Trauma is not defined by the size of the event. It is defined by what it did to you, and whether you were able to process it at the time. Something another person might have walked away from can leave a lasting mark, and something objectively severe can sit unexamined for decades.
If the past is still shaping how you sleep, trust, react or relate, that is worth attention — regardless of how long ago it was.
How trauma can show up later
- Reactions that feel out of proportion to the situation
- Difficulty trusting people, or trusting too readily
- Feeling numb, detached, or as if you are watching yourself
- Sleep problems, nightmares, or being easily startled
- Avoiding reminders — places, conversations, people
- A sense of being permanently braced for something
These are not character flaws. They are what a nervous system does when it has learned that the world is not safe.
How I work with trauma
Safety and pace come before anything else. We do not begin by going into the difficult material, and you will never be pushed to describe more than you choose to. A great deal of useful trauma work happens without detailed retelling at all.
Early on we focus on stability — grounding, managing what gets triggered, and understanding your own responses so they feel less frightening. Only when that footing is there, and only if you want to, do we approach the harder material.
You set the pace. Slowing down is not failure; it is often the work itself.
What sessions look like
50 minutes on Google Meet, from a private space of your choosing. Being in your own environment is often an advantage in trauma work — you are somewhere you already feel safe.
Trauma therapy usually takes longer than work on a single specific difficulty. We review together as we go, and you remain in control of what happens next.
Before you begin
If you are currently in an unsafe situation, or if the events are very recent, please say so in the intro call. Stabilisation and practical safety come before processing, and I will be honest if I think you need a different or additional kind of support.
Start with a free 15-minute call
No forms, no pressure — a short conversation to see whether this feels right for you.
Book a free intro call