Trauma Counselling Sydney

Navigating trauma with compassion and support.

To Heal, You Need A Safe Haven

Trauma can be many different things to many different people— anything that has traumatised a person, or overwhelmed the ability to cope, is valid. This can be a disturbing incident like an accident, an injustice, or a series of traumatic events that have compounded over time.

Trauma doesn’t necessarily need to be a singular, intense event like you might see on TV or in movies, but it certainly can be. Some people may have experienced several traumatic events, compounded over time including interpersonal violence, neglect and abuse, workplace bullying, illness and natural disasters.

No matter what has caused or contributed to your trauma, the effects may be disturbing and long-lasting, leading to feelings of intense fear and helplessness. Trauma can affect your sense of self, your relationships with others and your sense of safety in the world.

You don’t have to navigate this experience alone. Trauma counselling aims to provide a safe haven for your healing journey, so that you can explore and understand the impacts of trauma on your day-to-life. Whether it be, the daily challenges you experience, the impact on your relationships with others and your ideas or visions for your future. At Level Headed Psychology, our practitioners provide trauma-informed care and support to people who have experienced trauma so that they can recover from its emotional, physiological and psychological effects. We support our clients using evidence based treatment approaches, and deliver this in a way that it culturally-aware and sensitive.

What Is Trauma?

People who have experienced trauma (both a singular event, or multiple events as in the case of complex trauma) may experience a range of different emotional, physiological and psychological as a result. Experience of traumatic events may impact a person’s sense of self, that is, their beliefs about themselves, their worthiness and their sense of responsibility around what happened, and their ability to trust and feel safe in the context of their relationships with others, as well as the safety, sense of belonging and connectedness they experience in the world.

People who have experienced trauma may feel fearful, unsafe, hypervigilant, worried, and on-edge much of the time. This impacts their mental, emotional, and physical well-being, with issues such as post-traumatic stress, anxiety, depression, and many others that disrupt their ability to live fulfilling lives.

When people see the word trauma, they may associate it with traumatic events like childhood abuse and neglect , physical or sexual assault, natural disasters, domestic and family violence, or emotional abuse. Events such as these can certainly trigger trauma responses in people and as such, are fairly common causes of trauma. Eating disorders, domestic violence, sexual abuse (including child sexual abuse), illnesses, childbirth, car accidents, or any other serious accident may also be traumatic experiences that prompt a person to pursue trauma counselling.

What Types Of Trauma Are There?

Distressing events are not the only causes of trauma, though. Many life experiences may trigger a trauma response, and these experiences are just as valid as any other. Trauma may also occur due to a relationship breakdown, a medical emergency, or witnessing an event that may not have affected them directly but did so indirectly. 

Whether the actual event affected a person directly or indirectly, they may go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder and may benefit from therapy in a safe space where they can feel supported to process their feelings and how the event may be impacting their mind, body, and relationships. 

Trauma can affect people of all ages and from all walks of life. Children, for example, may become traumatised if they are bullied at school or within their friendship groups, experience harsh or neglectful parenting, emotional neglect, or if they experience sudden changes in their life that may not affect an adult in the same way.

Childhood trauma can affect children very developmentally vulnerable times, and so the effects of these events, can extend right up into adulthood as the person navigates their relationship with themselves, other people and the world around them. People who have experienced childhood trauma are much more likely to develop serious mental illnesses in adulthood.

Trauma is relative and is a very individual response. No two people are the same, and no two people have the same internal and external resources for coping at the time or following their experience of a traumatic event. At Level Headed Psychology, our practitioners work hard to ensure our clients feel safe and supported when accessing our services. We seek to provide a safe, respectful, non-judgmental space for our clients to explore and better understand the impacts of trauma on their lives, as well as support them with processing, and recovery from these events.

What Can Trauma Look Like?

Trauma can have a significant impact on a person and affect people’s daily lives in ways they may not have even imagined. It’s important to note that trauma is a very individual experience and may affect one person very differently from how it impacts another— even if they experienced the very same traumatising event. This why a person-centered and individual approach to trauma treatment and counselling is important.

Trauma may impact individuals in the following ways:

  • Emotional responses such as anxiety, depression, fear, guilt, shame, sadness, emotional numbness, being overly alert or wound-up, and irritable.

  • Physical symptoms such as headaches and migraines, fatigue and exhaustion, insomnia and difficulty falling asleep, chronic pain, and muscle tension and aches.

  • Cognitive symptoms such as mentally re-living or re-experiencing the event, unwanted or recurring memories, flashbacks, vivid images, nightmares, memory loss and difficulty recalling details, difficulty with focus and concentration, and trouble making decisions.

  • Behavioural signs such as avoiding reminders of the event, avoiding activities, places, people, and thoughts that remind them of the event, loss of interest in day-to-day activities, withdrawing from community and social networks, school refusal, difficulties in interpersonal relationships, substance abuse, aggression, suicidal thoughts, suicidal ideation or engaging in self-harm.

  • Relationship-related signs such as withdrawing from friends and family or feeling disconnected, finding it difficult to connect with or feel trustful of others, feeling unsafe or emotionally distant from others.

