Trauma and PTSD treatment in Brisbane
If something happened to you and you are still carrying it – the intrusive memories, the broken sleep, the sense of being permanently braced for something – that is not a weakness of character, and it is not something you have to manage alone.
Brisbane Counselling Centre has treated trauma from Wickham Terrace in the Brisbane CBD since 1989. We were among the earliest adopters of EMDR in Australia, more than 35 years ago, and trauma work remains the area the practitioners at Brisbane Counselling Centre are best known for. Psychologists and counsellors attending our Centre use EMDR, trauma-focused CBT and prolonged exposure therapy, all of which have strong evidence behind them.
You do not need a diagnosis, a referral, or a clear account of what happened before you get in touch. Please call to speak with one of our friendly team members about what you are looking for.
Written and clinically reviewed by Natascha Madden, Registered Psychologist (AHPRA reg. PSY0000953827), Brisbane Counselling Centre. Last reviewed: September 2026
What is trauma?
Trauma is the lasting emotional, psychological and physical response to an event that overwhelmed your capacity to cope at the time.
The events people most often associate with trauma involve death, threatened death, serious injury or a threat to physical safety. But trauma is defined by your nervous system’s response, not by how objectively severe the event looks from the outside. Two people can go through the same event and only one develops a trauma response. That difference is not about resilience or strength.
Trauma can follow a single incident – an assault, a serious car accident, a medical emergency, a natural disaster, witnessing something violent. It can also build up over months or years, which is what we mean by complex trauma.
What are the signs andsymptoms of trauma?
Trauma shows up in the body, in memory and in behaviour, often long after the event itself.
Physical signs
- Difficulty falling or staying asleep
- Nightmares
- Fatigue that rest does not fix
- A startle response that fires at ordinary noises
- Muscle tension
- Nausea and digestive problems
- Physical reactions when something reminds you of what happened
Cognitive signs
- Intrusive memories you did not choose to have
- Flashbacks
- Difficulty concentrating
- Gaps in your memory of the event
- Persistent negative beliefs about yourself, other people or the world
Emotional signs
- Anger that arrives faster and larger than the situation warrants
- Guilt and shame
- Feeling numb or disconnected from people around you
- Losing interest in things you used to enjoy
- Difficulty feeling positive emotions at all
Behavioural signs
- Avoiding places, people or conversations connected to what happened
- Withdrawing from people close to you
- Drinking or using more than you used to
- Hypervigilance — constantly scanning for threat even in safe environments
Some people also experience thoughts of harming themselves. If you are having suicidal thoughts, please contact your GP, or call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or the Suicide Call Back Service on 1300 659 467. In an emergency, call 000.
If you can relate to anything here or you are confused or unsure, it is important to speak with a psychologist.
Trauma and other mental health conditions
Trauma commonly sits underneath other diagnoses. It can lead to depression or anxiety, and where those were already present, trauma tends to make them worse. It is also frequently connected to addiction, anger difficulties and relationship breakdown.
This is worth knowing about, as trauma is not always the first thing that is addressed. Sometimes people find that treatment for anxiety or depression helps to a point, and something underneath it stays put. If that is your experience, it does not mean the work you have already done was wasted – it may simply mean there is another layer worth exploring with someone trained specifically in trauma.
What is post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is a diagnosis given by a qualified professional when a specific pattern of symptoms persists for more than a month after a traumatic event and significantly disrupts your functioning.
The DSM-5 defines the triggering event as any situation where your life, or your physical or psychological integrity, was threatened. You may have experienced it directly, witnessed it happening to someone else, or learned that it happened to someone close to you.
For a diagnosis, symptoms need to be present across four areas:
Intrusion – recurring distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, intense distress at reminders, or physical reactions to reminders.
Avoidance – actively avoiding memories and thoughts about the event, or avoiding external reminders such as people, places and conversations.
Changes in mood and thinking – inability to recall key parts of the event, inflated negative beliefs about yourself or others, blame directed at yourself or others, persistent fear or anger, loss of interest, feeling detached from people, or an inability to feel positive emotions.
Changes in arousal and reactivity – irritability and angry outbursts, reckless or self-destructive behaviour, hypervigilance, an exaggerated startle response, poor concentration and disturbed sleep.
People in high-exposure occupations carry elevated risk. Paramedics, police officers, firefighters and other first responders encounter repeated critical incidents, as do healthcare professionals working in emergency and acute settings. Brisbane Counselling Centre also provides workplace trauma and critical incident response services to employers.
What is complex PTSD (CPTSD)?
Complex PTSD develops after repeated or prolonged trauma, usually in circumstances where escaping from the situation or circumstances was difficult or impossible.
Childhood abuse and neglect, domestic and family violence, and long-term coercive or controlling relationships are the most common causes. Where PTSD often follows one event, complex trauma accumulates – sometimes over years, often beginning before a person had the language or the agency to name what was happening.
People with complex PTSD experience the symptoms of PTSD, along with three further difficulties:
Emotional regulation – emotions arrive at an intensity that is hard to manage, whether that is explosive anger, sustained sadness, or a flatness that makes nothing feel like much of anything.
