What is complex PTSD?
This page is about complex post-traumatic stress disorder, often shortened to complex PTSD or C-PTSD. What it is, why it develops, and how psychological support at Integro Health can help you work through it in a safe, non-judgemental environment in South West WA.
Complex PTSD develops after trauma that was repeated and prolonged, and usually difficult or impossible to escape. That might include childhood abuse or neglect, family violence, coercive control, or other situations where harm continued over months or years. Alongside the reliving, avoidance, and being on edge that come with PTSD, complex PTSD tends to affect three further areas: managing your emotions, how you see yourself, and how you relate to other people. It is a recognised and treatable condition, and it is not a reflection of your worth or your strength.
How complex trauma shapes us
When trauma happens once, the mind has a single overwhelming event to process. When it happens repeatedly, especially in childhood or within relationships that were supposed to be safe, the nervous system adapts to survive an ongoing threat. Those adaptations, such as staying hypervigilant, shutting down emotionally, or believing you are the problem, made sense at the time. They only become difficulties later, when the danger has passed but the patterns remain. Many people living with complex PTSD also experience anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and difficulties in relationships.
What we often see in practice is a deep sense of shame, a belief that something is fundamentally wrong with you. This is one of the most painful effects of complex trauma, and it is also one of the most misleading. What happened to you shaped how you feel about yourself. It is not the truth of who you are.
At Integro Health, we work in a trauma-informed way. We go slowly, prioritise your sense of safety, and build trust before doing any deeper work, because for many people with complex trauma, trust itself is part of what was injured.
How we work with you on complex PTSD
There is no quick fix for complex trauma, and there is no timeline you are failing to meet. What we do is work alongside you, slowly and safely, using approaches grounded in psychological evidence and shaped by your individual story.
Understanding your experience
Your first sessions are about building a picture of you, not just the complex trauma, but your history, your relationships, your emotional world, and what you are hoping life might look and feel like. There is no rush here. We ask questions because we genuinely want to understand.
Building safety and trust first
Recovery from complex trauma begins with safety and a steady, trusting relationship, which can take time and is worth every moment. We help you feel more grounded and in control day to day before any deeper work, and we let trust build at whatever pace feels right for you.
Working with the underlying layers
When you are ready, we work with the layers underneath using approaches like EMDR, schema therapy, and trauma-focused work, tailored to you. The aim is to loosen the grip of the past and gently rework the beliefs about yourself and others that the trauma left behind.
Building new ways of responding
Over time, we help you build new ways of relating to your emotions, yourself, and the people around you, so that the survival patterns of the past make room for the life you actually want.
Ongoing support at the right pace
Change rarely happens in a straight line. Sessions are spaced to suit where you are, more frequent during difficult periods, stepped back as you gain ground. We are here for as long as the journey needs us to be, whether that is a few months or considerably longer.
Meet the Team
At Integro Health, you do not just book a clinic. You choose a practitioner who understands you. Our team of experienced psychotherapists brings clinical depth, genuine warmth, and a broad range of specialisations together under one roof. Take a moment to read about each of our practitioners and find the right fit for where you are right now.
Dr Paul King
General Practitioner
MBBS Bachelor of Medicine/ Bachelor of Surgery
FRACGP Fellow of the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners
Jools Fordyce
Social Worker & Family Therapist
Bachelor (Hons) – Applied Social Science with Diploma in Social Work
Postgraduate Diploma in Family and Relationship Therapy
Brooke Eden
Psychologist
Bachelor of Psychology
Graduate Diploma of Education
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Nicholas Kerr
Psychologist
Masters of Psychology (Organisational)
Bachelor of Arts
Member of the Australian Association of Psychologists Inc.
Carli King
Office Administrator
As Practice Manager, Carli keeps the daily operations of Integro Health running smoothly, ensuring our clients always receive the highest standard of care.
What you can expect when you reach out
No judgement, ever
However complex your history, and however you have had to cope to survive it, you will be met with warmth and genuine care. Not a lecture, and not a checklist.
A whole-person lens
We look at every part of you, your mental, emotional, physical, social, and spiritual wellbeing, because complex trauma rarely lives in just one part of a person’s life.
Evidence-based approaches
We draw on EMDR, schema therapy, and trauma-focused approaches, delivered slowly and safely. Not a one-size protocol, but a genuinely trauma-informed response to your situation.
In-clinic and online options
Whether you can get to our Eaton clinic in Bunbury or you need the privacy and convenience of telehealth, we can work with you wherever you are in South West WA and beyond.
