Helping Build Resilient Minds
Reclaiming and rebuilding life After trauma
Understanding Trauma and Its Impact
Trauma isn’t just about what happened—it’s about how your mind and body responded when you felt overwhelmed, unsafe, or powerless. These emotional, physical, and psychological responses were your system’s natural way of surviving something that felt too much, too sudden, or too prolonged.
Trauma can arise from a single event or from repeated experiences over time. Its impact often reaches across many areas of life—including your relationships, physical health, memory, sleep, concentration, sense of self-worth, and even your identity.
You may have experienced:
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Domestic violence or sexual assault
- War, persecution, or forced displacement
- Medical trauma or serious accidents
- Systemic oppression, racism, or homophobia
- Emotional invalidation, betrayal, or abandonment
- Bullying, life-threatening events, or witnessing tragedy
- A traumatic loss of a loved one
These experiences can have lasting effects, shaping how you see yourself, others, and the world. Some people go on to develop Acute Stress Disorder (ASD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD (CPTSD). But a diagnosis isn’t needed for your experiences to matter. If something hurt you deeply and still affects you, it's valid, and it's deserving of care.
Common Responses to Trauma
Trauma leaves an imprint on both body and mind. Everyone responds differently, but some common experiences include:
- Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
- Feeling numb or emotionally detached
- Chronic anxiety, panic, or being constantly on alert
- Shame, guilt, or self-blame
- Irritability, sudden anger, or emotional outbursts
- Dissociation or feeling disconnected from yourself
- Difficulty trusting or forming close relationships
- Low self-esteem, or a deep sense of being “broken”
- Overthinking, self-criticism, or struggling to relax
Many people also carry guilt or shame—especially after interpersonal trauma like abuse, humiliation, or betrayal. You might think, “I should be over it by now” or “Why couldn’t I cope better?” These thoughts are common. But they’re often rooted in the trauma itself, not in any personal failure.
Why You Might Feel Stuck
Healing isn’t about forgetting what happened—it’s about reclaiming your present. Yet many people feel stuck in cycles of anxiety, flashbacks, or emotional reactivity, as if the past is still playing out in real time.
This isn’t a weakness. Trauma can change how the brain stores and retrieves memories. During
overwhelming experiences, the brain may struggle to process what’s happening in a clear, narrative way. Instead, memories can become fragmented, sensory-based, and disconnected from a sense of time or safety. That’s why it can feel like the trauma is still happening—even years later.
Your reactions aren’t irrational—they’re survival strategies shaped by your nervous system and your brain’s imperfect way of managing distress. With the right support, it’s possible to process these memories more safely and cohesively, helping your body and mind feel grounded in the here and now.
It was Never Your Fault
If you're carrying the belief that what happened was your fault—or that you should have coped better—you’re not alone.
Trauma often happens when we’re powerless, unsupported, or simply doing our best to survive. Blame, shame, and guilt are common after trauma—but they are not truths. They’re internalised survival strategies, attempts to make sense of what felt senseless.
We also have a natural tendency called hindsight bias—where we judge ourselves harshly using what we know now, rather than considering the reality of how we felt or what was available to us at the time. Add in intrusive memories, self-criticism, and emotional exhaustion, and it’s no wonder trauma can leave us feeling overwhelmed.
In therapy, we work gently to untangle these beliefs—creating space for understanding, compassion, and healing.
My Approach to Trauma Therapy
As a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, I offer a safe, collaborative, and non-judgemental space where you can begin to make sense of your experiences at a pace that feels manageable.
My trauma-focused approach integrates a range of evidence-based models, including:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for PTSD (CBT-TF) – recommended by NICE for the treatment of PTSD
- Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) – particularly suited for multiple or prolonged traumas
- Compassion Focused Therapy (CFT) – supporting those who struggle with shame, guilt, or self-criticism
- Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) – for emotional regulation, distress tolerance, and grounding
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – to help you move towards a more meaningful, values-based life
- Stabilisation techniques and body-based awareness – to build safety and reduce overwhelm before processing trauma
Every person’s experience is different. Some clients need help grounding in the present before approaching trauma memories. Others are ready to begin working on intrusive images or flashbacks. Our work is guided by your needs, strengths, and readiness.
What to Expect in Therapy
In our work together, we will:
- Create a foundation of safety, trust, and emotional regulation
- Understand how trauma has affected your brain, body, and relationships
- Develop tools to manage flashbacks, nightmares, and intense emotions
- Work with the ‘inner critic’ and nurture a more compassionate voice
- Gently process traumatic memories, without being re-traumatised
- Rebuild confidence, boundaries, and relational safety
- Explore the impact of trauma on identity, worth, and meaning
- Move towards a life shaped more by choice than by fear or avoidance
You do not need to “go back into” trauma to heal. Therapy is not about reliving what happened—it’s about processing what still lives inside you and finding safe, manageable ways forward.
Seeking Support
If you are living with the after-effects of trauma, please know that you are not alone—and that recovery is possible. You don’t need to be “in crisis” to reach out. You may simply want to feel more like yourself again, to connect more deeply with others, or to stop living in the shadow of what happened.
I offer therapy in-person at Peckham Levels, South London and online via secure video. All sessions are confidential, inclusive, and tailored to your unique experiences and needs.
Your reactions make sense. And with the right support, healing is possible.
Feel free to get in touch for a free 30-minute consultation to explore whether therapy might be right for you.