Trauma &
PTSD therapy
Trauma can leave emotional and psychological wounds that shape how you feel, how you cope, and how you relate to yourself and others.
An overwhelming event — an accident, assault, medical trauma, abuse, childhood experiences, or any situation that felt frightening, overwhelming, or unsafe — leaves your system responding long after the moment has passed. PTSD can show up as feeling anxious, on edge, low, flat, or without energy — moments where your body reacts quickly before you’ve had time to make sense of what’s happening.
Flashbacks and night-time activation
Flashes that feel present rather than past — a pull inside, a shift in your attention, or a moment where something feels “back with you,” even without a clear memory.
At night, this can appear as nightmares that feel too real, or waking suddenly with fear or tension — those moments where your body reacts before you’re fully awake.
Sudden activation
Moments where something tightens, drops, or shifts inside before you’ve had time to think. You may feel suddenly pulled back into something — a surge of emotion, a moment of tension or alarm in your body, or a fragment of memory — even when no clear picture appears.
Physical and emotional surges
Your body may react quickly: palpitations, sweating, shaking, or sudden tension, especially during reminders.
Waves of fear, panic, or overwhelm can rise fast, leaving you unsettled even when your mind knows you’re safe.
Hyper‑alertness and startle responses
Your attention may snap to small changes in your environment — a sound, movement, or shift in someone’s tone.
Sudden noises or movements can bring a jolt inside, sometimes followed by a brief moment of feeling distant or disconnected, as if your body reacts before your mind has time to catch up.
Numbness, disconnect, and avoidance
Feeling distant, blank, or suddenly a little far away from yourself. You may find yourself avoiding people, places, situations, or feelings that stir discomfort or remind you of what happened — even when you can’t explain why.
Ways we can work with PTSD
There are different approaches we can draw on, depending on what feels right for you. Some may include:
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Working with the nervous system to process traumatic experiences.
EMDR can help when certain moments or memories still feel present in your body, even when you know they’re in the past. It supports your system to reprocess what happened so the intensity reduces and the memory feels more settled.
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Helping you relate differently to difficult thoughts, feelings, and memories.
ACT can support you to notice what shows up during reminders of the event, reduce avoidance, and build more flexibility in how you respond to fear, tension, or intrusive thoughts.
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Understanding why different parts of you react the way they do.
IFS‑informed work can help you explore the responses that appear after trauma — such as avoidance, hypervigilance, or emotional shutdown — and support these parts to feel safer and less overwhelmed.
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Noticing how your body responds to stress or trauma.
Somatic work can help you understand physical reactions like tension, shaking, or sudden fear, and explore ways to support your nervous system to feel steadier and more regulated.
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PTSD symptoms — flashbacks, nightmares, startle responses
Anxiety and low mood
Emotional regulation
Feeling safer in your body and mind
Relationships and boundaries
Strengthening your sense of self after trauma‑shaped experiences
If you have any questions about trauma or PTSD therapy, or feel ready to book a session, you’re welcome to get in touch.