Topics · 01
Trauma, PTSD & Loss
When something that happened is still happening in your body, the goal is not to remember it better. It is to file it as memory rather than a live threat.
Trauma and grief both take a life and split it into before and after. They are held physically as much as psychologically, which is why insight alone rarely settles either of them — the nervous system has to be part of the work.
Recovery here is structured rather than open-ended: stabilisation first, then resolution through The Richards Trauma Process, then the practical work of rebuilding sleep, trust and a sense of a future. Sessions run online across Australia and New Zealand, by telephone, or in person in Melbourne by arrangement.
You might recognise
- Flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive images
- Startling easily, or never quite being off-guard
- Numbness, dissociation or lost time
- Grief that arrives in waves years later
- A belief that something is fundamentally wrong with you
How this work goes
Safety before processing
Grounding, sleep and regulation come first. Nothing is processed until you can hold it without being overwhelmed.
No retelling required
TRTP works with the subconscious rather than requiring you to narrate the event repeatedly.
A defined series
Trauma work is usually a small number of planned sessions with consolidation afterwards, not indefinite therapy.
Services in this topic
09
Trauma Counselling
Trauma is held in the body as much as in the story. It can be resolved without reliving it in detail.
07
Grief Counselling
There is no correct way to grieve, and no schedule you are behind on.
Common questions on this topic
Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?+
No. TRTP is designed to resolve an event without retelling it, and grief work moves at the pace you set. I need enough to work safely, not the whole account.
How long does trauma work take?+
It is usually a defined series rather than open-ended therapy: stabilisation first, then the structured process, then consolidation. The plan is agreed before anything starts.
Is it too late if the event was decades ago?+
No. Untreated trauma does not expire, and work on something from childhood or from twenty years ago is common and effective.
Read on this topic
Definitions & Glossary
Dissociation, hypervigilance, window of tolerance, TRTP — in plain English.
How To Guides
Grounding during a panic wave, and supporting someone who is grieving.
Resources & Links
Crisis lines, Griefline, 1800RESPECT and further reading.
Other topics
Trauma, PTSD & Loss
Trauma recovery, PTSD and grief — the work of putting the past where it belongs.
Anxiety, Stress & Burnout
Worry, panic, workplace pressure and burnout — turning the volume down.
Relationships & Communication
Couples work, conflict, anger and the patterns underneath both.
Depression, Confidence & Growth
Low mood, self-worth, life transitions and the work of getting moving again.