Psychology Services for PTSD & Complex trauma

Dr Sarah Pearse has extensive experience working with people affected by trauma. 

Sarah has an in-depth understanding of the effects that experiencing trauma can have and how difficult it can be to attend counselling. Sarah provides a supportive counselling environment with a psychological approach based on the strategies that research has shown to work best with people who have experienced trauma.  

People can develop a trauma response such as PTSD when they experience, directly witness or hear about a highly distressing, traumatic event. This can include being in a natural disaster or a motor vehicle accident, experiencing assault, abuse or family violence, having a near death experience, or witnessing the death or serious injury of another person, particularly a loved one. Complex PTSD is a response people can have to experiencing multiple and/or cumulative traumas, over an extended period of time.  

Sometimes people experience symptoms of trauma and anxiety during or immediately after the event, whereas other people might not experience symptoms for several months or even years later. PTSD symptoms can include nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive memories and images of the trauma. Experiencing trauma can also affect people’s relationships, ability to work, socialise and exercise and can lead to other mental health concerns such as anxiety, depression, anger, substance abuse, self-harming behaviour and insomnia. 

Since 2001, Sarah has worked with young people and adults who have experienced trauma, and/or have PTSD or complex PTSD. Many clients are disclosing their experience of trauma for the very first time or are returning to counselling again to try and get further help. Sarah understands how difficult it is to talk about trauma, and respects clients’ needs to take their time and to make their own choices about what they share with her.