FAQ: What is the typical client journey for Trauma Counselling at Life To The Full?
At Life to the Full, when someone contacts us with a history of trauma, we guide them through a structured and supportive journey aimed at their healing and restoration. We understand trauma counselling to be a highly specialised service, predominantly delivered through our clinical psychology framework. While we do offer spiritual counselling, our typical approach for trauma cases is to commence within our psychological services, leveraging the specific training of our clinical psychologists. All our services, including trauma counselling, are available to be delivered within a Christian worldview, for clients who are seeking that integration.
Here's how a typical client journey for trauma counselling unfolds with us:
Initial Engagement and Triage:
When you first reach out, you might describe your experiences using terms such as "past hurts," "issues in my childhood," or discussions of an "abusive relationship". Our team is adept at recognising these as potential indicators of trauma. Whilst we do allow clients to self-select a counsellor based on their initial understanding, if the primary issue appears to be psychological in nature, we would typically guide you towards one of our clinical psychologists. Our Clinical Director, David Scoffield, possesses particular specialised training in trauma-focused modalities, such as EMDR, and we often suggest engaging with him. This internal triage process ensures you are connected with the most appropriate service, with your permission and a confidentiality waiver if a referral to another professional on our team is beneficial.
Understanding Your Experience:
The initial sessions, generally the first two to three, are primarily dedicated to you sharing your experiences with your therapist. This is a crucial "downloading" phase where you can articulate what has led you to seek assistance, allowing your therapist to gain a comprehensive understanding of your situation and your felt needs.
Tailored Therapeutic Approaches:
Once your therapist has a clear understanding, they will introduce specific therapeutic strategies. For trauma, our primary therapeutic model is Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR). We consider EMDR a somatic therapy, which focuses on bodily experiences, and it involves mentally revisiting traumatic situations combined with specific eye movements. We find this to be an efficient and increasingly popular form of treatment for trauma. If EMDR is perceived as too confronting, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) offers a more traditional pathway to trauma recovery, assisting you in challenging anxious thoughts and gradually confronting fears. We also utilise Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which promotes self-kindness and acceptance of thoughts to foster "psychological flexibility" – a key goal for us in your healing journey.
Average Session Duration:
On average, a client engaging in trauma counselling might undergo approximately 10 sessions. Given the Australian context, these sessions are frequently staggered over a year, aligning with the provisions of the mental health care plan, which allows for a certain number of subsidised sessions annually. Our first session is generally longer, around 80 minutes, to allow for comprehensive context setting, while subsequent sessions are typically 50 minutes.
Preparing for the Healing Process:
We believe it is vital to prepare clients for the challenging nature of trauma counselling. We openly discuss that you may experience a temporary worsening before progress, particularly with modalities like EMDR. We assure you that this engagement with the pain, rather than avoiding it, is a normal and often necessary part of the healing process, leading to long-term restoration.
Integration of a Christian Framework and Instilling Hope:
The integration of our Christian framework is particularly pertinent in trauma counselling, providing a deeper sense of meaning, purpose, and hope in the healing process. Our clinicians are trained to help clients explore their challenges through the lens of faith.
◦ When clients have experienced trauma, especially that inflicted by others, theological questions such as forgiveness often arise. We delve deeply into these concepts within a Christian framework, clarifying that forgiveness does not imply condoning harmful actions or returning to abusive relationships. Instead, it involves acknowledging the transgression and trusting in divine justice, with the conviction that God will ultimately call all actions into account.
◦ We also emphasise the concept of redemptive stories, guiding clients to lament and grieve their experiences. We hold a firm belief that God can use difficult experiences for deeper formation and connection with Him, acknowledging the pain whilst finding hope in God's ability to heal and write a deeper narrative. Our conviction is that our deepest formation often occurs when life is hard, rather than when it is easy.
◦ A core biblical principle we apply is identity, particularly for clients who may feel unworthy or "less than" due to their traumatic experiences. The Gospel provides a powerful counter-narrative, asserting that individuals are beloved children of God and that their inherent worth is not diminished by human experiences. We aim to help clients recognise that their wounds do not prohibit them from coming to God, who is the great healer.
◦ For clients who may not be actively practising Christians, we employ "thought experiments" to explore the implications of biblical principles. This approach allows them to scrutinise these truths and examine their existential satisfaction without requiring immediate agreement or belief, as we believe that if biblical truths are indeed true, they will stand up to such examination.
◦ Prayer is a welcome and permitted part of our sessions for all clients who desire it, regardless of whether they are seeing a psychologist, relationship counsellor, or spiritual counsellor. Our use of scripture involves tapping into paradigms that address clients' perceptions of themselves and God, such as their identity in Him and God's character as a loving Heavenly Father.
It's crucial for us not to apply Bible verses prescriptively or out of context. Instead, we seek to understand what clients functionally believe about God and the world, guiding them towards a worldview that impacts their healing and relationships, and helps them see their suffering as part of a redemptive story, ultimately fostering hope.
Confidentiality:
We uphold utmost confidentiality, which is paramount in sensitive trauma experiences. We utilise a secure, industry-specific information system with private, non-public links to ensure your privacy and security. It's important to note, however, that there are legal exceptions for mandatory reporting in cases of criminal disclosure or immediate danger to someone.
If a referral to another professional within our team is beneficial, we only proceed with your explicit permission and a confidentiality waiver. We also offer our services online via telehealth nationwide across Australia, allowing for greater access, particularly for those in regional areas or who may struggle with in-person attendance due to social anxieties or depression.
Ready to take this important step?
Contact Life to the Full today to learn more and schedule your sessions.