SERVICE

TRAUMA

Trauma can affect your thoughts, emotions, body, relationships, and sense of safety in the world. Trauma isn’t caused by an event alone but also by how the nervous system processes it, and even subtle triggers can keep the body feeling “stuck” in survival mode.

WHAT HELPS REDUCE TRAUMA?

The good news is that trauma symptoms are highly treatable, and many people recover with the right support.

Evidence-based therapies include:

  • Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT): Helps reframe unhelpful thoughts and safely process memories.

  • Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): Uses bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories.

  • Prolonged Exposure Therapy: Gently and gradually helps reduce fear by facing traumatic memories and avoided situations in a safe, supportive way.

WHAT CAUSES TRAUMA?

Trauma doesn’t come from the event alone, but also from how the nervous system perceives and processes the experience.

Factors that can contribute include:

  • The severity and duration of the event

  • Early childhood adversity

  • Prior mental health difficulties

  • Lack of social support afterwards

  • Repeated or chronic trauma (e.g., ongoing abuse)

Trauma can also occur indirectly — for example, through witnessing harm to others, learning about a loved one’s trauma, or through vicarious trauma in caregiving roles.

What is TRAUMA?

Trauma is the emotional and psychological response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope. This can include events like accidents, natural disasters, assault, abuse, combat, sudden loss, or repeated adverse experiences over time.

Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event develops long-lasting difficulties — some people naturally recover, while others may develop symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or other trauma-related conditions. Trauma can affect your thoughts, emotions, body, relationships, and sense of safety in the world.

WHAT’S THE NEXT STEP?

Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. They can write you a Mental Health Care Plan to see a psychologist for trauma-focused therapy.

  • Connect with a psychologist and start trauma-focused therapy.

  • Practise body calming strategies, such as controlled breathing, mindfulness, and grounding techniques.

  • Move your body, rest well, and avoid drugs and alcohol.

  • Stay connected to trusted friends, family, or support groups.

  • Be patient — healing takes time. Even small actions, like attending your first session or taking a walk, are meaningful steps forward.

Did You Know?

You don’t have to talk about all the details to heal — some therapies focus on how the trauma lives in your body and mind today, not on re-telling the story.

  • Triggers can be subtle — a smell, a tone of voice, a season — and can set off a strong reaction even if you can’t pinpoint why.

  • Trauma can show up in ways you don’t expect — like feeling irritable, chronically tired, overly “busy,” or emotionally numb — as your nervous system tries to protect you from feeling unsafe.

  • Sometimes “numbness” is protection. Emotional or physical numbness is your body’s way of shielding you until you’re ready to feel and process.

  • Certain body-based therapies (like gentle stretching, breathwork, or other mindful movement) can help when words aren’t enough. The body often needs to release what it’s holding onto.

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What’s the Next Step?

• Talk to your doctor about how you are feeling. They can write you a Mental Health Care Plan to see a psychologist for trauma-focused therapy.

  • Connect with a psychologist and start trauma-focused therapy.

  • Support your body — move it, rest well, and avoid drugs and alcohol.

  • Stay connected to trusted friends, family, and/or support groups.

  • Be patient — healing takes time. Even small actions, like attending your first session or taking a walk, are meaningful steps forward.

our team

you’re in good hands

Our team of psychologists are highly trained and qualified to support you on your well-being journey. Each psychologist holds at least a master’s degree and is committed to ongoing professional development, ensuring the highest standard of care. Beyond their professional skills, they are genuinely wonderful individuals who love what they do, creating a warm and welcoming environment for all.

Laura Scherman, Principal Clinical Psychologist, Full Life Psychology, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Psychology Services

Laura Scherman

Principal Clinical Psychologist

  • BPsychSc (Hons), MPsych(Clin), MAPS

    Founder and Director of Full Life Psychology, Laura leads a unified, skilled team of compassionate therapists dedicated to helping people live a meaningful and FULL LIFE.

    In her own clinical work, Laura values building strong therapeutic relationships with her clients and creates a warm, nurturing, and respectful space where people feel safe to freely talk through the challenges they are facing and to learn ways to better navigate them. Laura wants her clients to feel seen and heard and to know that they matter. Evidence-based therapies Laura uses include Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), Schema Therapy, and more recently, Eye Movement Desentisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy. Laura works with clients aged 16 and up and has supported people from diverse backgrounds, such as working professionals, students, pastors and leaders, retirees, police officers, new parents, and more, always respecting their personal values and goals.

    Areas of interest include:

    • Anxiety

    • Self-worth

    • Burnout

    • Adjustment issues

    • Resolving historical behaviour patterns

    • Women’s mental health

    • Health in leadership

    • Faith and psychology

    Laura has experience presenting to groups of people in various educational and church settings.  She lives on the Sunshine Coast with her husband and two children, and in her free time enjoys conversations with loved ones, creativity, traveling, and new experiences.

Carmen Fourie, Provisional Psychologist, Full Life Psychology, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Psychology Services

Carmen Fourie

Provisional Psychologist

  • ba-psych(hons), MPROFPSYCH

    Carmen is a warm and caring Provisional Psychologist committed to supporting individuals of all ages in navigating mental health challenges. She is particularly passionate about working with young people, helping them find their way forward and teaching them practical skills to overcome difficulties. Her creative approach includes explaining complex concepts visually and interactively. She also finds great joy in facilitating group programs.

    Over the past two years, Carmen has developed the MiiND Platform, a free interactive mental health resource for young people, and has been leading the Hot Chocolate Circle group therapy program for teenage girls. Through these initiatives, she has gained valuable insights and a deep understanding of the best evidence-based practices for guiding individuals on their mental health journey.

    Her areas of interest include:

    • Anxiety disorders (e.g. Social Anxiety, Generalised Anxiety)

    • Stress

    • Depression

    • Building psychological resilience

    • Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

    • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

    • Managing interpersonal relationships (e.g. resolving friendship conflicts).

    • Faith and psychology

Diana Trim, Provisional Psychologist, Full Life Psychology, Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Australia, Psychology Services

Diana Trim

Provisional Psychologist

  • BSc, bed, gdippsych, bpsychsc(hons), mpp, assoc maps

    Diana brings a wealth of life and professional experience to her role as a Provisional Psychologist, having worked extensively in education, business and ministry. Her past leadership roles as a School Principal, business owner, team leader, manager, educator and pastor, have helped hone her unique set of skills, and enables her to connect well with a range of people of different ages and backgrounds.

    Diana loves to help people better understand how their mind works and to work with it, not against it, so that they can better navigate whatever obstacles they are facing and to cultivate their best life. Diana creates a safe and supportive environment for people to be able to open up and more comfortably discuss their experiences and challenges.

    Diana is integrative and collaborative in her approach, and uses evidence-based therapies, customised to the individual situation. She is able to provide services in English, Afrikaans and Dutch.

    Her areas of interest include:

    • Anxiety and panic

    • Depression

    • Life transitions

    • Immigration challenges

    • Grief and loss

    • Workplace stress

    • Working in education

    • Psychological assessment

    • Faith and psychology