Trauma can continue to affect the present long after the original experience is over. Sometimes this is obvious: after a frightening, abusive, or overwhelming event, a person may develop symptoms that clearly feel connected to what happened. In other cases, trauma is less immediately visible. It may show up through anxiety, panic, emotional volatility, depression, numbness, dissociation, chronic tension, relationship difficulties, a persistent sense of danger, or a negative view of yourself that feels hard to change.

Not everyone who has experienced trauma would describe themselves in that way. Some people come to therapy because they feel stuck, exhausted, constantly on edge, detached from themselves, or unable to move on from something that “should be over by now.” Others already know that trauma is central to what they are struggling with and are specifically looking for trauma-focused therapy or EMDR.

I work with adults who are dealing with issues such as:

• trauma and post-traumatic stress
• complex PTSD or developmental childhood traumas
• the effects of emotional, physical, or sexual abuse
• chronic anxiety or depression linked to overwhelming experiences
• emotional dysregulation
• dissociation, emotional numbness, or shutdown
• persistent shame, fear, or self-blame
• negative beliefs such as “I am not safe,” “I am not good enough,” or “it was my fault”
• difficulty feeling settled in yourself or in your body
• relationship patterns that have been strongly shaped by trauma

In my understanding, trauma is not only about the event itself, but also about what happens when an experience becomes too much to process, integrate, or recover from. This is one reason why trauma can continue to affect the present even when part of you knows that the danger is over. The mind and body may still react as if a threat is close; emotions may become difficult to regulate; and certain beliefs, reactions, or patterns may feel deeply fixed. Trauma work is therefore not only about talking about the past, but about helping what remains unprocessed begin to move, soften, and integrate.

This is especially important in complex PTSD or developmental traumas. Sometimes the central problem is not one isolated event, but a long history of emotional insecurity, inconsistency, neglect, control, or abuse. In these cases, the effects of trauma may become woven into a person’s sense of self, relationships, expectations, and ways of coping. Therapy often needs to be gradual and carefully paced, with attention not only to memories, but also to safety, regulation, trust, and the conditions that make deeper work possible.

My approach to trauma is integrative, person-centred, and trauma-informed. Gestalt therapy remains an important foundation of my work, while attachment-informed and trauma-focused work help us attend to the nervous system, the body, and the pace at which difficult experiences can be processed safely.

I also offer EMDR where it is appropriate and helpful. EMDR is a structured, evidence-based method that can help the brain and nervous system process overwhelming experiences so that they no longer remain stuck in the same way. For some people it becomes central quite early. In other cases, it makes more sense to begin with stabilisation, emotional regulation, and building a greater sense of safety before moving into deeper processing.

If you have experienced abuse, chronic stress, overwhelming events, or childhood environments that left lasting emotional effects, therapy can help you make sense of what those experiences have done and what recovery may require. Good trauma work is not about forcing you to relive experiences before you are ready. It is about creating the conditions in which processing becomes possible, meaningful, and safer.

The aim of trauma therapy is not only to reduce symptoms, though this may be an important part of the process. It is also to help you feel less trapped by the past, less governed by old survival responses, and more able to live in the present with greater stability, connection, and choice.