Therapy for criminal victimization
Something happened that should not have happened. Maybe an assault, a break and enter, a robbery, stalking, a hate incident, or fraud that left you shaken. Since then, sleep is lighter, shoulders feel tight, and your world does not feel the same. You may replay moments in your mind or avoid reminders altogether. Healing is possible. You did not cause this. Support can help you feel safe again and regain a sense of control over your life.
What criminal victimization reactions look like
Right after the incident
Many survivors feel shock, numbness, fear, anger, or confusion. You might notice alertness, a racing heart, or difficulty concentrating. You may keep checking locks and windows, scan rooms for exits, or jump at sounds. These are common nervous system responses after harm and they make sense.
Weeks and months after
Some people experience intrusive memories, vivid dreams, or strong physical reactions when reminded of the event. Others feel flat or disconnected and wonder why they cannot just get back to normal. You may avoid certain places, routes, or people. You might also notice guilt or self blame. These are understandable but often unfair thoughts that therapy can help you challenge with care.
How common is this really
In Canada, about one in five people reported that they or their household experienced at least one crime in a twelve month period. This includes violent and non violent incidents. These findings come from the General Social Survey on victimization. There were more than eight million incidents of criminal victimization in 2019, including over two and a half million violent incidents. Statistics Canada, Criminal victimization in Canada, 2019.
Understanding the numbers
Sources: Statistics Canada Daily highlights and Department of Justice Canada on reporting rates.
What criminal victimization can take from you
Sense of safety
Crime interrupts the basic expectation that your world is safe. You may change routines, avoid neighbourhoods, or stop activities you once enjoyed. Therapy helps rebuild a practical and realistic sense of safety for your current life.
Trust and connection
It can feel hard to trust people again, even those who care about you. You might pull back from friends or feel irritable and alone. Support can help you reconnect at a pace that honours your nervous system and your boundaries.
Attention, sleep, and energy
Hyper alertness and worry drain energy. Sleep may be light or disrupted by nightmares. Therapy offers skills that settle the body, improve sleep routines, and reduce the power of trauma reminders so that energy can return.
How therapy helps after criminal victimization
Why specialized trauma care matters
A trauma informed therapist understands the biology of stress and how crime can reshape how safe you feel. They help you regain a sense of control without forcing disclosures before you are ready. They also know community resources, how to document impacts, and when to coordinate with legal or medical supports if you choose.
What therapy actually involves
Early sessions focus on safety, stabilization, and coping in daily life. You and your therapist plan together. You decide what to share and when. Therapy can include education about common trauma responses, skills to calm the body, and gentle work with memories that feel stuck. If legal processes are ongoing, your therapist can help you prepare for court related stress while protecting your wellbeing.
Effective treatment approaches
Trauma focused cognitive behavioural therapy
This approach helps reduce intrusive memories, avoidance, and unhelpful beliefs like self blame. It includes gradual exposure to reminders in a safe and structured way, cognitive processing, and practical behaviour strategies. Major guidelines recommend trauma focused CBT for adults with post traumatic stress symptoms after crime. See NICE PTSD guideline and systematic reviews of CBT in routine care.
EMDR therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing uses sets of bilateral stimulation while recalling aspects of the memory in a contained way. Many international guidelines endorse EMDR for adult PTSD. See Cochrane review and VA PTSD treatment overview.
Skills for stabilization
Grounding, paced breathing, sleep routines, and scheduling of safe routines help your body downshift from constant alertness. These skills can be learned early and used throughout recovery to support daily functioning.
Psychoeducation and empowerment
Learning how trauma affects memory, mood, and the body reduces shame and fear. Therapy also supports informed choices about medical care, documentation, or reporting if you wish, and respects your decision if you do not.
The therapy process
Initial assessment
You will share what you want to share, at your pace. Your therapist asks about safety, sleep, concentration, triggers, supports, and any medical or legal needs. If you choose, they can help with letters that summarize impacts for employers or school, and discuss options for victim services.
Active treatment
Weekly or biweekly sessions often start with stabilization skills, then move into trauma focused work when you feel ready. You will practice skills between sessions so that progress shows up in real life, not just in the therapy room.
Building confidence
Over time, reminders feel less overwhelming. You can go to places you avoided, sleep more soundly, and trust yourself again. Setbacks can happen. You will have a plan and skills to respond and keep moving forward.
Find a therapist for criminal victimization
Choosing the right therapist matters. Each province in Canada has its own regulations, which is why working with a recognized professional can make a real difference in your care. Stellocare takes the uncertainty out of the process by listing only verified therapists you can trust.
The right therapist for you
No therapists found with these specialties in Ontario.
Try selecting a different province.Resources and strategies
Canadian support services
Victim Services Ontario
Government information on supports for victims, including the Victim and Witness Assistance Program and community agencies. Learn more.
