What Is Acupuncture and How Can It Complement Psychotherapy?

Stress and trauma do not only affect the mind. They can also affect the body.

Many people who experience chronic stress, anxiety, trauma, or prolonged emotional strain notice physical symptoms such as poor sleep, muscle tension, digestive discomfort, headaches, restlessness, pain, fatigue, or a persistent sense of being “on edge.” Even when someone is doing meaningful work in psychotherapy, the body may still feel activated, guarded, or unable to fully settle.

At Genovese Trauma & PTSD Recovery in Edmonton, we believe healing is often best supported through an integrated approach — one that considers both the psychological and physiological effects of stress and trauma. For some clients, trauma-informed acupuncture can be a helpful complement to psychotherapy.
 

What Is Acupuncture?

Acupuncture is a therapeutic practice that involves placing very thin, sterile, single-use needles at specific points on the body. These points may be located on areas such as the forearms, lower legs, back, or ears, depending on the client’s symptoms, treatment goals, and overall presentation. 
Traditional Chinese Medicine acupuncture takes a whole-person approach to health. Rather than focusing only on one symptom in isolation, treatment considers how the body is functioning as a system, including sleep, digestion, pain, stress, tension, and overall regulation.
The needles used in acupuncture are extremely fine — much thinner than the needles used for injections — and many people are surprised by how comfortable treatment feels.

How Stress and Trauma Can Affect the Body

When the nervous system has been under prolonged stress, the body may gradually shift into a heightened baseline. This means the body can begin to operate as though it needs to stay alert, prepared, or protected, even when there is no immediate danger.
This can show up as:

In psychotherapy, clients may work on processing traumatic experiences, understanding patterns, changing beliefs, reducing avoidance, and building coping strategies. Acupuncture may complement this work by supporting the body’s ability to settle and regulate.
 

How Acupuncture May Support the Nervous System

Acupuncture is often used to support stress, sleep, pain, digestion, and tension-related concerns. In a trauma-informed setting, it may be especially useful for clients whose bodies remain activated or tense even when they understand, cognitively, that they are safe.

One way to think about acupuncture is that it may help support a shift from a more activated “fight-or-flight” state toward a more restorative “rest-and-digest” state. The resource material notes that acupuncture may help communicate with the nervous system and support physiological regulation, particularly for symptoms related to stress and insomnia. 

For some clients, this may feel like:

Acupuncture does not erase stress or replace therapy. Instead, it may help create more physiological space for the body to recover.

 

Auricular Acupuncture: One Way Acupuncture May Support Regulation

Auricular acupuncture, or ear acupuncture, is one form of acupuncture that may be included as part of a broader treatment plan. It involves using specific points on the outer ear to support regulation in the body. The ear has close connections with the nervous system, including pathways associated with the vagus nerve, which plays an important role in calming the body’s stress response.

When the nervous system is under chronic stress, the body can become stuck in a more activated state. This may contribute to symptoms such as shallow breathing, muscle tension, restlessness, poor sleep, anxiety, or feeling constantly “on edge.”

For some clients, auricular acupuncture may help support a shift toward a calmer physiological state by gently stimulating points associated with relaxation and regulation. This can feel like a subtle nervous system reset — helping the body move toward slower breathing, reduced physical tension, and a greater sense of ease.

It is important to note that auricular acupuncture is only one option within acupuncture care. Depending on your symptoms, goals, and comfort level, Hailey may use points on the ear, arms, legs, back, or other areas of the body as part of a more individualized treatment plan.

As with all services at Genovese Trauma & PTSD Recovery, acupuncture is offered through a trauma-informed lens, with clear communication, consent, pacing, and choice throughout treatment.

 

How Acupuncture Can Complement Psychotherapy

Psychotherapy is essential for working with thoughts, emotions, memories, behaviours, and meaning. Trauma therapy may help clients process what happened, reduce distress, and reconnect with a sense of safety and agency.
However, the body can remain part of the trauma response.

