Trauma-Informed Counselling Support in Australia
Trauma
Counselling
Offering gentle & supportive trauma-informed support to make sense of your story, reduce negative impact of traumatic experiences and improve mental wellbeing.
“Trauma is an ‘injury’ of powerlessness, and recovery requires restoring control and establishing safety through supportive relationships”
Explain trauma to me
When we experience life threatening powerlessness, this is called a traumatic event.
Trauma is our adaptive responses to distressing things that happened in our lives which made us feel unsafe.
Trauma can be a complex and varied experience, with different meaning for different people.
Trauma is defined by impact not severity.
What are the types of trauma?
There are many types of trauma. Here are the ones I most commonly work with at Among Puffins:
Single-incident trauma — responses to a specific event, like an accident, assault, or sudden loss
Complex or developmental trauma — trauma that built up over time, often from childhood or long-term relationships
Relational trauma — harm caused within relationships that were meant to feel safe, family, partners, or caregivers
Medical trauma — difficult, frightening, or dismissive experiences with healthcare systems or treatment
Systemic and intergenerational trauma — harm caused or compounded by oppressive systems, discrimination, or trauma carried through family, community or culture
What is trauma-informed counselling?
Trauma-informed counselling centres the safety, trust, choice, collaboration, and empowerment of an individual.
It can include:
Promoting empowerment and choice
Building stability and regulation
Increasing power, autonomy and agency
Understanding patterns and emotional responses
Resourcing tools to manage distress
Reducing shame, self-criticism and self-abandonment
Signs you may benefit from trauma counselling
Difficulty forming safe, trusting connections in relationships
Growing up in environments where feelings were dismissed or overlooked
Struggling to set or maintain healthy boundaries
People-pleasing, perfectionism, or harsh self-criticism
Feeling on edge or hypervigilant
Difficulty sleeping/nightmares
Feeling hyper-independent or uncomfortable relying on others
Disconnection from yourself, your body, or those around you
Persistent guilt, shame, or feeling “not enough”
Types of trauma-therapies used here
Sessions are relational, flexible, and tailored to you. I draw on a few different approaches, depending on what fits:
EFIT (Emotionally Focused Individual Therapy)
A relational approach that helps you understand and work with your emotions, rather than being overwhelmed or controlled by them.IFS (Internal Family Systems)
A gentle way of understanding the different "parts" of you, including the ones that are protecting you, and building a kinder relationship with all of them.Somatic work
Where helpful and safe, we bring attention to the body, since trauma is often held physically.
My approach incorporates somatic and relational trauma work, which can be experiential and processing in nature, though I don't offer more intensive processing methods like EMDR or Brainspotting. If you're looking for that specifically, I'm happy to point you toward a specialist who does. Reach out today for a conversation on how I can support you.
Contact Us
Fill in the form below and I'll get back to you within 48 hours.
Appointments
Appointments are held online in a video format from wherever you feel most comfortable. Sessions run for 60 minutes.
Pricing
Sessions are $130.00 for an hour. Medicare rebates are not available for counselling or psychotherapy, and I’m not currently able to offer private health fund rebates.
See FAQ’s here. Alternatively, reach out with any questions!