-Intrusive memories or reminders
-Avoidance of trauma-related cues
-Ongoing alertness or hypervigilance
-Changes in mood, beliefs, or emotional regulation
-PTSD can develop after a single event or repeated exposure over time
Complex or developmental trauma: Some people have experienced trauma over longer periods. This can affect how emotions are regulated, how relationships feel, and how safe the world seems.
Trauma can affect people in different ways and doesn’t always involve obvious or dramatic symptoms. I work with children, teens and adults experiencing ongoing difficulties related to trauma, including post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and trauma responses that interfere with daily life.
Many people live with the effects of trauma for years without identifying it as such, often assuming their reactions are just part of their personality or coping style. Therapy can help reduce the impact trauma has on your thoughts, emotions, and day-to-day functioning.
What trauma often looks like
Trauma isn’t only about memories of past events — it often shows up in how your body and mind respond in the present.
Common experiences include:
- Feeling constantly on edge or unable to relax
- Strong emotional reactions that feel hard to control
- Avoiding situations, places, or conversations that feel unsafe
- Sleep disturbance or intrusive thoughts
- Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected
- Irritability, anger, or difficulty regulating emotions
Your experiences don’t need to meet a specific threshold or label to be valid.
How therapy can help with traumatic experiences
Therapy may involve:
-Understanding how trauma responses are maintained
-Developing strategies to manage emotional and physical reactions
-Gradually reducing avoidance in a controlled, safe way
-Increasing your sense of choice, control, and stability
The goal is not to erase the past, but to help it hold less power over the present.
My Approach
Client centred: We focus on what matters most to you
Practical and Grounded: focused on day-to-day coping, without over analysing
Collaborative: You are not pushed faster than you are ready to go
Evidence Based: Uses principles of Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy - Trauma (TF-CBT) in a flexible, supportive way
Is therapy right for you?
You might consider support if:
- Trauma-related reactions are interfering with your life
- You feel stuck in patterns of avoidance or emotional overwhelm
- Your responses feel out of proportion to current situations
- You’re managing more than you want to on your own
You don’t need a formal diagnosis to seek support.
Therapy details
- Therapy is available for children, teens & adults
- Sessions are offered in person and via telehealth
- Appointments are confidential and paced to your needs
If you’re unsure whether what you’re experiencing is PTSD, we can explore that together.
Taking the next step
If you or someone you care about has been affected by trauma and you’d like support, you’re welcome to get in touch to discuss whether therapy might be a good fit.
- Contact us to make a confidential enquiry
Frequently asked questions
No, you do not need a referral. You can make an appointment with a psychologist without a referral from your GP or a paediatrician/psychiatrist. If you decide to do this you will need to pay the full amount for your sessions out of your own pocket.
At CAYA Psychology, individual treatment sessions are 50 minutes. Assessment sessions may be longer.
You will need to make an appointment with your GP who will assess whether you are eligible for a Mental Health Treatment Plan. A Mental Health Treatment Plan will enable you to claim a Medicare rebate (rebates vary by type of referral).
Click here to find out more about Fees and Rebates.
To be able to claim the Medicare rebate for your session you will need to bring a copy of your Mental Health Treatment Plan to your first appointment with your psychologist.
Psychologists are health professionals who work in a range of areas including clinical, health, neuropsychology, sports, forensic, organisational and community settings. To become a fully registered psychologist you must undertake an undergraduate degree, an Honours degree and and at least two years of supervised training and further education in the field of psychology (either a Masters or Doctorate degree).
Psychologists assist people with everyday concerns such as stress and relationship difficulties, as well as mental health issues. Psychologists use “talk therapies” to help people to develop skills to cope with difficulties and to prevent on-going issues. There are a large number of research studies supporting the effectiveness of psychological therapy.
Psychiatrists have completed a medical degree and further training and study related to the diagnosis and treatment of mental illness. Psychiatrists specialise in the medical treatment of mental illness and can prescribe medication. Some psychiatrists combine medication with therapy.
The procedure for a first appointment varies from practice to practice, but here is an overview of how things tend to work at CAYA Psychology:
At the beginning of your first session your psychologist will briefly run through important paperwork with you. This will include checking the information you provided in your online-intake documentation (including any medical referrals and service agreements).
We will also discuss issues such as privacy, confidentiality (and limits to this), fees and other important information about sessions.
The remainder of the session is usually spent discussing the issues that have brought you into therapy. As well as developing a thorough understanding of your concerns, your psychologist will explore relevant background history, for example, information about your family, social relationships, work history and any past counselling that you have done. Based on this information we will begin to help you to understand more about what might be causing and maintaining your current issues. If time allows we will also work with you to develop a collaborative and flexible plan for future therapy sessions.
If you are bringing your child for treatment, at their first session, your psychologist will typically start the session with parent/s and child together and discuss (using age-appropriate language) the role of a psychologist, and cover issues such as privacy, confidentiality (and limits to this) as above.
Your psychologist will then discuss the reasons that have brought you and your child into therapy with you all. Your psychologist will then typically spend a portion of the session alone with your child to further discuss issues of concern and to explore your child’s interests, hobbies, likes and dislikes. Your psychologist will then provide some initial feedback to you (the parent). Subsequent consultations will typically follow a similar approach.