Some clients leave therapy sessions feeling emotionally clearer, but physically activated or depleted. Others may notice that anxiety, stress, or trauma symptoms show up strongly through the body — for example, a racing heart, muscle tension, nausea, tightness in the chest, restlessness, or difficulty sleeping.

Acupuncture may complement psychotherapy by helping to calm physical activation and support the body’s capacity to regulate. The uploaded resource describes acupuncture and psychotherapy as potentially complementary because psychotherapy supports emotional processing and cognitive change, while acupuncture may help calm physical symptoms connected to stress and nervous system activation. 

Together, these approaches may support both the mind and body in the recovery process.
 

Why Trauma-Informed Acupuncture Matters

For people with trauma histories, body-based care should be approached carefully. Even supportive treatments can feel vulnerable if a person feels rushed, uncertain, exposed, or not fully in control.

A trauma-informed acupuncture session places safety, communication, and consent at the centre of treatment.

This may include:

The goal is not to push through discomfort. The goal is to create a calm, predictable, and respectful treatment experience where the client remains actively involved in their care.
 

Meet Hailey Bajzar, Doctor of Acupuncture

Acupuncture at Genovese Trauma & PTSD Recovery is offered by Hailey Bajzar, Doctor of Acupuncture.

Hailey has a thoughtful, research-informed approach to wellness and recovery. She holds a degree in Acupuncture from MacEwan University, along with degrees in Education and Kinesiology from the University of Alberta. This background allows her to bring together clinical care, movement science, nervous system awareness, and patient education.

Her practice focuses on how acupuncture can support the body’s physiological response to stress, trauma, and nervous system dysregulation. She works with clients who may be experiencing symptoms such as tension, restlessness, poor sleep, pain, digestive discomfort, or feeling stuck in a heightened state of alertness.

Hailey’s approach is gentle, collaborative, and trauma-informed. She takes time to explain treatment, respond to questions, and ensure clients feel comfortable, informed, and involved throughout the process.

 

What to Expect in an Acupuncture Session

An acupuncture session typically begins with a conversation about your symptoms, goals, health history, and current concerns. Treatment is then tailored to your presentation.

Depending on your needs, acupuncture may focus on stress regulation, sleep, pain, muscle tension, digestion, anxiety-related body symptoms, or general nervous system support.

Some clients feel deeply relaxed during treatment. Others notice subtle changes such as easier breathing, reduced tension, warmth, heaviness, or a greater sense of calm. Responses vary from person to person, and treatment is always adjusted based on comfort and tolerance.

 

Can Acupuncture Be Booked After Therapy?

Yes. For some clients, acupuncture after a psychotherapy session may offer a more integrated mind–body approach to care.

Therapy can sometimes bring up emotional or physiological activation. A gentle acupuncture session afterward may help support grounding, regulation, and transition after deeper therapeutic work.

This is not necessary for everyone, and it depends on each person’s goals, preferences, and treatment plan. Some clients may book acupuncture as a standalone service, while others may choose to coordinate it alongside psychotherapy.

 

A Whole-Person Approach to Trauma Recovery

Trauma recovery is not only about thinking differently. It is also about helping the body feel safer, calmer, and less constantly prepared for threat.

Acupuncture can be one way to support that process.

At Genovese Trauma & PTSD Recovery, acupuncture is offered as part of a broader integrated model of care. It can be accessed on its own or used as a complement to psychotherapy, depending on each client’s needs and goals.

 

Book Trauma-Informed Acupuncture in Edmonton

Trauma-informed acupuncture is available at Genovese Trauma & PTSD Recovery in Edmonton with **Hailey Bajzar, Doctor of Acupuncture.

Initial acupuncture appointments are 75 minutes to allow time for assessment, treatment planning, and individualized care. Follow-up appointments are available in 60- or 90-minute sessions, depending on your needs and treatment goals.

Acupuncture is generally covered by many extended health insurance plans. Direct billing is available for Alberta Blue Cross, Sun Life, GreenShield, and SSQ Insurance. For other insurance providers, a receipt can be provided for you to submit for reimbursement, depending on your individual plan coverage.

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