Relational Trauma Therapy

Relational trauma can have a lasting impact on how you feel about yourself and how you experience connection with others.

I support individuals who have experienced relational trauma, including experiences such as sexual abuse, betrayal, or victims of crime, to work through the impact of these experiences and improve how they feel and function in their current relationships.

Therapy is tailored to your needs and may incorporate evidence-based approaches such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Schema Therapy, and Internal Family Systems.

Sessions are available in Porepunkah, supporting clients across Wangaratta, Bright, Myrtleford, Beechworth and surrounding areas.

 What is Relational Trauma? 

 Relational trauma refers to experiences that occur within relationships and impact your sense of safety, trust, and self-worth.

This may include:

• sexual abuse or assault 
• betrayal or infidelity 
• family or relationship violence 

These experiences can shape how you:

• respond in relationships 
• manage emotions 
• view yourself and others 

 How Relational Trauma Can Show Up 

 You may notice patterns such as:

• feeling easily triggered or overwhelmed 
• shutting down or withdrawing in conflict 
• difficulty trusting others 
• fear of rejection or abandonment 
• strong self-criticism or shame 
• repeating relationship patterns despite insight 
• 
  

These responses are often not just about the present, they are shaped by past experiences that have not been fully processed.

 How Therapy Helps 

 Relational trauma therapy focuses on helping you:

• reduce emotional reactivity and overwhelm 
• Process past or current r
• understand patterns in relationships 
• develop a more balanced and compassionate view of yourself 
• feel more secure, grounded, and connected 

The goal is insight and working towards meaningful change in how you experience yourself and your relationships.

Safety and Setting

Every EMDR process begins with a focus on emotional safety and nervous-system regulation.  Many clients describe feeling lighter, more grounded, and more present in daily life and relationships after EMDR.

Sessions can take place in a quiet indoor setting or, for those who benefit from a nature-based environment, within the peaceful surrounds of Porepunkah — where optional equine-assisted EMDR provides an embodied, experiential path to healing and regulation.

There is a strong emphasis on emotional safety and nervous system regulation. Many clients report that EMDR helps them feel lighter, more present, and better able to move forward. There is an option for EMDR processing to take place in a nature-based setting, or indoors in a picturesque cottage.