Trauma-informed Therapy
If you've experienced trauma, abuse, or difficult life events, it can sometimes feel as though the past continues to shape your present. You may find yourself struggling with anxiety, overwhelming emotions, relationship difficulties, or a constant sense of being on guard. Whatever your experiences, therapy can offer a space to understand what's happening, reconnect with yourself, and move towards healing.
Support for Trauma, Domestic Abuse, Sexual Abuse and Complex Trauma
Trauma can leave lasting effects long after an experience has ended. You may find yourself feeling anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, constantly on edge, or struggling in relationships without fully understanding why.
Trauma isn't always linked to a single event. It can develop through experiences such as:
Domestic abuse
Sexual abuse or sexual assault
Childhood trauma
Emotional abuse or neglect
Coercive or controlling relationships
Bullying
Loss and bereavement
Medical trauma
Accidents or frightening experiences
Living with chronic stress or instability
Many people minimise their experiences or feel they should be "over it by now". Yet trauma can continue to affect how we think, feel, relate to others, and experience our bodies.
If you're struggling with the impact of past experiences, therapy can provide a safe and supportive space to begin making sense of what you're carrying.
How Trauma Can Affect You
Trauma affects both the mind and body.
You may experience:
Anxiety or panic
Feeling constantly alert or on edge
Difficulty relaxing
Flashbacks or intrusive memories
Emotional overwhelm
Feeling numb or disconnected
Difficulty trusting others
Low self-esteem
Shame or self-blame
People-pleasing and difficulty setting boundaries
Relationship difficulties
Sleep problems
Physical tension, fatigue or exhaustion
These responses are often your mind and body's way of trying to protect you. What once helped you survive may now be affecting your wellbeing, relationships, and ability to feel fully present in your life.
How I Work With Trauma
My approach combines somatic therapy, trauma-informed practice, psychodynamic therapy, and trauma-focused techniques such as the Rewind Technique and Flash Technique where appropriate. These gentle approaches can help reduce the emotional impact of distressing memories, often without needing to revisit traumatic experiences in detail.
Together, we explore not only what happened to you, but also how those experiences continue to affect your life today. We work at a pace that feels safe and manageable, helping you better understand your experiences, regulate your nervous system, and move towards healing and recovery.
Somatic Therapy: Working with the Body
Trauma is not only stored in our memories. It can also be held within the body and nervous system.
You may notice physical symptoms such as tension, restlessness, a racing heart, exhaustion, numbness, or feeling constantly "on guard". Somatic therapy helps us gently explore these responses and understand what your nervous system may be communicating.
By developing awareness of your body's signals and learning ways to regulate your nervous system, you can begin to feel more grounded, connected, and safe.
Trauma-Informed Therapy: Safety and Choice
A trauma-informed approach recognises that healing happens through safety, trust, collaboration, and choice.
Many people who have experienced domestic abuse, sexual abuse, childhood trauma, or coercive relationships have had control taken away from them. Therapy should feel different.
You remain in control of what you share and when. There is no pressure to discuss anything before you feel ready. Together, we create a space where you can explore your experiences safely and at your own pace.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Understanding Yourself More Deeply
Past experiences can shape how we see ourselves, how we relate to others, and how we cope with difficult emotions.
Psychodynamic therapy helps us understand patterns that may be affecting your life today, including:
Relationship difficulties
Fear of abandonment or rejection
Low self-worth
Self-criticism
Feelings of shame
Difficulties trusting others
Repeating unhealthy relationship patterns
Understanding where these patterns come from can help create lasting change and a more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Rewind Technique and Flash Technique
Where appropriate, I may integrate the Rewind Technique or Flash Technique into our work.
These approaches can help reduce the distress associated with traumatic memories, flashbacks, phobias, nightmares, or intrusive images without requiring you to repeatedly talk through painful experiences in detail.
Many clients find that distressing memories become less overwhelming, allowing them to feel more present, more in control, and less affected by experiences from the past.
What Therapy Can Help With
I work with adults experiencing:
Domestic abuse
Sexual abuse and sexual assault
Childhood trauma
Emotional abuse and neglect
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
Anxiety and panic
Low self-esteem
Shame and self-blame
Bullying
Dissociation and emotional numbness
Relationship difficulties
People-pleasing and boundary difficulties
Chronic stress and burnout
Difficult life experiences that continue to affect the present
What Healing Can Look Like
Healing doesn't mean forgetting what happened or pretending it didn't affect you.
Healing can mean:
Feeling safer in your body
Understanding yourself with greater compassion
Feeling less controlled by past experiences
Building healthier boundaries
Developing more fulfilling relationships
Feeling more confident and empowered
Learning to regulate difficult emotions
Feeling more connected to yourself and your needs
The goal is not to erase the past. It is to help you feel less burdened by it and more able to live in the present.
Taking the Next Step
Starting therapy can feel daunting, especially when trust and safety have been affected by past experiences.
I offer a warm, compassionate and non-judgemental space where we can explore what has brought you to therapy and whether working together feels right for you.
If you'd like to find out more or arrange an initial consultation, I'd be happy to hear from you.