Harness of Joy Psychotherapy Services Inc.

Harness of Joy does not provide crisis or emergency services.

In crisis?

If you are in immediate danger, call 9-1-1 or go to your nearest emergency department. If you are thinking about suicide, call or text 9-8-8 for support, available 24/7 across Canada.

CVAP counselling after violence and crime

Crime Victim Assistance Program (CVAP)

Compassionate Counselling After Violence, Trauma and Crime

After violence or crime, the event may end — but its emotional effects do not always end with it.

You may find yourself feeling unsafe even when you know you are safe.

You may experience fear, anger, grief, confusion, guilt, sadness, intrusive memories, difficulty sleeping, anxiety, or changes in the way you relate to other people.

Sometimes the impact appears immediately.

Sometimes it surfaces weeks, months, or even years later.

Whatever your experience looks like, you deserve a place where you can begin making sense of what happened without being rushed, judged, or pressured.

Harness of Joy provides trauma-informed counselling to support individuals affected by violence and crime.

Counselling May Help With:

  • Trauma and post-traumatic stress symptoms
  • Anxiety and fear
  • Hypervigilance or constantly feeling “on guard”
  • Intrusive thoughts or memories
  • Nightmares and sleep difficulties
  • Grief and traumatic loss
  • Depression
  • Anger
  • Shame or guilt
  • Difficulty trusting others
  • Changes in relationships
  • Emotional numbness
  • Difficulty concentrating
  • Feeling disconnected from yourself
  • Reduced sense of safety
  • Difficulty returning to work, school, or everyday routines
  • Rebuilding confidence and emotional stability

Therapy That Moves at Your Pace

Trauma therapy does not require you to tell your entire story before you are ready.

We begin by understanding what you need now.

This may include helping you feel safer, strengthening coping skills, managing difficult emotions, improving sleep, understanding trauma responses, and gradually processing painful experiences when appropriate.

Therapeutic approaches may include:

  • EMDR Therapy
  • Trauma-informed psychotherapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
  • DBT-informed emotional regulation skills
  • Grounding and stabilization
  • Psychoeducation about trauma
  • Strengths-based therapy
  • Compassion-focused approaches

Healing is not about forgetting what happened.

It is about helping what happened have less power over the life you are living today.

Who May Be Eligible for CVAP?

British Columbia's Crime Victim Assistance Program may provide benefits to eligible:

  • Victims of violent crime
  • Immediate family members of an injured or deceased victim
  • Certain witnesses affected by violent crime

Depending on eligibility and approval, CVAP benefits may include counselling services to support recovery from the psychological and emotional effects of crime.

Accessing Counselling Through CVAP

If you have already received approval from CVAP, please contact Harness of Joy and advise us that you would like to access counselling using your CVAP benefits.

If you have not yet applied, you may apply directly through the Government of British Columbia's Crime Victim Assistance Program.

Your approval letter will help identify the counselling services and benefits that have been authorized for you.

Coverage and the number of approved sessions are determined by CVAP.