Trauma can have a lasting impact on how you feel, how you relate to others, and how you move through daily life. Whether the experience was recent or happened years ago, working with a psychologist can provide a structured and safe space to make sense of what happened and develop more effective ways of managing its effects.
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia via secure telehealth, including people working through the impact of traumatic experiences, both recent and longstanding.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma refers to the lasting psychological impact of experiences that were overwhelming, threatening, or deeply distressing. Not everyone who goes through a difficult experience develops a lasting trauma response, but for many people, certain events have effects that persist well after the experience itself has ended.
Trauma can result from a single event, sometimes referred to as acute trauma, or from repeated or prolonged experiences, often referred to as complex trauma. Complex trauma typically involves experiences that occurred over time, often in the context of relationships or environments where safety was not reliably present. This includes childhood adversity, prolonged abuse or neglect, or sustained exposure to fear, control, or instability.
Experiences that can lead to trauma responses include physical, sexual, or emotional abuse, childhood neglect, serious accidents or injuries, medical trauma, sudden loss, witnessing harm to others, and prolonged exposure to threatening or unpredictable environments. The severity of the trauma response is not simply a reflection of the nature of the event. How a person experiences and makes meaning of what happened, the support available at the time, and prior history all shape the impact.
Common Signs of Trauma
Trauma responses vary considerably from person to person. Some common experiences include:
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares related to the experience
- Avoidance of people, places, or situations that are reminders of what happened
- Feeling on edge, hypervigilant, or easily startled
- Emotional numbing or a sense of disconnection from yourself or others
- Difficulty concentrating, sleeping, or feeling present in the here and now
- Shifts in how you see yourself, other people, or the world
- Physical symptoms such as tension, fatigue, or unexplained pain
- Difficulties in relationships, including problems with trust, closeness, or conflict
For some people, these responses become persistent and are consistent with a diagnosis such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). Others experience significant distress without meeting full diagnostic criteria. Whether or not a formal diagnosis applies, working with a psychologist can help you make sense of what you’re experiencing and develop ways to manage it.
How Psychology Can Help With Trauma
Working with a psychologist for trauma isn’t about revisiting painful experiences for the sake of it. The work is structured and paced to suit what you’re ready for, with a focus on building safety and stability before any deeper processing takes place.
Trauma-focused therapy typically involves understanding how trauma affects the nervous system, memory, and day-to-day functioning. It involves building skills to manage distressing responses in the present, and, when the time is right, processing traumatic experiences at a pace that feels manageable. It can also involve making sense of how past experiences have shaped current patterns, beliefs, and relationships.
The approach used depends on what you’re working on, your history, and what feels right for you. Some people benefit most from skills-based work. Others find it helpful to process specific memories more directly. Therapy for trauma is not a quick fix, but a structured therapeutic space can make a meaningful difference to how you’re managing and what feels possible.
Therapeutic Approaches
Veronica draws on a range of evidence-based approaches when working with trauma, tailored to each person’s history and needs. These may include:
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) – an evidence-based approach specifically developed for trauma processing, available via telehealth
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) – supporting psychological flexibility and developing a different relationship with difficult thoughts, memories, and feelings
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) – identifying and working with the thought patterns and avoidance behaviours that maintain distress
- Trauma-informed approaches – a framework that shapes all aspects of the therapeutic work, prioritising safety, trust, and your sense of agency throughout
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a PTSD diagnosis to see a psychologist for trauma?
No. You don’t need a formal diagnosis to work with a psychologist. Many people seek support for the impact of difficult or traumatic experiences without a diagnosis in place. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP isn’t required to book, but it does make you eligible for Medicare rebates on sessions.
What’s the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
PTSD typically develops following one or more specific traumatic events. Complex trauma, sometimes referred to as C-PTSD, usually arises from repeated or prolonged experiences, often in the context of relationships where safety was not reliably present. Both are valid frameworks for understanding the impact of traumatic experience, and many people experience features of both. There is more on this in the article on complex trauma therapy in Australia.
Is EMDR available via telehealth?
Yes. EMDR can be delivered effectively via telehealth. The process is adapted for an online setting, but the core approach remains the same. Veronica is trained in EMDR and offers it as part of trauma-focused work.
Do I need a GP referral to book an appointment?
You don’t need a referral to book. A GP referral (Mental Health Treatment Plan) makes you eligible for Medicare rebates on sessions. If cost is a consideration, it’s worth speaking with your GP before your first appointment. You can read more on the Fees and Funding page. For a fuller breakdown of what seeing a psychologist costs across Australia, see how much it costs to see a psychologist. If your trauma is related to a work injury, sessions may also be funded through workers’ compensation (WorkCover Queensland and SIRA in New South Wales).
If you’re considering support for trauma and would like to learn more about working together, you’re welcome to read more about therapy or get in touch.
If you’re in crisis or need immediate support, please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14 or call emergency services on 000.