Trauma & PTSD

If you're struggling with trauma or PTSD, you may already have tried “talk therapy” without lasting relief.

With over 20 years’ experience as a counsellor and psychotherapist, I work with people whose difficulties have often persisted despite previous attempts at therapy. Trauma is not simply something you can resolve through insight alone – it's held in the nervous system, which is why symptoms such as anxiety, intrusive memories, emotional numbness or hypervigilance can continue.

I provide trauma therapy in Manchester and online using approaches that work directly with how the brain processes and stores traumatic experience.

Trauma isn’t just what happened to you; it’s what happened inside you when something felt too much, too fast or too frightening to handle at the time. It can come from one big event (an accident, assault, sudden loss) or from lots of smaller hits over time (neglect, bullying, growing up around anger, addiction or unpredictability).

How trauma affects you

Trauma can develop after a single event or prolonged stress. Common experiences include:

• Feeling constantly on edge or unsafe
• Recurrent memories, dreams, or flashbacks
• Emotional shutdown or detachment
• Difficulty in relationships
• Persistent anxiety or low mood

These responses reflect how your brain adapts to protect you. They're understandable, but they can become limiting over time.

An experienced, targeted approach to trauma therapy

With over two decades of clinical experience across NHS, voluntary sector and private practice settings, I use a combination of treatment modalities tailored to how trauma is held in the brain and body.

These include:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
• Neurofeedback
• Tomatis listening programmes (where appropriate)
• Person Centred focus

This integrative approach is informed by an understanding of neuroplasticity – your brain’s ability to heal itself by forming new pathways and reducing the impact of past experiences.

EMDR therapy for trauma and PTSD

EMDR is a well-established, evidence-based approach for trauma that helps the brain reprocess distressing memories so they no longer carry the same emotional intensity.

Clients often report:

• reduced emotional reactivity
• fewer intrusive memories
• improved sense of calm and stability

It allows trauma to be processed without the need for prolonged or repeated retelling of events.

Can trauma therapy work quickly?

While every situation is different, trauma-focused approaches often lead to meaningful change more quickly than expected.

In my practice, many clients experience noticeable relief within a relatively small number of sessions, particularly where therapy is focused and tailored to the underlying mechanisms of trauma rather than solely its symptoms.

Who I work with

I work with adults experiencing:

• PTSD and complex trauma
• childhood trauma
• anxiety linked to past events
• relationship difficulties rooted in earlier experiences

Many of my clients are professionals who are functioning outwardly but inwardly struggling, often having reached a point where previous approaches have not brought lasting relief.

What to expect

Your first session provides an opportunity to:

• understand what you're experiencing
• identify how trauma may be affecting you
• discuss the most appropriate way forward

There's no obligation to commit to long-term therapy. The focus is on identifying an approach that's likely to be effective for you.

Trauma therapy in Manchester and online

My practice is based in central Manchester, within easy reach of the road, rail and tram networks, and online via Zoom or WhatsApp.

I'm an accredited member of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy, with over 20 years of experience supporting clients with a wide range of psychological difficulties.