Negative self-concept – deeply held beliefs about being worthless, damaged or fundamentally at fault, usually accompanied by shame that is difficult to talk about.
Relationship difficulties – trouble trusting people, difficulty maintaining closeness, or patterns of relationship that keep repeating despite your best efforts to change them.
Complex PTSD is treatable. It usually takes longer than single-incident PTSD and the work is paced differently, with more emphasis on stability and safety before processing begins.
How is trauma treated?
The most effective way of treating PTSD and overcoming trauma is known as trauma therapy, which differs in treatment from general therapy. Trauma therapy often includes elements of Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), mindfulness-based CBT, exposure therapies including Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) in its various forms, and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PET). Trauma counselling, provided in a safe and supportive space, can be particularly effective for those who have experienced traumatic events and are struggling with feelings of depression, stress, and anxiety as a result of their overwhelming experiences. Working with a trauma-informed therapist can help individuals manage distressing feelings and cope with traumatic memories.
Therapists help people with PTSD and CPTSD by offering specialised treatment and counselling. The previously mentioned techniques, as well as psychoeducation and skill development, are utilised in the treatment of PTSD and CPTSD to improve mental health and well-being. The counsellors and psychologists at Brisbane Counselling Centre emphasise creating a safe and supportive environment where individuals can explore their traumatic experiences and learn new skills to manage the distress in their lives more effectively. The Brisbane based psychologists and counsellors are highly trained in trauma assessment, creating a personalised client-centred treatment plan to meet each person’s unique needs. This considered and sensitive approach ensures that, more often than not, people who seek therapy at our psychology Centre find they improve in a surprisingly short period of time.
The approaches used are:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) Our particular area of expertise. EMDR uses bilateral stimulation while you hold the traumatic memory in mind, which allows the brain to reprocess it, so it is stored as something that happened rather than something that is still happening. It is recommended for PTSD by the World Health Organization and by the Australian Phoenix Australia guidelines. One of its practical advantages is that you are not required to describe the event in detail or complete homework between sessions. Read more on our EMDR page.
Trauma-focused CBT Working directly with the beliefs the trauma installed – about danger, about blame, about your own worth – and testing them against evidence.
Prolonged exposure therapy (PE) Graded, supported approach to the memories and situations you have been avoiding, at a pace you set with your psychologist. Avoidance is what keeps trauma symptoms alive; exposure carefully reverses that.
Schema therapy and psychodynamic approaches More often used with complex trauma, where the patterns are long-standing and connected to early relationships.
Your psychologist will recommend an approach after assessing your situation rather than applying one model to everyone. You can read about what a typical session looks like.
What ispost-traumatic growth?
Many people who work through trauma do not simply return to how they were – they report positive changes afterwards.
Post-traumatic growth is a well-documented phenomenon. People describe closer relationships, a clearer sense of what matters to them, greater personal strength than they knew they had, and a changed view of what is possible in their lives. It is not a reason to be grateful for what happened, and nobody should be told to look for silver linings. But it is a genuine finding, and it is worth knowing that recovery can mean more than the absence of symptoms.
How do I booktrauma counselling in Brisbane?
If you are interested in speaking with a psychologist at Brisbane Counselling Centre, following are some steps you can take:
- Call (07) 3831 4452 or complete our enquiry form. Our reception team will talk through what you are looking for and match you with a practitioner trained in trauma. You do not need a referral to book, and you do not need to explain what happened over the phone.
- See your GP if you want a Medicare rebate. Ask for a Mental Health Treatment Plan. You can book with us before or after that appointment. You don’t have to have a plan for your GP if you would prefer to see the psychologist without the referral.
- Attend your first session. Bring your Medicare card and your plan if you have one. Your first session is like a conversation to figure out what you need help with and would like to achieve from coming to counselling – you will not be asked to go into detail about the trauma before you are ready.
Brisbane Counselling Centre is at Level 7, 87 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill, near the Brisbane CBD, about five minutes’ walk from Central Station. We are open Monday to Friday 7:30am to 5:30pm and Saturday 8:30am to 5:00pm. Online and telephone sessions are available.
Meet our psychologists and counsellors or see our fees and rebate information.
Frequently askedquestions
Do I need a referral to see a psychologist for trauma in Brisbane?
How much does trauma therapy cost in Brisbane?
Will I have to talk about what happened in detail?
What is the difference between PTSD and complex PTSD?
Can I get treatment for trauma if I do not have a PTSD diagnosis?
Does EMDR actually work for PTSD?
Do you treat childhood trauma?
How long is the wait for an appointment?
Can I see a psychologist on a Saturday or outside work hours?
Will what I say stay confidential?
Where are you located and is there parking?
We can help!
If you are carrying something that happened to you, or are simply wondering why you feel different after a traumatic event, it is crucial to seek assistance from a mental health professional to address the trauma you may have experienced, even if you think the event is small.
Please call to speak with one of our friendly team members. The Brisbane psychologists and counsellors are available to help at our Centre.
If you need immediate support, Lifeline is available 24 hours on 13 11 14. In an emergency, call 000.
