1094
Kids Helpline: 1-800-668-6868
Mental Health Help Line: 1-877-303-2642
Non-Emergency police line: 403-328-4444
Harbour House Women's Shelter: 403-320-1881
eating disorder anonymous (online meetings): https://eatingdisordersanonymous.org/meeting/
This information is to help you navigate through your healing journey. Each person's journey will look different, and each person will have different needs along their journey. In recognition of this, you are encouraged to consider your path in group as a part of your healing journey - but know that your needs are individual and may look a bit different than others. However, in the time that you are with your group, there is a shared understanding of the complexity around trauma recovery.
pot-luck social gathering:
Holidays/ group changes:
Phase 1 : On-line only
Phase 2:
Group 2B:
Group 2A: No group April 18th (Good Friday)
Men's group:
Phase 1 - No group December 25, 30th
Phase 2 - No group December 24th, 31st
Emails will be sent with zoom link for meeting. Starting in August, the meeting will be in-person with zoom option, located at #23, 495 WT Hill Blvd (Loft at Refresh Centre for Health & Wellness)
February 19
March 19
April 16
May 14
cost - $30/ month (reduced cost as it is once per month)
JOIN Complex Trauma Group!
Tracy and Dr.Kennedy, Veronica, Kamal and Gabriella are the family and support you never knew you needed. (Phase 2 member)
I started the program at the darkest point in my life. I felt like I would be stuck in that misery forever, and there was nothing better out there for me. But Tracy, Dr. Kennedy, Kamal, and Veronica have dragged me kicking and screaming through each phase, and without even realizing it, I started learning skills to manage the symptoms of my CPTSD. I'm not quite where I want to be, but I see light now, instead of just darkness. I feel part of a community of people who understand me. I know I'm not alone. I can now actively work to gain new skills and through EMDR am desensitizing myself to the memories that used to haunt me day and night. Now, I see all sorts of possibilities for my future, and all of it is thanks to the skills I learned in the program and the facilitators' refusal to let me give up. I'm not the person I expected to be as I worked through group; I'm someone totally different, someone I couldn't have imagined, and I actually like myself now. There truly is life beyond trauma. Your childhood doesn't have to poison your whole adulthood. It's a metric crap-tonne of work, and not all of it's fun, but change truly is possible. I'm so grateful. (Phase 3 member)
Great description of what happens to your brain - you may want to share this one with people who struggle with understanding what is happening for you.
Reminder of how to be open to emotions.
This helps with understanding the difference between empathy and sympathy.
This video provides some things to think about with challenging patterns of perfectionism
We talk lots about the connection between trauma and the body - here is a discussion with one of the experts in the field.
When you are struggling with being stuck in changing patterns, you may want to consider trying this strategy.
When you struggle with drama in relationships - this video helps us understand patterns that contribute to this as well as considerations in getting out.
Movement is very important - check out our page with all of Veronica's sessions - but here is an additional one for dissociation
Setting boundaries is very difficult and often a challenge for many people in the group - here is a quick discussion around this.
Depression is often a companion of complex trauma - this helps to understand this a bit better.
This is a quick explanation of the brain / lid flip that we will often refer to in group.
Group info sheet (1) (docx)
DownloadSUDS worksheet (pdf)
DownloadSUDS reflection scale (pdf)
DownloadSafety Plan (docx)
DownloadDifficult situation Coping Plan (docx)
DownloadEmotion-Feelings (pdf)
DownloadWindow of Tolerance (jpeg)
DownloadGoal worksheet (pdf)
DownloadSleep+Diary (jpg)
Downloadsleep-hygiene-handout (pdf)
Downloadwellness worksheet (pdf)
DownloadDefense mechanism handout (docx)
DownloadChallenging Automatic Thoughts (docx)
Downloadsafe coping list (docx)
DownloadBruce Perry short video discussing sensitization and tolerance
Coping with Anniversary dates (docx)
DownloadDaily Mood Chart (docx)
DownloadSafety Plan (docx)
DownloadWeekly Mood Chart (docx)
Downloadsymptoms associated with complex trauma (docx)
DownloadAssertive Communication (pdf)
Downloadwheel-of-emotions (pdf)
DownloadThe Feeling Wheel (pdf)
Downloadcoping strategies for holidays (docx)
DownloadCoercive control info - from: justice.gc.ca (pdf)
Download