Trauma Therapist

About Every Woman’s Centre

Since 1992, the Every Woman’s Centre has been a trusted resource for women and gender-diverse individuals in Cape Breton. With a founding vision to create a space where all women would be welcomed to receive help and support, the Centre has grown significantly over the past three decades. Today, on top of being a safe, judgement-free space, EWC owns and operates affordable and supportive housing for women, a social enterprise, and leads dozens of programs and services, including Adopt-a-Family, one-on-one support, the sexual assault nurse examiner program and much more. As a member of Women’s Centres Connect, the EWC is also proud to advocate and lead discussions provincially and nationally with respect to women’s rights. As part of our continued commitment to support growth and development in the community, Every Woman’s Centre is currently recruiting a full-time sexual violence trauma therapist.

About the Role

Trauma therapists provide individual and group therapeutic counselling services to individuals of all gender identities, aged 15 years and up, who have experienced sexualized and gender-based violence. Therapy services are offered in-person, via phone, and online.

Responsibilities

• Provide individual trauma therapy counselling sessions for clients experiencing gender-based violence or sexual violence
• Co-facilitate, with our programs manager, group-based trauma therapy sessions when available and as scheduled
• Provide support and information-based sessions to non-offending parents and partners are part of our program requirements
• Participate in regular individual supervision
• Record and maintain up-to-date formal client records in accordance with NSCCT requirements
• Enter and maintain updated client profiles and client session statistics using OWL
• Ensure inactive client files are closed in a timely manner
• Follow our critical incident response policies and reporting requirements
• Manage intake and waitlists as needed
• Collaborate with internal and external community partners to ensure smooth referrals and client bridging between programs
• Network and strengthen professional relationships and referrals with key external organizations
• Ensure therapy skills remain updated in accordance with NSCCT requirements
• Ensure ongoing training in trauma-informed and culturally relevant best practices, including Indigenous (training allowance paid by the organization)
• Provide occasional community-based training and presentations to facilitate safe and inclusive conversations about gender-based violence and sexual trauma
• Contribute to organizational culture by attending team meetings, serving on committees or working groups, providing input and feedback on new policies and procedures, and/or participating in community events as appropriate
• Other duties as required

Qualifications

• Graduate level degree in Social Work, Counselling Psychotherapy, or Psychology
• Active and in good standing registration with NSCCT
• 3+ overall years of experience in providing individual counselling, crisis support, and advocacy
• Experience working with diverse and marginalized populations is essential
• 1+ years of post-graduate studies in specialized experience related to sexual assault/abuse with a focus on therapeutic counselling
• Advanced training, knowledge and skills in working with complex relational trauma and dissociation considered an asset
• Strong knowledge of local community organizations and systems to facilitate referrals, collaboration and networking is preferred
• Ability to engage and remain present with people who are highly activated in crisis states
• Knowledge of the intersectional dimension of systemic inequalities, including but not limited to racism, colonialism, sexism/misogyny, homophobia, transphobia, classism/poverty, ableism, ageism, etc.
• Demonstrated experience in networking, advocating and collaborating to improve marginalized populations’ access to services
• Proven ability to work as part of a collaborative team following relational values and practices
• Able to consult with supervisor in addressing challenging client situations and in monitoring and addressing vicarious trauma

Psychological Demands

• Working with clients who are at different stages of emotional healing and recovery
• Assisting and supporting clients experiencing extreme crisis states
• Manage a full-time caseload of clients who have experienced sexual assault/abuse
• Vicarious trauma impacts due to the inherent risk associated with providing direct services to individuals who have experienced sexual violence

Compensation Package

Every Woman’s Centre recognizes and values the complexity and skill required in providing support to historical and acute traumas. We are committed to fostering an organizational culture that actively promotes healthy work-life balance and invests in the support and growth of staff.

This includes:

• 10 days paid vacation
• 12 sick days per year
• Employer-shared health benefits and RRSP-matched contribution
• Employer paid professional development
• Clinical supervision provided
• Supportive and responsive team regarding vicarious trauma, compassion fatigue and burnout

Working Conditions

• 37.5 hours per week with occasional evening work
• Location: Every Woman’s Centre, 21 Trinity Ave., Sydney, Nova Scotia
• Successful applicant should maintain professional liability insurance of $2M as required by NSCCT

Every Woman’s Centre is committed to building a diverse and inclusive working environment and encourages applications from candidates from equity-deserving groups who bring important perspectives to this work. Members of equity-deserving groups face collective barriers to participating in society due to historic, social, attitudinal, and environmental marginalization based on race, ethnicity, gender, age, disability, economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity, nationality, and other systemic challenges to equal access, opportunities and resources.

Work Location: In person