Trauma Counselling in Adelaide and online
Trauma doesn't always look like flashbacks or feeling constantly on edge.
Sometimes it looks like anxiety you can't quite explain, difficulty trusting yourself or other people, feeling disconnected from your emotions, or a sense that you're always trying to keep things under control.
You may know exactly what happened to you, or you may simply know that some experiences from your past still seem to affect how you feel, think, relate to others or respond to the world around you.
You don't have to have a particular diagnosis or call what happened to you "trauma" to explore whether your past experiences are still affecting you.
At Warming Light Counselling, I work with adults in North Adelaide and online across Australia using trauma-informed therapy, including EMDR where it is appropriate.
Trauma doesn't always come from one big event
Trauma can follow a single overwhelming experience, but the impact can also develop through experiences that happen repeatedly over time.
This might include abuse, violence, accidents, medical trauma, sexual assault, sudden loss or domestic and family violence. For others, the impact may be connected to childhood emotional neglect, chronic criticism, bullying, unpredictable caregiving or relationships where they didn't feel safe, heard or valued.
Sometimes there isn't one event you can point to. Instead, you notice patterns that have stayed with you:
feeling not good enough
being constantly on alert
struggling to trust people
putting your needs last
people-pleasing or trying to keep everyone happy
finding it difficult to feel safe even when things are going well
being highly self-critical or perfectionistic
feeling disconnected from your emotions
experiencing strong reactions that seem difficult to explain
When difficult experiences are still affecting you
You might be experiencing:
anxiety, panic or a sense of always being on guard
shame, self-criticism or persistent self-doubt
emotional numbness or disconnection
difficulties trusting yourself or other people
people-pleasing or difficulty knowing what you need
difficulty managing strong emotions
relationship difficulties or feeling unsafe with closeness
symptoms associated with PTSD or complex PTSD
You don't need to have all of these experiences, or a diagnosis of PTSD, for therapy to be worthwhile.
How trauma therapy can help
Trauma therapy isn't about forcing yourself to talk through everything that has happened.
We start with what's happening for you now and work together to understand how your experiences may be affecting you. Depending on your needs and goals, therapy may involve understanding patterns, developing ways to manage difficult emotions, strengthening your sense of safety and processing experiences that continue to affect you.
When difficult experiences have happened over a long period, particularly during childhood or within important relationships, therapy may need to be paced carefully. We can spend time building the foundations for therapy before moving into deeper processing.
I don't expect you to arrive with everything worked out. We'll work together to understand what you're experiencing and what approach is most appropriate for you.
Where does EMDR fit?
EMDR therapy (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is one of the approaches I may use when it is appropriate.
EMDR can help people process distressing experiences that continue to affect them in the present, including traumatic memories, associated emotions, body sensations and negative beliefs about themselves.
EMDR therapy is an eight-phase approach, so processing isn't necessarily where therapy begins. We first take time to understand your history, consider whether EMDR therapy is suitable, and establish the foundations needed to approach the work safely and at a pace that works for you.
FAQs
Do I need to remember everything that happened?
No. You don't need a complete or perfect memory of what happened to begin therapy.
Some people remember particular events clearly. Others have a general sense that something wasn't right, or notice patterns in their emotions, relationships or responses without knowing exactly where they began.
Therapy can start with what you do know and what you're experiencing now. You don't need to force memories or find an explanation before you're ready.
Can trauma therapy help if I don't have PTSD?
Yes.
Not everyone who has experienced difficult or traumatic experiences develops PTSD. You might instead notice anxiety, self-doubt, perfectionism, relationship difficulties, feeling constantly on guard or feeling disconnected from yourself or others.
Therapy can explore what is contributing to these difficulties and whether trauma-focused work is appropriate for you.
What does trauma-informed therapy mean?
Trauma-informed therapy recognises that past experiences can affect the way we respond to emotions, relationships, stress and situations that feel unsafe.
It means working with safety, choice, collaboration and pacing in mind. Rather than assuming there is one way therapy should happen, we work together to understand what feels manageable, what feels like too much and what you need to stay connected and involved in the process.
Take the first step
You don't need to know exactly what happened or have everything worked out before you seek support.
We can start with what's happening for you now, make sense of the patterns you're noticing and work out what approach is likely to be most helpful.