When Impact Ends but the Effects Remain
A motor vehicle accident is more than a moment in time.
The body stops — often suddenly — but the nervous system does not.
For many people, the aftermath shows up in ways they weren’t prepared for:
hypervigilance, disrupted sleep, intrusive images, emotional volatility, numbness, or a sense that the world is no longer trustworthy.
Physical injury is visible.
Emotional injury is often quieter — but no less real.
In British Columbia, ICBC provides coverage for counselling in the weeks that follow a collision. This care is intended not only to address symptoms, but to support recovery in a way that honours the human impact of trauma.
Counselling Coverage Through ICBC
BC residents are eligible for 12 counselling sessions fully covered by ICBC within the first 12 weeks after an accident — regardless of who was at fault.
Sessions can take place in-person, online, or by phone anywhere in BC.
These sessions are designed to help stabilize, regulate the nervous system, and begin integrating the psychological and emotional impact of the accident.
How Trauma Can Manifest After an Accident
Trauma is not defined by the severity of the collision
but by how the body and psyche experienced it.
Some common responses include:
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Heightened fear or startle response
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Flashbacks or recurring images
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Panic, dread, or avoidance of driving
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Disrupted sleep, nightmares, or daytime triggering
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Difficulty concentrating or feeling “spacey”
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Depression, irritability, loss of interest
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Depersonalization or feeling disconnected from your body
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Grief — for safety lost, abilities changed, or life interrupted
For those with concussion or traumatic brain injury, emotional regulation often becomes more challenging. Counselling acknowledges both the cognitive and emotional toll of these symptoms.
Why Emotional Recovery Matters
After an accident, healing is not only physical.
The psyche attempts to make sense of something unexpected, unwanted, and out of your control.
Counselling offers a space to:
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Re-establish a sense of internal safety
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Understand trauma responses without shame or self-blame
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Learn tools to regulate the nervous system
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Rebuild confidence as driving and daily life resume
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Process grief and meaning — not just symptom lists
Emotional recovery supports physical recovery — when less energy is spent fighting panic, flashbacks, or fear, more energy is available for healing.
How to Access ICBC-Covered Counselling
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Contact ICBC to confirm eligibility and receive your claim number.
Approval is typically automatic for the first 12 sessions if within 12 weeks of the accident. -
Check older claims — if more time has passed, ICBC may still authorize sessions; confirm your claim status before booking.
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Book your appointment and provide your claim number so the file can be activated.
I bill ICBC directly, with no top-up fees. -
Continue care — if symptoms persist, an updated treatment plan can be submitted requesting additional sessions.
Approaches Used in Post-Accident Work
Depending on your needs, we may draw from:
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Trauma-informed therapy
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Nervous system regulation and somatic awareness
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Cognitive reframing and meaning-making
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Exposure with regulation (not forced reliving)
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Tools for panic, hypervigilance, and sleep disturbance
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Emotional processing related to injury and loss
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Support in reconnecting with everyday life and tasks
This is collaborative work — not protocol, but process.
A Final Reflection
An accident interrupts more than momentum —
it interrupts certainty, confidence, and the sense that the world behaves as expected.
Counselling offers a space to steady yourself again —
not bypassing what happened, and not getting stuck inside it,
but walking through it with support, clarity, and time
to let the nervous system relearn safety.
Trauma is not weakness — it is the psyche responding to threat.
Healing is not forgetting — it is integrating.