Trauma Therapy in Manchester
1 in 3 people report experiencing at least one major traumatic event across their lifetime.
50-60% of these experiences are linked to interpersonal and relational traumas such as abuse, neglect, or violence.
I help people who have had difficult or traumatic relationships with parents, friends or intimate relationships, who feel like their past stops them from thriving in daily life.
I use a blend of trauma-focused therapy, attachment theory and compassion-focused therapy to help people heal from the past, manage their emotions and unstick habits. This supports my clients in flourishing at work, at play, and in relationships.
I offer both long-term therapy for deeper work and focused intensive therapy to target specific issues.
What is Trauma?
Aunty Gladys may relish telling you that “it’s not really trauma” because in her day it was much worse. As a trauma specialist, I’m here to tell you that it’s not as simple as that.
If what you went through made you feel distressed, overwhelmed or trapped – it’s trauma.
Whether it’s a car accident, hearing parents arguing, bullying or being the victim of abuse. These can all have a traumatic impact.
In the therapy room, I often hear people say, “but it wasn’t that bad… other people just get over it”. But no two people react to the same event in the same way. Whether something feels traumatic often has a lot to do with your history before the event, what sense you made of it and how you were supported at the time. When you’re able to share your feelings with other people who understand and support you, you can heal. When this is missing, the event can become ‘stuck’ and traumatic.
"Trauma is not what happens to us, but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness.” (Peter Levine)
If what you experienced made you feel alone and unloved – it’s trauma.
What many people don’t realise is that trauma can also be caused by not just what happened to us, but by what we did not receive.
If your emotions were ignored, downplayed or villainised.
If your relationships lacked warmth, safety and a sense of protection and care.
If you had your physical needs met, but others around you made you feel like a burden or ‘silly’
These things can have a deep and lasting impact.
What types of Trauma do you work with?
To help people make sense of their experiences, professionals categorise different types of therapy so that research and treatment can be targeted to the individual's needs.
I have a special interest in working with trauma in parental and romantic relationships.
Childhood Trauma
- Excessively strict parents
- Emotional abuse and neglect
- Physical or sexual abuse
- Witnessing domestic abuse
- Bullying at school
- Loss and separation from parents
- parental substance misuse
Traumatic Relationships
- Verbal, physical or sexual abuse from a partner
- Emotional abuse
- coercion and control
- Cheating within the relationship
- Distressing break-ups
Traumatic Events
- Sexual assault
- Sever illness or injury
- Traumatic loss
- Traffic accident
- Medical trauma
What types of Trauma Therapy do you offer?
I started my career as a trauma therapist using CBT, which can be very effective. However, I noticed that although it could work amazingly, at times clients could get blocked or find it too overwhelming. I made it my mission to find what was most effective depending on the needs of the individual. Not all trauma is the same, so treatment shouldn’t be all the same either.
I’ve trained in CBT, ACT, CFT, EMDR and I bring the best bits from each and weave them together.
What happens in a trauma therapy?
I come from more of a non-clinical background, so my approach is often very warm, relaxed and laid back. I occasionally swear and like to find ways to make sessions feel safe and manageable; often with well-placed humour.
Although I’m laid back, my training has been clinical and evidence-based, so you get the best of both worlds. I have the book smart but can translate it in a simple-to-understand way. I try to avoid jargon and cut out the concepts that may fascinate academics but can feel unrelatable to most folks. I try to keep it relevant and relatable.
My learning style is hands-on; doing, drawing and mapping. So this may suit you if you like diagrams, demonstrations, moving around, standing up and being active in the therapy room.
Trauma therapy moves through different phases but is not always a straight line; together we will adjust according to where you’re at.
How long does trauma therapy take?
The length of time someone is in therapy varies hugely depending on the type of trauma and the person’s goals.
A client who has experienced a car accident who is frightened to drive again may have 8 – 12 sessions over three months to help them reach the goal of driving again.
A client who has a long history of trauma with CPTSD may have years of therapy to address multiple different goals.
It is recommended that clients break down their experience and problems into specific goals.
People can choose to have a block of therapy to work on one specific issue and then take a break from therapy and return later to work on the next goal.
Others choose to stay in therapy and work on one goal at a time consecutively.
EMDR intensives offer an effective way for people to condense months’ worth of therapy for a specific goal into a shorter space of time, taking a week instead of months.