Trauma-Informed Therapy in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast QLD
By David Hennessy, Clinical Psychologist, Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy is an approach to psychological care that recognises how overwhelming experiences can shape a person’s sense of safety, trust, body responses, relationships, and day-to-day functioning. It does not assume that every difficulty is caused by trauma. However, it does make room for the possibility that past or recent experiences may be influencing how a person copes now [1, 7, 10].
At Hennessy Clinical Psychology, trauma-informed therapy is offered in Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast, with telehealth available across Australia. Therapy is available for adolescents and adults. The work is respectful, practical, and paced according to the person’s needs, goals, and current capacity.
Trauma-informed therapy is not a single technique. Instead, it is a way of delivering psychological therapy that emphasises safety, choice, collaboration, trust, cultural awareness, and empowerment [1, 4, 10]. These principles can sit alongside evidence-based therapies such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), EMDR, mindfulness-based strategies, and trauma-focused interventions when clinically appropriate [2, 7, 11].
What Trauma-Informed Therapy Means
Trauma-informed therapy begins with a shift in perspective. Rather than asking, “What is wrong with this person?”, therapy gently considers, “What has this person been through, and what has helped them survive?” [10].
This does not mean that therapy ignores responsibility, present-day choices, or practical problem-solving. In fact, good trauma-informed therapy often helps people build steadier routines, clearer communication, and more workable responses to stress. However, it also recognises that behaviours such as avoidance, shutdown, irritability, people-pleasing, emotional numbness, or hypervigilance may have developed as attempts to stay safe.
In trades work, a tool can only be used safely when the conditions are understood. If the power supply is unstable, the surface is slippery, or the measurements are off, pushing harder usually creates more risk. Psychological work is similar. Before moving into more demanding therapy tasks, it can be important to understand the person’s current stability, supports, triggers, strengths, and readiness.
Common Reasons People Seek Trauma-Informed Therapy
People may seek trauma-informed therapy after a single traumatic event, repeated stress, childhood adversity, workplace incidents, medical trauma, relationship trauma, loss, bullying, violence, accidents, or long periods of feeling unsafe. Sometimes the person has a clear memory of what happened. At other times, they may mainly notice the effects in their body, relationships, mood, sleep, or concentration.
Trauma-informed therapy may be relevant for people experiencing:
- Post-traumatic stress symptoms
- Complex trauma responses
- Anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance
- Depression or emotional numbness
- Sleep disturbance or nightmares
- Relationship difficulties or mistrust
- Strong shame, guilt, or self-blame
- Difficulty setting boundaries
- Emotional shutdown or dissociation
- Anger, irritability, or feeling constantly on edge
- Adjustment difficulties after stressful life events
- Low self-worth linked to past experiences
Although these experiences can be painful, they are also understandable. With careful support, many people learn to recognise patterns, reduce reactivity, strengthen choice, and reconnect with valued parts of life.
Principles Of Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed care is commonly described through principles such as safety, trustworthiness, transparency, choice, collaboration, empowerment, peer support, and awareness of cultural, historical, and gender-related factors [1, 4, 10]. In therapy, these principles are not slogans. They guide the way sessions are planned, discussed, and paced.
Safety
Safety includes emotional, physical, cultural, and relational safety. For some people, even starting therapy can feel exposing. Therefore, therapy may begin with building predictability, explaining the process, and agreeing on a pace that feels manageable.
Choice And Control
Trauma can involve experiences where choice was limited or taken away. Consequently, trauma-informed therapy places importance on informed consent, shared decision-making, and clear options. The person remains an active participant in therapy, not a passive recipient of treatment.
Collaboration
Therapy works best when psychologist and client work together. The psychologist brings clinical knowledge. The client brings lived experience, values, preferences, and knowledge of what has and has not helped before.
Trust And Transparency
Trust usually develops over time. Because of this, therapy aims to be clear about the purpose of strategies, possible benefits, possible discomfort, and available alternatives.
Strengths And Recovery
Trauma-informed therapy does not reduce a person to what happened to them. It also looks for persistence, resourcefulness, protective strategies, relationships, skills, values, and hopes for the future.
Trauma-Informed Therapy Is Not The Same As Trauma Processing
Trauma-informed therapy and trauma processing are related, but they are not identical.
Trauma-informed therapy refers to the overall way care is provided. It aims to reduce the risk of overwhelming the person or repeating patterns of powerlessness. Trauma processing, however, refers to specific therapeutic work that directly addresses traumatic memories or meanings.
For some people, trauma processing may become appropriate. For others, the most helpful work may involve stabilisation, emotional regulation, sleep, relationships, self-compassion, boundaries, or everyday functioning. In addition, some people may choose not to directly process trauma memories and still benefit from trauma-informed therapy.
Australian PTSD guidelines recommend evidence-based trauma-focused psychological therapies for PTSD when clinically suitable, including trauma-focused CBT and EMDR [7]. However, treatment needs to consider timing, safety, readiness, risk, supports, and the person’s preferences.
What May Happen During Trauma-Informed Therapy?
Therapy usually begins with understanding what the person wants help with now. This may include current symptoms, stressors, relationships, work, sleep, health, safety, and day-to-day functioning. A trauma history may be discussed when it is relevant and when the person is ready. However, trauma-informed therapy does not require a person to describe every detail of painful experiences at the beginning.
Depending on the person’s needs, therapy may include:
- Understanding trauma responses and nervous system patterns
- Developing grounding and stabilisation strategies
- Improving sleep and daily routine
- Building emotional regulation skills
- Reducing avoidance where safe and appropriate
- Working with shame, self-blame, or harsh self-criticism
- Strengthening boundaries and communication
- Supporting values-based action
- Considering trauma-focused therapy when appropriate
- Planning relapse prevention and ongoing coping strategies
Importantly, therapy is adjusted as circumstances change. Some sessions may focus on practical coping. Others may explore deeper patterns. At times, the most useful step is not to push harder, but to slow down, clarify what is happening, and choose the next workable action.
