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Healing from Trauma
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At Collective Hope Therapy, healing from trauma isn’t just something we’re trained in, it’s something we deeply care about.
We spend our spare time learning, reading, and listening to new ideas about trauma and recovery because we believe people can heal and grow, no matter what they’ve lived through.
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We regularly complete additional training in evidence-based approaches to trauma so we can offer the most effective support possible. Our work is grounded in hope and the belief that people can change, that you don’t have to carry the heavy weight of trauma throughout your life.
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Whether it’s the “big T” trauma of sexual assault, abuse, or violence, or the more complex and ongoing pain of emotionally absent or immature parents, neglect, or abusive adult relationships, healing is possible.
What healing can look like
We know that the path to healing can feel hard. It can bring up anxiety, discomfort, sadness, confusion, and emotions that might feel unfamiliar or even overwhelming. Change can feel frightening and unpredictable, and you might worry that it’s too late or that you won’t be able to manage what comes up. That’s completely normal, and you don’t have to go through it on your own.
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We bring skill and compassion to help you navigate this space. Therapy with us is collaborative and paced in a way that feels manageable and safe for you. Our role is to walk with you, help you understand what’s happening, and support you to find new ways of relating to yourself and others as you heal.
A holistic and integrated approach
We believe trauma lives in both the mind and the body. It can show up as tension, restlessness, shutdown, or emotional overwhelm, often without a clear reason. Because of this, we take an integrated approach that supports both psychological and physical healing.
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For some people, talking about their experiences feels important. For others, it’s too painful or not the right fit. You don’t have to talk through the details of what happened for therapy to work. Sometimes healing can happen without needing to revisit every memory.
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If you’d prefer not to talk through the specifics, we can use approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), a proven therapy that helps the brain and body process traumatic memories safely and effectively.
What therapy feels like with us
Therapy here feels human and grounded. There’s no hierarchy or judgment, and no pressure to “open up” before you’re ready. You’ll be met with warmth, understanding, and genuine care.
We work from a social work lens that looks at the whole person, understanding that mental health is shaped by both internal experiences and external factors like relationships, work and community. Healing can’t happen in isolation from the systems and environments we live in, so we support you in stabilising the practical parts of life as part of your recovery.
Over time, therapy helps people feel more connected, confident, and at peace within themselves and their relationships. You may find yourself setting healthier boundaries, feeling less weighed down by the past, and more able to live in the present with more self-trust and compassion.
Healing doesn’t happen overnight, but it is possible. And at Collective Hope Therapy, you’ll be supported every step of the way by therapists who believe in your capacity to grow, change, and heal.
On my first visit I knew that this felt right.
Prue's client shares her story...
In my mid-40s, I resigned myself to thinking that the abuse and complex issues I had in my life were now a part of me, and things wouldn’t change. Many years of mental abuse from a parent was the beginning of a lifetime of hurt and pain. The constant threats and fear that were instilled in me from day one formed my negative thought patterns, feelings of worthlessness and formed an invisible target on my back for other abusers to see the broken person I had become.
For the longest time I believed there was something wrong with me, why was I so unlovable? Even though one of my parents was my abuser, my other parent is the complete opposite, the love, nurture and protectiveness; however, it didn’t stop the negativity seeping through and from a very early age, the cracks began to show. The people-pleasing, perfectionism, and anxiety began to define my personality. My story has versions of abuse, which then came from partners, but now not only mental abuse, the physical and sexual abuse were a big part of my day and my story.
Feeling trapped and alone, I felt there was no way out. Suicidal thoughts were a constant and the noise became louder with each hurt I endured. My health deteriorated, and there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I had seen a few other therapists over the years, but it just didn’t feel right for me, so I stopped going. I felt like there was a script that was recited and that I wasn’t truly seen.
After many years of just getting through the day, I decided to give therapy one more try, so I booked in with Prue. On my first visi,t I knew that this felt right. Prue is one of the nicest people I have met. One day I was referred to Prue and if I’m being completely honest when I first booked the appointment I only did so out of having no fight in me to say otherwise to my referring GP. At this point of my life I was on autopilot each day rolling into the next, everything felt like an effort, getting out of bed felt like I was forced to climb Everest. The anxiety would only ever take a step back when depression took the driver’s seat. Mentally preparing for the session was a battle between those anxious thoughts of what she will think of me, to the depressed, what’s the use even trying, I'm too broken to fix. Once the appointment neared, I almost cancelled, but hearing about the positive results of EMDR had me push through even though I truly felt as if I was too broken to help.
From the first session with Prue, I knew I was in a safe place. Whilst always being professional, there is also the relaxed nature of her approach that made me feel so supported without judgement. My walls had been firmly built, and instead of coming at me with a wrecking ball, trying to smash it down, she has simply taken one brick at a time so that I don’t feel overwhelmed. Her emotion-focused approach, along with EMDR, has been life-changing for me in such a short amount of time.
Prue’s caring nature and extended knowledge of psychology is something words really can’t describe in a short summary but to anyone who feels lost, broken or in pain I once had my finger on the dial to cancel that appointment and I am so grateful every day I pushed through and made the leap to begin therapy with her.