Are You Struggling After a Car Accident?
A car accident can affect more than your physical health. Even after your body begins to recover, you may notice yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, on edge, or unlike yourself.
You might feel nervous about driving again, replay the accident in your mind, become startled more easily, or find yourself avoiding certain roads or situations. For some people, the emotional impact of an accident can also affect sleep, work, relationships, and everyday life.
After an accident, you may experience:
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Anxiety or fear while driving
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Fear of being a passenger
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Feeling nervous at intersections or around traffic
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Flashbacks or unwanted memories of the accident
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Difficulty sleeping or nightmares
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Feeling constantly alert or easily startled
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Irritability or emotional overwhelm
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Difficulty concentrating
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Avoiding driving or places that remind you of the accident
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Stress related to pain, injuries, work, or changes in daily life
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Frustration that you haven't returned to your usual self
These reactions can make everyday activities that once felt automatic suddenly feel difficult or exhausting.
Counselling can provide a supportive space to understand what you are experiencing and help you move toward recovery at a pace that feels manageable.
I provide ICBC counselling in Vancouver and online across British Columbia to help you process the emotional impact of a car accident, manage anxiety and stress, and gradually rebuild your sense of safety and confidence.
How ICBC Counselling Can Help?
Recovery after a car accident looks different for everyone. Counselling will be tailored to your experiences, symptoms, and goals rather than following a one-size-fits-all approach.
Understand Your Reactions
After an accident, your mind and body may continue responding as though danger is still present, even when you know logically that you are safe.
Together, we can explore how the accident has affected you emotionally and physically and help you better understand your anxiety, stress responses, triggers, and patterns.
Develop Strategies to Manage Anxiety
You can learn practical strategies for managing anxiety, overwhelm, and physical stress responses when they arise.
Depending on your needs, counselling may incorporate mindfulness, grounding, breathing exercises, self-compassion, cognitive strategies, and body-based approaches.
Rebuild Confidence Around Driving
If driving or being a passenger has become frightening, we can work gradually toward rebuilding your sense of safety and confidence rather than forcing yourself to "get over it."
This may involve understanding your triggers, developing strategies for managing anxiety, and gradually reconnecting with situations you have been avoiding.
Process the Emotional Impact of the Accident
A collision can bring up fear, anger, helplessness, grief, or frustration—especially when injuries or other consequences have changed your everyday life.
Counselling provides a space to process these experiences without judgment and make sense of how the accident has affected you.
Return to Your Daily Life
Recovery is not only about reducing symptoms.
Our work can also focus on helping you reconnect with the activities, relationships, work, routines, and parts of yourself that are meaningful to you as you move forward.
ICBC Counselling Coverage
If you have been injured in a motor vehicle accident in British Columbia, you may be eligible for counselling coverage through ICBC.
✓ Up to 12 pre-approved sessions
ICBC provides up to 12 pre-approved counselling sessions within the first 12 weeks following your accident.
✓ No doctor's referral required
During the initial pre-approved period, you generally do not need a doctor's referral or separate approval from ICBC to begin counselling.
✓ No out-of-pocket cost for approved sessions
ICBC currently covers up to $160 per 50-minute counselling session. My regular fee is $165, and I waive the $5 difference for approved ICBC sessions.
What you'll need
To get started, please have your:
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ICBC claim number
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Personal Health Number (PHN)
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Date of accident
If you are outside the initial 12-week period or require additional sessions, further approval from ICBC may be needed. Please confirm your eligibility with ICBC or your ICBC Recovery Specialist if you are unsure.
About Me
Your ICBC Counsellor in Vancouver
Hi, I'm Lorraine Ng, a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and an ICBC-approved health care provider, providing in-person ICBC counselling in Vancouver and online counselling throughout British Columbia.
My approach is compassionate, collaborative, trauma-informed, and culturally sensitive. Depending on your needs, I draw from approaches including Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), mindfulness, attachment-based therapy, somatic approaches, and other trauma-informed practices.
English, Cantonese & Mandarin Counselling
I provide ICBC counselling in English, Cantonese, and Mandarin, so you can talk about your experience in the language that feels most comfortable and natural to you.
I also understand that culture and family experiences can influence how we understand emotional distress, seek support, and approach recovery.
Together, we can work toward helping you feel safer and more confident at a pace that feels manageable.
In-person: Vancouver, BC & Convenient location for clients in Burnaby, BC
Online: Throughout British Columbia
Languages: English, Cantonese & Mandarin
What to Expect from ICBC Counselling
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Book a Free Consultation
You can begin by scheduling a free 20-minute consultation. We'll briefly discuss what you have been experiencing, your counselling needs, and whether working together would be a good fit.
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Initial Assessment
During our first session, we'll explore how the accident has affected you and identify your current concerns, symptoms, and recovery goals. Together, we'll develop a treatment plan based on your individual needs.
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Provide Your ICBC Information
Before beginning ICBC counselling, you will be asked to provide your ICBC claim information and complete the necessary consent and intake forms.
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Begin Your Recovery
We'll work collaboratively to help you develop coping strategies, process your experience, and gradually rebuild confidence in the areas of your life affected by the accident.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About ICBC Counselling
Can counselling help with anxiety about driving?
Yes. Anxiety about driving or being a passenger can develop after a motor vehicle accident.
Counselling can help you understand your fear response, identify triggers, develop strategies for managing anxiety, and gradually work toward feeling safer and more confident around driving.
What if it has been more than 12 weeks since my accident?
You may still be eligible for ICBC-funded counselling. If you are outside the initial 12-week pre-approved period, you will need additional approval from your ICBC Recovery Specialist.
After completing an initial assessment with you, I can submit a treatment request to your ICBC Recovery Specialist on your behalf for approval.
When should I consider counselling after a car accident?
You don't have to wait until your symptoms become severe to seek counselling after a car accident.
You may consider counselling if you notice ongoing anxiety, difficulty driving, unwanted memories of the accident, changes in sleep or mood, feeling constantly on edge, or difficulty returning to your usual activities.
Counselling can also be helpful if you feel that the accident has affected you emotionally and would like support making sense of your experience.
Is it normal to feel anxious even if the car accident wasn't severe?
Yes. The emotional impact of a car accident does not always correspond with how serious the accident appeared from the outside.
Your mind and body can respond strongly to an experience that felt sudden, frightening, or outside of your control. You may notice anxiety, increased alertness, avoidance, or other stress responses even after a relatively minor collision.
What happens during ICBC counselling?
ICBC counselling is tailored to how the accident has affected you and what you would like support with.
We may explore your emotional and physical responses to the accident, identify triggers, develop strategies for managing anxiety and stress, and work gradually toward activities that have become difficult or uncomfortable.
The goal is not to pressure you to move on quickly, but to support your recovery at a pace that feels manageable.
Start Your Recovery After a Car Accident
You don't have to wait until your anxiety or stress becomes overwhelming before reaching out for support.
If a car accident has affected how you feel, drive, work, sleep, or go about your everyday life, counselling can help you understand what you're experiencing and take gradual steps toward rebuilding your sense of safety and confidence.
If you are unsure whether counselling is right for you, you can start with a free 20-minute consultation to ask questions and see whether working together feels like a good fit.
ICBC counselling is available in Vancouver and online throughout British Columbia, with no out-of-pocket cost for approved ICBC sessions.