Victim Services Directory
Search for victim service providers by postal code anywhere in Canada. Find local services.
Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime
Free, confidential, bilingual assistance and advocacy for survivors of serious crime. Visit CRCVC.
Victim Quick Response Program Plus
In Ontario, VQRP Plus may provide timely financial assistance for urgent needs after violent crime when other sources are not available. Program details.
Rights and information
Learn about the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights and practical guides on restitution, impact statements, and court information. Department of Justice Canada.
What you can do now
Practical safety planning
- Strengthen your safe base: review locks, lighting, routes, and check in routines with trusted people. Practical steps support psychological safety.
- Document: keep a private record of dates, times, and details if there are ongoing concerns. Save screenshots and messages if relevant.
- Know urgent options: for immediate danger call 911. For mental health crisis related to trauma, call or text 9 8 8 in Canada for 24 hour support.
Grounding and calm
- Orient to the present: look around the room and name five things you see, four things you feel, three things you hear, two things you smell, one thing you taste.
- Paced breathing: inhale for four, exhale for six, repeat for two minutes. Longer exhales help the body settle.
- Gentle movement: a short walk outside or light stretching can reduce arousal and support sleep later.
Trauma reminders
- Plan small exposures: when ready, approach reminders with support rather than avoid entirely. Celebrate progress.
- Change the channel: if rumination starts, shift to a sensory task such as a shower, dishwashing, or a short song playlist.
- Limit late night reading: reduce news and crime related content before bed to protect sleep.
VA PTSD Coach offers education and coping skills that many survivors find useful. MindShift CBT provides anxiety tools. Use any app that supports paced breathing, sleep routines, or journaling. Choose what feels safe and simple.
Questions about recovery after crime
Do I have to report to get help
No. You can access therapy and many community resources without making a police report. If you want information on options, a victim services worker or your therapist can walk through them with you.
What if I feel fine and then suddenly not fine
Fluctuations are common. The body may feel calm, then a reminder appears and stress returns quickly. Skills like grounding and paced breathing help. Therapy teaches you to expect waves and ride them with support.
Will therapy make me relive everything
Good trauma therapy proceeds at your pace. Stabilization skills come first. Work with memories happens when you choose and with clear boundaries so that you are supported throughout.
How long does recovery take
Timelines vary. Many survivors notice improvement within the first few months of focused therapy. Recovery continues as safety grows, sleep improves, and meaning returns to daily life.
Can therapy help with court related stress
Yes. Therapists can help with coping skills, scheduling, and strategies for testifying if needed. They can also coordinate with victim witness services to make the process more manageable.
Related concerns
References
- Statistics Canada. Criminal victimization in Canada, 2019. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/85-002-x/2021001/article/00014-eng.htm
- Statistics Canada. The Daily: Criminal victimization in Canada, 2019. Retrieved from https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/210825/dq210825a-eng.htm
- Department of Justice Canada. Victims resources and the Canadian Victims Bill of Rights. Retrieved from https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/rp-pr/cj-jp/victim/index.html
- Government of Ontario. Victim Services Ontario. Retrieved from https://www.ontario.ca/page/victim-services-ontario
- Community Legal Education Ontario. Victim Quick Response Program Plus. Retrieved from https://www.cleo.on.ca/en/publications/the-victim-quick-response-program
- Canadian Resource Centre for Victims of Crime. Retrieved from https://crcvc.ca/
- National Institute for Health and Care Excellence. Post traumatic stress disorder: NG116. Retrieved from https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ng116
- Cochrane Collaboration. Psychological therapies for chronic PTSD in adults. Retrieved from https://www.cochrane.org/evidence/CD003388_psychological-therapies-chronic-post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd-adults
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. Overview of psychotherapy for PTSD. Retrieved from https://www.ptsd.va.gov/professional/treat/txessentials/overview_therapy.asp
- Öst LG. Cognitive behaviour therapy for adult PTSD in routine clinical care. Retrieved from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37257304/
About Stellocare
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Paige Abbott
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Jessica Sykes
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Daniella Sanchez
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Katherine Collins
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Nicole Klix
Registered Clinical Counsellor (BC)
Emily Duggan
Registered Psychotherapist (ON)
Ravonna Littlewood
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Shahed Tawfeeq
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Kimia Taghavi
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Diana Freitas
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Jason Chang
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Ilona Farry
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Natalie Bender
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Michaela Leedahl
Registered Social Worker (SK)
Irfa Samnani
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Carol Ma
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Chanté Merriman
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)
Ivana Di Cosola
Registered Social Worker (ON)
Debra Airth
Registered Therapeutic Counsellor (BC)
Rania Hannawayya
Canadian Certified Counsellor
Paige Abbott
Registered Psychologist (AB)
Jessica Sykes
Registered Psychotherapist (Qualifying) (ON)