How Lighthouse Counselling came to be..

Welcome to Lighthouse Counselling, Vancouver’s only trauma therapy clinic dedicated toward healing those suffering from motor vehicle accident distress. My name is Robert and I conceptualized Lighthouse during my practicum studies as an Adler student back in 2011. Throughout my post-graduate work, particularly as an addictions counsellor in the Downtown Eastside, I encountered many clients, from all walks of life, living with trauma.

Through this time I was fortunate enough to have been touched by their stories. Behind the trauma, these were people just like you and me. Many of them, at one point in time, had hopes, dreams, and ambitions that were dashed as a result of traumatic events. Where opportunity and a zest for life once existed, stagnation, despair and disconnection now grew.

Hearing these harrowing stories of pain and loss I had started to recognize how commonplace trauma is within our communities. Trauma’s effects are far-reaching and in many instances impact many areas of our daily living. It unconsciously informs how we go about engaging with and navigating through the world around us.

It was around this time that I had begun treating people experiencing other forms of trauma including those suffering fr

om car accident-related distress. Through working with these people I grew to understand how a traumatic event such as a car accident can leave one feeling uprooted. The recovery process in itself was often a dehumanizing experience between dealing with lawyers, ICBC, and having to attend endless rehabilitation treatments. Added to this, the time lost, financial burden incurred, and unrelenting distress can radically alter one’s quality of life.

As I furthered my understanding of trauma, I had begun to view it as a sliver buried deep within the mind. However, unlike a physical sliver which you can see and touch, a trauma sliver is hidden from view and completely intangible, making it all the more difficult to extract. Our families, partners, coworkers and friends may not be able to fully comprehend what we’re going through, and we may even begin to question ourselves! This entire experience can leave us feeling immensely frustrated and alone in our struggle.  

I knew at that point I would make it one of my life’s mission to help people dissolve the emotional pain resulting from their trauma. Beyond this to restore their sense of agency and power so they could see a way forward through the fog and regain control of their destiny. I embarked on this venture Lighthouse Counselling to provide this service province-wide to anyone suffering from motor vehicle accident-related trauma and distress.

Lighthouse Counselling is committed to providing no-fee, fast intake counselling to ICBC clients suffering from trauma resulting from their accident. It is our mandate to provide a  supportive, safe environment while offering effective treatment to those in need of finding their way forward. The powerful beacon of the lighthouse symbolizes hope and clarity. It provides a guiding light piercing through the darkness thereby shining the way to calm water. Let us help you stop the suffering and start living again. As we navigate forward together, Lighthouse counselling will help you find your way.

If you have any questions or comments, please don’t hesitate to contact us, we’d love to hear from you.

 

Sincerely,

Robert Miles, MCP, RCC
Senior Therapist & Clinic Director