How Therapy Aims To Help People With Trauma

Seeking help from a trauma-informed practitioner may be extremely helpful for people who have experienced trauma. Trauma therapists use specific techniques and strategies in an effort to help people work their way through what they experienced and help them regain a sense of control, fulfillment, worthiness and pleasure in their lives. This can look like:

  • Psychoeducation on the impacts of trauma

  • Coping strategies (behavioural and cognitive) to reduce trauma symptoms

  • Looking at unhelpful beliefs and cognitions surrounding the traumatic event, themselves, and their coping

  • Exploring and developing an awareness of triggers, and provide strategies to better manage responses

  • In some cases, exposure to trauma narrative to support processing (where appropriate and with consent)

Trauma counselling aims to help people process the traumatic event/s, and understand its impact rather than ‘burying’ it within themselves. This allows them to challenge unhelpful beliefs or cognitions surrounding what happened and manage their symptoms, helping them to move past the trauma and become ‘unstuck’.

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Your Trauma Questions Answered

  • Trauma and PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) are separate conditions that share some overlap but are ultimately different.

    PTSD is a clinical diagnosis of specific trauma-related symptoms that the person experiences for a period of time following the traumatic event. PTSD interferes with a person’s daily functioning, for example, mentally reliving the trauma and experiencing intrusive thoughts and images of the event. This may affect their livelihood and safety at work, at home, and in the community.

    Some people who experience a traumatic event may develop PTSD, while others may not. Some people who experience trauma may have trauma symptoms, but not to the extent that they may qualify for a PTSD diagnosis. However, anybody who has experienced trauma— whether they have PTSD or not— can access trauma counselling, which is tailored to their individual symptoms and lived experience.

  • There’s no one size fits all answer as to how many trauma counselling sessions you may need.

    However, making a commitment to engage in regular sessions may be helpful to help you move through your trauma treatment— the exact number of sessions will depend on your individual circumstances.

  • If you identify with any of the trauma symptoms listed above, trauma therapy may be helpful for you.

    If you are unsure, you can get in touch with us so that we can discuss your specific situation, needs, and goals.

  • Trauma counselling looks, from the outside, much like a ‘regular’ psychology session.

    Safety, consent and collaboration are paramount. The therapist will work together with you to explore your individual circumstance, creating a safe place where you can together explore goals for treatment.

    Unlike some scenarios like workplace issues or some relationship counselling sessions, trauma counselling is not a ‘one off’.

    Anybody who commits to trauma therapy needs to do so for at least several sessions in order to work through the trauma and increase their chances of coming out the other side.

    Both the client and the counsellor will always be clear on the goals and desired outcomes of the therapy and use a collaborative approach aimed towards achieving these.

  • Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT) is a specific treatment protocol that have been developed to support people who have experienced trauma and at times, their caregivers. It aims to support understanding of the effects of trauma, develop coping skills, assist with the processing of traumatic experiences and promote future resilience. This approach is very specific, and is especially tailored to support people who have experienced trauma.

    TF-CBT has a growing evidence base to support its effectiveness in the treatment of trauma. Our psychologist has been fortunate enough to have completed Advanced training in TF-CBT, and to receive regular clinical supervision from one of the few accredited trainers in this area, in Australia. If you are interested in this treatment approach, reach out to our team or schedule a consultation.

  • One of the key experiences that maintain traumatic symptoms is shame. Shame is often shrouded in cultural or religious teachings and meanings, connections (or lack of) to community, groups and families. Many traumatic events occur in the context of oppression, marginalization, discrimination and inequality. Here, at Level Headed Psychology, our practitioners are dedicated to practicing in culturally - aware ways to best support our clients live lives that are aligned with their own values. Behind every trauma is an individual who is worthy of living a life that is fulfilling to them, and as practitioners, it is our responsibility to invite and welcome all parts of our clients experience.

    Our practitioners are dedicated to providing effective, evidence-based, safe, trauma-informed and culturally-aware support to our clients. They engage in regular individual and group clinical supervision focused on cultural intelligence, and cultural competence.

Our Trauma Therapy Sydney Services

At Level Headed Psychology, both our psychologist and counsellor offer trauma counselling for those in need. In an effort to extend our reach, and provide an inclusive and accessible service - we offer therapy by phone and via web-conferencing. This means you can access support from where you are.

Online Consultation

We use a secure, encrypted web-conferencing platform to conduct our online consultations. These typically run for 50 minutes.

Consultation Options

Phone (Telehealth) Consultation

We also offer phone or Telehealth consultations. These run for 50 minutes.

Grow From Hurt To Hope With Trauma Counselling Sydney  

Our psychologist has training in both TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) and CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy). They also have experience working in the area of complex trauma, specifically in the area of foster and Out-of-Home Care, complex behaviours, attachment and parenting.

Our counsellor has previous experience working with refugees, assisting them with managing trauma symptoms and living in accordance with their values in their new home in Australia.

Both of our practitioners are passionate about supporting our clients in a way that is culturally-aware. They seek to provide a service that is safe, respectful, and non-judgmental. Whatever your needs and wherever your life has taken you, we’re here to help.

Find Your Way Back To You

Finding your way back to who you were or who you might be had you not experienced the trauma, and reclaiming your life, your relationships and your future is, in our opinion, entirely possible.

Start Your Journey Towards Healing Today

If you have experienced trauma and are struggling to cope with the aftermath, know that you don't have to suffer alone. Seeking the help of a trauma-focused psychologist or counsellor can provide you with the support, guidance, and tools you need to heal and move forward.

Through evidence-based treatments and approaches, our team at Level Headed Psychology aims to help you process your trauma, manage your symptoms, and regain a sense of control over your life. Don't let trauma hold you back from living the life you deserve— reach out today to take the first step towards healing and recovery.