Motor Vehicle Accidents & Trauma

Trauma Treatment and Recovery

Trauma can have a devastating and lasting effect on the quality of a person's life.

We provide psychological assessment and treatment services for adults, children, and youth who have symptoms resulting from a traumatic life event or an accumulation of disturbing experiences in which the individual finds it difficult to cope and function. Typical traumatic events include motor vehicle accidents (MVA), sexual abuse and rape, natural disasters, assault, workplace accidents, childhood abuse of many forms, sudden loss, and exposure to life-threatening events.

Motor Vehicle Accidents (MVA)

In addition to suffering from physical injuries, many victims of automobile accidents find it difficult to regulate their thoughts, feelings, mood, and behaviour following a collision. They may feel hypervigilant, agitated, anxious, depressed, or numb. Many have problems with sleep, memory, attention, and concentration. They may be forgetful or internally preoccupied, phobic, and fearful.

People closest to them may notice they seem more irritable and sensitive, which can cause problems with coworkers and family members. Children may exhibit additional symptoms including regression (e.g., decrease in previously mastered skills of independence, diminished resiliency and coping strategies, increased temper tantrums and meltdowns, insistence on sleeping with a parent, bedwetting) and school refusal.

Consequently, car accident victims may increasingly withdraw from people and become more isolated and avoid many activities they once enjoyed and did with ease (e.g., driving, socializing, functioning well at school or work). If they were physically injured, acute pain and somatic complaints often make the psychological trauma of the accident even worse.

Accessing Treatment Free of Charge to Return to Normal Functioning

Victims of MVAs are often not aware that they can receive specific trauma therapy or counselling, free of charge.

Although people often attend to their physical symptoms immediately, the psychological and emotional impact of their suffering often goes unacknowledged and untreated, especially in very young children who may lack the emotional insight and language to articulate their experiences. We have psychologists who have specialized training in the most effective therapies to treat trauma (e.g., EMDR therapy, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) and support rehabilitation and recovery.

Failing to address the psychological symptoms that may result from an MVA can pose significant problems in the future in terms of health, adjustment, and personal well-being. Fortunately, in Alberta anyone who has suffered from physical and/or psychological symptoms caused by an MVA in the last two years may have treatment, and their automobile insurance provider must pay for the treatment by law.

To see one of our psychologists and obtain psychological treatment, all MVA victims have to do is call our office and provide their insurance contact information and their claim number, we will do the rest. We will complete an assessment/evaluation and treatment plan and obtain the approval to see them. We make it as hassle-free as possible by communicating with insurance and direct billing our clients' automobile insurance provider.

If you require treatment for psychological symptoms resulting from an MVA you were involved in within the last two years, you may: