Sprout Counselling

02/13/2026

❤️‍🩹

Our hearts are with the community of Tumbler Ridge today.
In the wake of recent violence, it is normal to feel scared, anxious, overwhelmed, and angry. Please remember that you are not alone.

Resources are available:

Northern BC residents can get help immediately by contacting any one of the following: call 310Mental Health Support at 310-6789 for emotional support, information and resources specific to mental health; call 1-800-784-2433 if you are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including thoughts of su***de.

If you or someone you know is in immediate crisis or has su***de-related concerns:

9-8-8 is for anyone who is thinking about su***de, or who is worried about someone they know. Connect to a responder to get help without judgement. Call or text 9-8-8 toll-free, anytime for support in English or French.

Kid’s Help Phone Offers professional counselling, information and referrals and volunteer-led, text-based support to young people in both English and French. Reach out by texting CONNECT to 686868

The KUU-US Crisis Response Service at 1-800-588-8717 provides culturally-aware crisis support for Indigenous peoples in B.C.
The Northern Health Virtual Primary & Community Care Clinic at 1-844-645-7811 offers access to a family doctor or nurse practitioner, including for mental health needs.

And if your employer offers an employee assistance program, we encourage you to reach out to those resources, as needed.

B.C. has several virtual mental health supports for anyone experiencing anxiety, depression or other mental health challenges, and you can find more information at: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/health/managing-your-health/mental-health-substance-use/virtual-mental-health-supports

See Northern Health’s website for additional mental health supports here: https://www.northernhealth.ca/services/mental-health-substance-use

01/27/2026

Trauma is not just a memory stored in the mind. According to neuroscientists, it is often held in the nervous system itself, shaping how the body reacts long after the original threat is gone. This is why many people understand their trauma intellectually, yet still feel stuck in anxiety, tension, or shutdown despite years of talking about it.

Research in neuroscience and trauma physiology shows that traumatic experiences can dysregulate the autonomic nervous system. The body may remain locked in fight, flight, or freeze mode, even when life is safe. Talking therapies are powerful for insight and meaning, but words alone do not always reach the parts of the brain and body where trauma is stored. Trauma affects brain regions involved in sensation, movement, and survival reflexes, not just language and reasoning.

This is where physical movement becomes critical. Practices that involve controlled movement, such as walking, stretching, yoga, rhythmic exercise, and somatic therapies, send direct signals to the nervous system that the body is no longer under threat. Movement activates sensory and motor pathways that help recalibrate stress responses and restore balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems. Studies show that movement can reduce cortisol, improve vagal tone, and increase neuroplasticity, allowing the nervous system to learn new patterns of safety.

Movement based approaches do not replace talking, they complement it. When the body begins to feel safe, the brain becomes more receptive to reflection and emotional processing. This is why trauma informed care increasingly combines cognitive therapies with physical and sensory based methods. Healing is not just about understanding what happened, but about teaching the nervous system that the danger has passed.

Trauma recovery is not a purely mental process. It is a whole body rewiring. Understanding this can shift how we approach healing with more patience, compassion, and effectiveness. For more science backed insights into the brain, trauma, and nervous system health.

12/03/2025

Welcome to Sprout Counselling, a new bright and cozy therapy space in Vernon BC.

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Colours, contrasts and tones in the changing of the seasons, in the transformation from now to new…

11/17/2024

https://www.linkedin.com/posts/polyvagal-institute_gabormate-polyvagal-polyvagaltheory-activity-7255626758220136448-LYsg?utm_medium=ios_app&utm_source=social_share_video_v2&utm_campaign=facebook

11/17/2024

In this compelling conversation, Vikki Reynolds and John Wilson explore the crucial topic of deconstructing the trauma industry, highlighting the need to cha...

11/17/2024

Hi folx, Because they filled up this fall I've added these 2 workshops in 2025 Rupture & Repair: Sustaining Ethical Relationships & Collective Accountability…

09/27/2024

You are always welcome!