
PTSD Treatment
At True North Psychology, our psychologists offer assessments and evidence-based PTSD treatment to help someone who identifies with having experienced trauma to heal and improve their quality of life.
What is Trauma?
Trauma is a psychological response to an event or series of events that are deeply distressing or disturbing. including but not limited to, exposure to actual or threatened death, serious physical or emotional injury, or sexual violence in one (or more) of the following ways:
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Trauma can occur after being directly involved in a traumatic event, being a witness to or hearing about a traumatic event, or being repeatedly exposed to traumatic events or details of events.
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Complex trauma can occur when someone has experienced prolonged, repeated or multiple forms of traumatic exposure such as childhood abuse, emotional neglect or torture.
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Symptoms of post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or complex post traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) may include:
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re-experiencing the trauma
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avoiding trauma reminders
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hypervigilance
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interpersonal difficulties
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negative self-concept
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emotional dysregulation.
According to the Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, it is estimated that 75% of Australian adults will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime, with 11% later developing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

How PTSD Treatment Can Help
PTSD treatment in the form of psychological therapies is essential in the treatment of trauma, providing individuals with strategies to process and manage their experiences.
Experience of trauma can contribute to the development of many different forms of mental illness such as:
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depression and anxiety disorders
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sleep disturbances
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eating disorders, and
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self-harm and suicide-related behaviours.
Research has even shown that children who are victims of trauma have changes in their cellular biology as a response. This can contribute to certain physical illnesses in adulthood, particularly immune diseases.
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Several evidence-based treatments are particularly effective for trauma therapy:
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Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT helps individuals identify and change negative thought patterns and behaviours resulting from trauma. It is highly effective in addressing symptoms such as anxiety and depression.
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Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE): PE involves gradually exposing individuals to trauma-related thoughts and situations in a controlled manner, reducing their distress over time.
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Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a specialised therapy that uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., eye movements) to help individuals process and integrate traumatic memories. See our more detailed summary of EMDR here.
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Any PTSD treatment will start with stablisation and grounding strategies to make sure you have the required skills to regulate your emotions and remain psychologically safe during therapy.
Creating a Treatment Plan
At True North Pscyhology, we work with each person to identify their symptoms, and develop a treatment plan that addresses your specific needs and goals.
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Comprehensive assessment: identifying current symptoms, history taking, formulation of your specific case, identification of goals and collaborative treatment planning.
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Individualised treatment plan: education about trauma and its impact on mental health, grounding and building resources to manage stress, anxiety and mood as a result of trauma. Processing of traumatic memories using evidence based treatments, regular monitoring of progress. Making necessary adjustments to the treatment plan for your individual circumstances and progress towards your goals.
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Team involvement: engagement with your treating team e.g. GP, psychiatrist, case managers and others to ensure a safe and effective treatment process, with support from your team.
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A personalised PTSD treatment plan ensures that all aspects of trauma are addressed, leading to more effective management and improved quality of life.

Find the Best Psychologist for You
Finding the right type of trauma therapy and a good fit with your therapist is beneficial for effective treatment. At True North Psychology, our team provides a range of evidence based treatments for trauma.
Speak with our administration team and we can support you to find a match within our team, or look at the Our Team page for more detailed info on each of our clinicians.
Our Psychologists are here to help.
Visit the bio pages for more information on each of our psychologists who can provide you with PTSD treatment. You can also call our administration team who will be able to match you directly with a therapist who suits your presentation, preferences and availability.