Auckland Therapy Counselling and Psychotherapy

Trauma & PTSD Counselling

What is Trauma?

A trauma is a shattering event that rocks our underlying trust in the world and confidence in ourselves. As the foundation of our being is threatened life is suddenly precarious and uncertain. Knocked off our feet we may struggle to make sense of things. While family, friends and other social supports, as well as the passage of time, often allow the trauma to be integrated and our lives rebuilt this is not always the case. Sometimes trauma can also lead to anxiety, depression or even Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (ptsd) with symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, spacing-out, or jumpiness.

Causes of Trauma

Traumatic events may include:

  • Motor vehicle or work accidents **
  • Physical abuse, assault or domestic violence **
  • Sexual assault, abuse or rape **
  • Childhood trauma (premature birth, serious illness, loss or separation from parents, neglect, abuse etc)
  • Emotional or mental abuse
  • Serious illness or surgery
  • Sudden grief, loss or separation
  • Disasters, war, murder, imprisonment etc

** ACC funding may be available - check with your therapist or ACC to see if your therapy would be eligible for funding

Even events that we experience indirectly or witness may result in significant trauma.

Effects of Trauma

Trauma overwhelms our usual emotional capacity. When such events overwhelm us the impressions, feeling and thoughts of the event are not recorded into memory in the normal way. Instead the trauma is recorded in distorted fragments and unintegrated. Often at the time we may have thought we were coping well only to realise much later how deeply we were impacted by an event.

Over time this impact may not only impair our ability to function well in the world but interfere with our ability to form relationships and distort perceptions. This is particularly true where there is repeated trauma or where the trauma is a result of childhood abuse. Trauma is a common contributor to many psychological and emotional issues including anxiety, depression, anger, relationship difficulties & ptsd. As such traumatic events can continue to effect us for many years, if not a lifetime.

Working with Trauma & Ptsd

Trauma and ptsd counselling often requires time and patience. Over time trauma counselling allows the trauma to be gradually, safely and meaningfully integrated. This in turn allows the rebuilding of confidence and trust.

Find a Therapist

All of our team are experienced in working with trauma and abuse.