Trauma Therapy & EMDR

Understanding what happened, how it affects you now, and finding greater freedom in how you live and relate.

Distressing experiences can continue to affect how you feel in your body, understand yourself and connect with other people. You may feel constantly alert, become overwhelmed by reminders, or find yourself numb, withdrawn or disconnected. Intimacy and trust may feel difficult, even when you want closeness.

I offer psychotherapy for adults affected by psychological trauma, with particular attention to sexual and relationship experiences and their effects on identity, shame, confidence and intimacy.

I work with adults affected by both complex and single-incident trauma. My approach draws on Gestalt psychotherapy, psychoanalytically informed practice, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) for PTSD and EMDR, guided by careful assessment and your individual needs.

Understanding your experience

We begin by exploring what brings you to therapy, how past experiences affect your life now, and what you would like to change. You do not need to arrive with a diagnosis or a complete account of what happened.

Some people seek help following a particular event. Others want to understand the lasting effects of repeated experiences of fear, violation or relational harm. Together, we consider your current circumstances, ways of coping and sources of support, and agree an appropriate approach.

Gestalt trauma therapy: body, awareness and relationship

My Gestalt approach explores how traumatic experiences continue to affect your present life—in bodily sensations, emotions, thoughts and relationships.

We might notice tension, holding your breath, feeling distant or numb, or an impulse to withdraw when something feels threatening. This embodied, phenomenological approach means paying close attention to your experience as it unfolds, working together to understand its meaning for you.

We explore how you have learned to protect yourself, how you recognise your needs and boundaries, and what helps you feel sufficiently supported to engage with difficult experiences. The therapeutic relationship provides space to explore trust, closeness and choice at a manageable pace.

The aim is to develop greater awareness and flexibility, so that familiar protective responses can give way to a wider range of choices in your present life.

A psychoanalytically informed perspective

Past experiences can shape expectations of other people and feelings about ourselves, sometimes outside conscious awareness.

A psychoanalytically informed approach gives space to recurring relationship patterns, conflicting feelings and the meanings attached to what happened. We may explore shame, self-blame, fear of dependence or the tension between wanting closeness and needing protection.

The aim is to develop an understanding that connects your history with your present experience and creates room for different responses.

Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD

Cognitive Processing Therapy is a structured, evidence-based psychological treatment for PTSD. It focuses on how traumatic experiences can affect beliefs about yourself, other people and the world.

We examine beliefs that may keep distress going, including self-blame or a persistent sense that nowhere is safe. The work can address safety, trust, control, self-worth and intimacy.

CPT involves discussing and evaluating these beliefs, with exercises between sessions. Where it is appropriate, we would agree a structured course of treatment and review your progress together.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an established psychological treatment for PTSD. It involves bringing aspects of a distressing memory to mind while engaging in guided bilateral stimulation, usually through eye movements.

The aim is to reduce the distress associated with the memory and its impact on present-day life. We begin by understanding your experiences, current difficulties and sources of support. Together, we consider whether EMDR is appropriate, how it fits within your wider therapy and the preparation needed before memory processing.

Trauma, sexuality and relationships

My experience as a psychosexual and relationship psychotherapist informs my work with the effects of trauma on sexual confidence, desire, bodily comfort, boundaries and intimacy.

There is room to talk about experiences that feel difficult to name, including sexual shame, fear of touch or feeling disconnected during intimacy. We explore these concerns sensitively, taking account of your relationships, identity and what feels manageable for you.

Taking the first step

An initial consultation offers space to discuss what you are experiencing and whether working together feels appropriate. We can consider the focus of therapy, the approach that may help and the arrangements for meeting.

You can begin with a brief outline of what you would like help with.