What people get wrong about complex PTSD
One of the most persistent myths about complex PTSD is that it is simply a more severe version of ordinary PTSD. While they overlap, complex trauma also affects how you regulate emotion, how you see yourself, and how you connect with others, which is why it usually needs a broader and more relational kind of support.
Another common misconception is that trauma from childhood is too far in the past to matter, or that you should have moved on by now. The opposite is true. Experiences during our earliest, most formative years often leave the deepest patterns, and those patterns respond to skilled support no matter how long ago they formed.
We also see many people in South West WA who have spent years believing they are simply broken, difficult, or too much, before reaching out. These beliefs are themselves symptoms of complex trauma, not facts about you. One of the first things we do is begin, gently, to loosen them.
Finally, many people with complex trauma fear that opening up will only make things worse, because trust has so often been broken before. Good trauma work moves at your pace and never rushes that trust. Individual therapy and counselling, delivered privately one-on-one at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury or by telehealth to locations like Margaret River, gives you a steady, safe place to begin.
Is what I am experiencing actually complex PTSD?
It is common to wonder whether your experiences amount to complex PTSD, or whether you are exaggerating something you feel you should have handled. The honest answer is that the label matters less than the impact, and a proper assessment can help make sense of it.
If you have lived through prolonged or repeated difficult experiences, and you struggle with overwhelming emotions, a harsh sense of yourself, difficulty trusting or feeling close to others, or a feeling of being permanently on guard, even some of the time, then it is worth exploring with a psychotherapist. You do not need to be certain it is complex PTSD to deserve support.
How complex PTSD shows up
Alongside the core features of PTSD, complex trauma tends to show up in three further areas:
Emotional overwhelm, where feelings arrive with an intensity that is hard to manage, or where you swing between feeling too much and feeling numb.
A harsh sense of self, marked by deep shame, guilt, or a belief that you are worthless or fundamentally different from other people.
Difficulty in relationships, including trouble trusting others, feeling safe when close, or a pattern of relationships that feel unsafe or unstable.
At Integro Health, we are not here to reduce you to a diagnosis. What we care about is whether these experiences are getting in the way of you feeling well, thinking clearly, and living the way you want to. You can read more about what the first session looks like here.
Your questions answered
Yes, in many cases. A Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP provides access to a Medicare rebate for up to 10 individual sessions per calendar year with a registered psychologist. Your GP will assess your eligibility, and your sessions at Integro Health can be structured to make the most of those rebated appointments. It is worth speaking with your GP in Bunbury, Busselton, or wherever you are located to get a referral in place before your first session.
It can be. Complex trauma often needs an approach that prioritises safety, pacing, and the therapeutic relationship itself, rather than diving straight into techniques. If past therapy felt too fast, too surface-level, or simply not safe enough, that is worth telling us. We will work in a way that is genuinely paced to you.
Yes. Everything you share in sessions is confidential. There are narrow legal exceptions, for example if there is an immediate risk of serious harm to yourself or another person, but outside of those circumstances your privacy is protected. We will explain these boundaries clearly in your first session so there are no surprises.
Yes. We offer telehealth sessions across South West WA and Australia-wide, which means you can access support from anywhere, whether you are in a regional area like Manjimup or Collie, or simply prefer the privacy of attending from home. Telehealth sessions work in the same structured, safe way as in-clinic appointments.
Honestly, it usually takes longer than treatment for a single-event trauma, because there is more to gently work through and because safety and trust are built carefully first. Many people work with us over a longer period, in stages. That said, people often feel real relief early on, simply from understanding their experiences differently and feeling genuinely heard.
No. That belief is one of the most common and most painful effects of complex trauma, and it is not the truth about you. People who have lived through prolonged trauma can and do heal, build safer relationships, and feel differently about themselves. Feeling beyond help is a symptom to work with, not a verdict.
No referral is needed to book a session. If you wish to access Medicare rebates through a Mental Health Treatment Plan, you will need a GP referral first, but you are welcome to contact us directly and we can guide you through that process if needed.
We tailor the approach to you and work at a careful pace. Schema therapy is particularly valuable for complex trauma because it works with the deep patterns and beliefs formed early in life. EMDR can help reprocess specific traumatic memories once you feel ready. We also draw on trauma-focused and relational approaches to rebuild a sense of safety, self-worth, and connection. Safety and trust always come first.
Medically reviewed by
General Practitioner
The clinical information on this page has been reviewed for accuracy by Dr Paul King, General Practitioner at Integro Health. It is general information, and not a substitute for personal medical or psychological advice.
