What is trauma?
This page is about trauma. What it is, how it affects you, and how psychological support at Integro Health can help you work through it in a safe, non-judgemental environment in South West WA.
Trauma is the lasting imprint left by an experience that overwhelmed your ability to cope at the time. It might come from a single event, such as an accident, assault, or sudden loss, or from something ongoing, such as abuse, neglect, or living with fear over a long period. Trauma is not stored like an ordinary memory. It can leave the nervous system stuck on high alert, so that reminders of the past trigger reactions in the present that feel out of proportion but make complete sense given what you have lived through. Trauma is a normal response to an abnormal experience.
How trauma stays with us
When something overwhelming happens, the brain prioritises survival over making sense of the experience. Parts of it can stay unprocessed, held in the body and nervous system rather than filed away as a memory that feels finished. That is why trauma can show up as flashbacks, nightmares, being easily startled, feeling numb or disconnected, or bracing for danger long after the threat has passed. Many people who come to us for help with trauma are also living with anxiety, depression, or PTSD at the same time.
What we often see in practice is that the symptoms are protective. Hypervigilance, avoidance, and numbness were once the very things that kept you safe. Understanding them as survival strategies, rather than faults to be ashamed of, is usually where healing begins.
At Integro Health, we treat the whole person, not just the event. We work in a trauma-informed way, which means we go at your pace, prioritise your sense of safety, and never push you to revisit more than you are ready for.
How we work with you on trauma
There is no single correct path through trauma, and there is no timeline you are failing to meet. What we do is work alongside you, gently and at a pace you control, 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 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 stability first
Before any deeper work, we help you feel more grounded and in control day to day. That means building tools to steady your nervous system and manage overwhelming moments, so that exploring the past never leaves you flooded. Safety comes first, always.
Working with the underlying layers
When you are ready, we work with the underlying experiences using approaches like EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and schema therapy, tailored to your situation. The aim is not to erase what happened, but to help your mind and body finally file it as something that is over, so it loses its grip on the present.
Building new ways of responding
Over time, and only when you feel ready, we help you respond differently to the reminders and reactions that trauma has left behind, so they hold less power over your daily life and your relationships.
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
Whatever happened to you, and however you have coped since, 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 trauma rarely lives in just one part of a person’s life.
Evidence-based approaches
We draw on EMDR, trauma-focused CBT, and schema therapy depending on what fits you. Not a one-size protocol, but a genuinely tailored, 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 trauma
One of the most persistent myths about trauma is that it only counts if you went through something dramatic, like a war or a serious accident. In reality, trauma is defined by its impact on you, not by how it might look to anyone else. Ongoing experiences like childhood neglect, emotional abuse, or living with fear can leave every bit as deep a mark as a single catastrophic event.
Another common misconception is that time heals all wounds, and that if you are still affected you must be doing something wrong. Time alone does not process trauma. Painful experiences that were never given space to be understood can stay live for years, which is not a personal failing, it is simply how trauma works.
We also see many people in South West WA who have carried trauma quietly for years, telling themselves they should be over it, before reaching out. By that point, shame has often grown on top of the original wound. One of the first things we do is help separate that shame from what actually happened, because what happened to you was never your fault.
Finally, many people avoid seeking help because they fear therapy means reliving the worst moments in detail. Good trauma work is the opposite of that. Individual therapy and counselling, delivered privately one-on-one at our Eaton clinic near Bunbury or by telehealth to locations like Margaret River, is paced and gentle, and you stay in control of what you share and when.
Is what I went through actually trauma?
It is common to wonder whether what you experienced really counts as trauma, or whether you are making too much of it. The honest answer is that the label matters less than the impact.
If something you have lived through still intrudes on your thoughts, disturbs your sleep, keeps you on edge, leads you to avoid certain reminders, or leaves you feeling numb or disconnected, even some of the time, then it is worth exploring with a psychotherapist or counsellor. You do not need a particular kind of event, and you do not need to compare your experience to anyone else’s, to deserve support.
How trauma shows up
That said, there are some meaningful patterns worth understanding:
Reliving is when the past intrudes on the present through flashbacks, intrusive memories, or nightmares that can feel as though the event is happening again.
Avoidance is the mind’s attempt to stay safe by steering away from people, places, or feelings that are reminders, which can gradually shrink your world.
Being on guard is a nervous system stuck in survival mode, showing up as feeling tense, easily startled, irritable, or unable to relax. When these responses become entrenched, they may be described as PTSD or, after prolonged experiences, complex PTSD.
At Integro Health, we are not primarily focused on which label fits you. What we care about is whether the past is 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.
Yes. You never have to describe what happened before you feel ready, and some effective trauma approaches need very little retelling of the event at all. The early work is about helping you feel safe and steady. You stay in control of what you share and when, throughout.
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.
This varies considerably and depends on the nature of the trauma, whether it was a single event or ongoing, and what else is going on in your life. Some people find focused work on a single event helps within a number of sessions. Recovery from prolonged or early-life trauma usually takes longer and is done in careful stages. We move at your pace and review progress with you regularly.
No. It is never too late. Trauma does not have an expiry date, and the mind can process and settle experiences from long ago just as it can more recent ones. Many people we work with are addressing things that happened decades earlier, and find real relief in doing so.
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 draw on a range of evidence-based, trauma-informed methods depending on what fits you best. EMDR is one of the most effective approaches for helping the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their charge. Trauma-focused CBT helps you make sense of the beliefs a traumatic experience can leave behind. Schema therapy is valuable when trauma is early or ongoing and has shaped deep patterns. We always prioritise safety and pacing, and we tailor the approach to you.
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.