Evidence For Trauma-Informed Therapy And Trauma-Focused Care
Trauma-informed care has a growing evidence base, particularly as a service framework across health, mental health, and community settings [5, 6, 9]. Research suggests trauma-informed interventions can improve psychological outcomes in some settings, although implementation quality and context matter [5].
For PTSD and related post-traumatic symptoms, trauma-focused psychological therapies have stronger and more specific evidence. Australian guidelines support trauma-focused CBT and EMDR for PTSD symptoms when clinically appropriate [7]. International guidance also supports psychological treatments that help people safely process trauma-related memories, meanings, avoidance patterns, and body responses [2, 11].
At the same time, trauma-informed therapy should not overpromise. Recovery is often uneven. Some people experience meaningful symptom improvement. Others may mainly notice better coping, steadier relationships, improved self-understanding, or greater capacity to participate in life. These changes can still matter.
Trauma-Informed Therapy At Hennessy Clinical Psychology
David Hennessy provides psychology for adolescents and adults at Hennessy Clinical Psychology in Varsity Lakes, Gold Coast, QLD. Telehealth is also available across Australia.
Therapy may draw from several evidence-based approaches, including:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT)
- EMDR-informed understanding and referral consideration where appropriate
- Mindfulness-based strategies
- Trauma-focused therapy principles
- Emotion regulation and grounding strategies
- Behavioural activation and practical routine building
- Compassion-focused strategies
The aim is not to make a person revisit painful experiences before they are ready. Rather, therapy aims to build understanding, steadiness, choice, and practical skills while working toward meaningful goals.
Who May Benefit From A Trauma-Informed Approach?
A trauma-informed approach can be useful for many people, including those who do not identify with the word trauma. Some people prefer to describe their experience as stress, overwhelm, grief, burnout, family difficulty, workplace injury, bullying, or “things I had to get through”.
Because people make sense of their experiences in different ways, therapy does not need to force a label. Instead, it can focus on what is happening now, what patterns are keeping the person stuck, and what support may help them move forward.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I Have To Talk About Everything That Happened?
No. Trauma-informed therapy does not require you to describe every detail of difficult experiences. Therapy can begin with current symptoms, coping, safety, sleep, relationships, and practical goals.
Is Trauma-Informed Therapy Only For PTSD?
No. Trauma-informed therapy can help people with PTSD, complex trauma responses, anxiety, depression, stress, grief, adjustment difficulties, and relationship patterns. It can also be useful when people feel stuck but are unsure whether trauma is part of the picture.
Will Therapy Make Things Worse?
Therapy can sometimes bring up discomfort, especially when painful patterns are discussed. However, trauma-informed therapy aims to pace the work carefully, build stabilisation skills, and reduce the risk of unnecessary overwhelm.
Is Telehealth Available?
Yes. Therapy is available in person at Varsity Lakes on the Gold Coast or via telehealth across Australia.
Related Reading And Services
References
- Australian Institute of Family Studies. (2024). Principles for doing trauma-informed research and program evaluation. Australian Government. https://aifs.gov.au/resources/practice-guides/principles-doing-trauma-informed-research-and-program-evaluation
- Bisson, J. I., Berliner, L., Cloitre, M., Forbes, D., Jensen, T. K., Lewis, C., Monson, C. M., Olff, M., Pilling, S., Riggs, D. S., Roberts, N. P., & Shapiro, F. (2019). The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies new guidelines for the prevention and treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder: Methodology and development process. Journal of Traumatic Stress, 32(4), 475–483. https://doi.org/10.1002/jts.22421
- Courtois, C. A., & Ford, J. D. (Eds.). (2016). Treatment of complex trauma: A sequenced, relationship-based approach. Guilford Press. https://www.guilford.com/books/Treatment-of-Complex-Trauma/Courtois-Ford/9781462524600
- Fallot, R. D., & Harris, M. (2009). Creating cultures of trauma-informed care (CCTIC): A self-assessment and planning protocol. Community Connections. https://www.communityconnectionsdc.org
- Han, H. R., Miller, H. N., Nkimbeng, M., Budhathoki, C., Mikhael, T., Rivers, E., Gray, J., Trimble, K., Chow, S., & Wilson, P. (2021). Trauma-informed interventions: A systematic review. PLOS ONE, 16(6), Article e0252747. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0252747
- Hopper, E. K., Bassuk, E. L., & Olivet, J. (2010). Shelter from the storm: Trauma-informed care in homelessness services settings. The Open Health Services and Policy Journal, 3, 80–100. https://doi.org/10.2174/1874924001003010080
- Phoenix Australia. (2020). Australian guidelines for the prevention and treatment of acute stress disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder and complex PTSD (2nd ed.). Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health. https://www.phoenixaustralia.org/australian-guidelines-for-ptsd/
- Phoenix Australia. (2025). Trauma-informed practice resources. Phoenix Australia Centre for Posttraumatic Mental Health. https://www.phoenixaustralia.org
- Ranjbar, N., Erb, M., Mohammad, O., & Moreno, F. A. (2020). Trauma-informed care and cultural humility in the mental health care of people from minoritised communities. Focus, 18(1), 8–15. https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.focus.20190027
- Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. (2014). SAMHSA’s concept of trauma and guidance for a trauma-informed approach (SMA 14-4884). U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://store.samhsa.gov/product/SAMHSA-s-Concept-of-Trauma-and-Guidance-for-a-Trauma-Informed-Approach/SMA14-4884
- World Health Organization. (2013). Guidelines for the management of conditions specifically related to stress. World Health Organization. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241505406