Therapy for Trauma in Melbourne
Understanding Trauma & PTSD
Trauma refers to both distressing experiences and their lasting psychological effects. While we cannot change past events, we can address and heal the emotional and physiological responses they leave behind.
Most people recover naturally with time, self-care, and social support. However, for some, trauma can lead to persistent distress, particularly with repeated exposure (e.g., emergency responders, military personnel). In Australia, 5–10% of people will experience PTSD in their lifetime, with prevalence increasing after major events.
What is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that arises from exposure to severe trauma, such as life-threatening situations, serious injury, or violence. It is diagnosed when distressing symptoms persist beyond one month.
Common symptoms include:
Re-experiencing: Flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts.
Avoidance: Steering clear of reminders, often leading to social withdrawal.
Mood & Cognition Changes: Persistent negativity, guilt, shame, emotional numbness, or outbursts of anger.
Hyperarousal: Constant alertness, startle reflex, sleep disturbances, and difficulty relaxing.
Risk-taking Behaviors: Substance use or reckless actions to escape distress.
Untreated PTSD is often linked with depression, anxiety, and substance abuse, significantly impacting daily life, relationships, and work.
Trauma Therapy & Treatment
People seek trauma counselling to better understand, process, and heal from distressing events. Trauma therapy helps individuals identify and regulate emotions such as shock, anger, sadness, or fear and address symptoms like hypervigilance, nightmares, and avoidance.
Approaches used by trauma-focused psychologists include:
Grounding & Emotional Regulation: Developing skills to manage intense emotions, nightmares, and flashbacks through mindfulness, distress tolerance, and grounding techniques.
Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT): Identifying unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors related to trauma and implementing more adaptive coping strategies.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): Addressing beliefs about the self and world post-trauma and reducing avoidance patterns that keep individuals stuck.
Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR): Helping the brain reprocess traumatic memories to reduce PTSD symptoms.
Narrative Therapy for Trauma: Building a structured, meaningful self-account of traumatic events with the guidance of a therapist.
When to Seek Help
If distress remains significant after two weeks, or symptoms persist beyond a month, professional support is recommended. Immediate help is crucial for suicidal thoughts or extreme distress. Even if PTSD criteria aren’t met, ongoing emotional struggles warrant support.
Trauma affects everyone differently, and recovery is possible at any stage. Seeking professional help can provide the right strategies to regain a sense of safety, stability, and emotional well-being. If you or someone you know is struggling, connecting with a trauma therapist can be a valuable step toward healing.