Supportive Trauma Counselling
I help clients navigate, anxiety and stress by looking at their trauma, exploring family patterns, attachment styles, and the impact of family conflict on mental and physical health. Together, we uncover root issues, empowering you to establish boundaries and enhance wellbeing. My approach integrates clinical methods with meditation, tapping, inner child work, and reparenting.
People with traumatic stress can become trapped in their trauma responses and can have chronic issues with emotional regulation. They may find themselves anxious, sad, depressed, worried, fatigued, stressed with many physical health concerns. It’s an insidious and unrelenting experience.
Traumatic stress can change your brains chemistry and structure. The Amygdala, the part of your brain that process, fear and other emotions. The Hippocampus, the part of your brain that is responsible for learning and memory and the Prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain that is involved in executive functions, such as planning, decision making, personality expressions and controlling social behaviour.
There are three broad categories of treatment of PTSD, talking therapy like counselling, physical treatments, like medication and lastly interventions such exercise, mindfulness and self-help.
With the guidance of a trusted counsellor there is hope. Hope for renewal and healing.
For immediate support
https://www.beyondblue.org.au/
https://www.lifeline.org.au/
Below is a creative piece on what Emotional dysregulation can look like.
Wednesday afternoon.
I went to lay myself down.
So tired.
I can’t sleep.
It’s the middle of the day.
Cover myself with the blankets.
The pink blanket I pull, right over my face.
Quick check, can I breathe?
Yep. It’s safe.
It’s safe under the pink blanket.
I can breathe.
Close my eyes.
Block out the world.
It’s the middle of the day.
I’m covered in a pink blanket.
People are out and about, working, connecting, purposely living.
My ears are screaming.
Heart is pounding.
All I can hear, is my punishing inner voice.
You stupid effen’ bitch.
Who do you think you are?
Who do you think you are, to make life work for you?
Useless, aren’t you?
Waste of time.
Waste of space.
I knew you shouldn’t have been born.
I hear it in my body, in my muscles, in my ears and in my head.
Relentless punishment for existing.
I open my eyes.
A sea of pink blanket in front of me.
Suddenly I see that I have a heavy body.
A body slowly breathing, a body hiding away.
Oh, I have a breathing body.
I forgot I had a body.
I watch my chest move up and down.
Strangely, I become present.
It is immensely beautiful to see my body breathe.
Thinking I am safe I shut my eyes.
I notice my arms ache, my legs ache, my body feels beaten.
Beaten by words.
But I still have a body. Even though it aches.
A body.
I want to cry, but there’s only numbness.
The voice continues.
Yep, you big fat looser.
You don’t deserve to rest.
You don’t deserve money, success, health.
You were born just to serve the Master.
You dare to take space?
Terrible you.
Looser you.
Why are you even here?
Dare you ask for wealth? For love? For health?
For a good safe life?
Life will get you.
Life will get you.
I will get you.
Don’t’ trust.
Don’t feel.
Don’t talk.
I will show you, what it means to suffer and be alone.
You serve the Master ONLY.
You are nothing.
You deserve nothing.
Hollow hollow, I will hollow you out.
Eat you alive.
Once I’ve slit your throat.
Once I’ve beaten you.
I will eat you alive.
YOU Useless piece of life.
I swallow.
And I am Swallowed deeper into the dark void.
The lashings continue, the body still aches.
This is my inner voice.
Running in the background.
Sometimes the voice is conscious.
Most of the time it hides, disturbing my body, my perceptions my ability to live life.
It is Disabling.
The Criticism and fear cripple me.
This. Fear
This. Collapse.
This voice.
The blueprint of my life.
On a Wednesday afternoon.
Under my pink blanket.
