Trauma Therapy
Trauma Therapy in Hampshire
Most of us have a chapter in our lives that is difficult to revisit. Painful experiences and traumatic events imprint on the mind and body, but with the right support, healing and change is possible. Emotional neglect, childhood abuse, negative childhood experiences, sudden loss, toxic relationships or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can feel overwhelming and destabilizing. If left unresolved, these experiences can keep you feeling on edge, unsafe, or emotionally numb, making it difficult to move forward.
Unprocessed trauma can have a lasting impact, making it difficult to navigate life’s challenges when your mind and body remain in survival mode. If you feel trapped by emotional conflicts and struggle to move forward, seeking support can be a transformative step. Trauma therapy provides a safe space to process painful experiences, heal emotional wounds, and foster lasting positive change.
At my Hampshire clinic, I offer therapy for complex trauma and childhood trauma. I help you explore and process your emotional wounds, guiding you with ways to break free from distress and restore your inner calm and sense of safety. My evidence-based approaches, including Schema Therapy, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR), Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT), and Polyvagal-Informed strategies, have helped many heal from trauma and become more emotionally resilient.
Call me on +44 7584 354041 or email me at info@drmcphee.co.uk to schedule a session.
Understanding Trauma
Trauma is not limited to what you just experienced; it’s also about how your brain and body react in response to a trigger. Our bodies are naturally programmed to detect and launch a quick response to threats. Upon sensing a threat, it automatically launches fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
However, over time, unresolved trauma locks your body in survival mode. This may leave you feeling constantly anxious and hypervigilant, emotionally numb, overwhelmed with shame and guilt, stuck in negative thoughts, and physically fatigued.
Childhood and complex trauma are the two most common manifestations of trauma.
The Differences Between Childhood & Complex Trauma
Experiencing traumatic events in early childhood can have far-reaching effects well into adulthood, long after the events have passed. The adverse effects are not limited to the nature of the event itself but to the lasting impact it can have on the child’s brain, emotions and self-esteem.
Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) can range from neglect and household dysfunction to physical, emotional, or sexual abuse, attachment issues, or exposure to violence. When a child’s fundamental needs for love, protection, care,and nurturing go unmet, deep emotional wounds can form, affecting relationships, self-worth, and overall wellbeing in later life.
Complex trauma arises from repeated or prolonged exposure to distressing experiences, often within relationships meant to provide safety and support. This can include long-term emotional neglect, dysfunctional family dynamics, chronic abuse, or ongoing instability. Unlike a single event trauma, complex trauma results from cumulative distress over time, shaping deep-seated emotional patterns. This type of trauma can lead to symptoms like flashbacks, dissociation, emotional dysregulation, persistent feelings of shame or low self-esteem with a lasting impact on the nervous system.
The good news is that therapy for complex trauma and childhood trauma can help resolve and treat a lot of the symptoms that wreak havoc in your life. With my therapy for trauma, you will feel more empowered to rewire your nervous system and move from survival mode to feeling connected and safe.
Challenges Addressed in Trauma Therapy
My trauma therapy sessions are designed to help you process and heal in a way that feels safe, structured, and empowering. We often focus on:
Trauma is not just an event—it shapes how you think, feel, and relate to yourself and others. We’ll explore how past experiences have influenced your emotional responses, behaviors, and sense of identity.
Trauma can leave you feeling emotionally flooded or disconnected. Together, we’ll work on grounding techniques, emotional regulation strategies, and self-soothing practices to help you feel more in control.
Many people who have experienced trauma carry a sense of shame or self-blame. Therapy helps to challenge these beliefs, fostering a more compassionate and understanding relationship with yourself.
Trauma can make the world feel unsafe, and relationships may feel difficult to navigate. We’ll work on rebuilding a sense of internal and external safety, helping you to develop trust in yourself and others.
Unprocessed trauma can lead to recurring patterns in relationships, work, and emotional responses. We’ll identify these patterns and work on shifting them in a way that supports your healing.
Trauma can cause you to feel disconnected from who you are. Therapy will help you move beyond survival mode, rediscover your sense of self, and build a life that feels more fulfilling and aligned with your needs.
How Therapy Helps With Trauma
Trauma therapy focuses on making your nervous system and your body feel safe again. In my trauma therapy sessions, we’ll explore your experiences and events at a pace that feels manageable, while also developing practical strategies to become more emotionally stable and regain a renewed sense of self.
Here’s how therapy can help with trauma:
- Therapy for childhood trauma helps address the deep emotional wounds and self-perception issues linked to your traumatic experiences.
- Therapy for complex trauma can help regulate emotional and nervous system responses for lasting relief.
- Therapy moves and adapts to your pace and specific needs.
- Recovery through trauma therapy isn’t about “getting over it”, but more about gently rewiring the nervous system, healing emotional wounds, and regaining control over your life.
If you’re dealing with trauma wounds, I can help. Get in touch with me to schedule your session.
My Integrated Trauma Therapy Approach
When it comes to schema therapy for childhood trauma, I target specific schemas to heal deep-rooted patterns of shame, critical thinking, and avoidance behaviour.
Using schema therapy, I may address the rooted beliefs linked to shame, self-doubt, or feeling inadequate.
My CBT sessions focus on helping you identify and reframe unhelpful thought patterns that keep you stuck in trauma. By working on the connection between your thoughts, emotions and behaviours, we will develop healthier coping strategies, reduce distress and restore a sense of safety and control in your life.
My EMDR sessions help you process and reframe distressing memories that keep you stuck in trauma. I integrate EMDR eye movements for stabilization, helping you reduce emotional distress and build resilience, allowing you to move forward with greater ease and confidence.
With a polyvagal approach, I can help you regulate the nervous system to help you feel safe and calm.
My Trauma Therapy Process
Why Choose Dr McPhee for Trauma Therapy?
As a chartered clinical psychologist with more than 15 years of experience and expertise in therapeutic psychology, my goal is to offer you a research-backed and compassionate approach towards recovering from trauma.
Through my trauma therapy sessions, you’ll develop tools to manage triggers, process painful experiences, and build a life that feels safer and more connected.
Trauma Therapy in Hampshire or Online
If you’re ready to move away from survival mode, my trauma therapy sessions can help. Working together and at your pace, we will identify and move past triggers, encouraging a feeling of safety and allowing you to break free from the clutches of past events.
From survival mode to a life of connection, safety and confidence, choose from in-person sessions at my Hampshire clinic or online sessions at your convenience.
Contact me at info@drmcphee.co.uk or call me today to schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation and take the first step toward healing from trauma.
If you often feel anxious, emotionally numb, overwhelmed, or struggle with distressing memories that impact your daily life, trauma therapy may help. Signs that therapy could be beneficial include difficulty trusting others, mood swings, hypervigilance, or feeling stuck in survival mode.
You don’t need to recall every detail of past trauma for therapy to be effective. Trauma is stored in the body and nervous system, often showing up as emotional and physical responses rather than clear memories. Therapy focuses on helping you feel safe, regulate emotions, and work through symptoms at a manageable pace.
Yes, it’s never too late to heal from trauma. Many people carry its effects for decades before seeking support. Therapy can help you rebuild emotional resilience, shift survival-based responses, and create a sense of stability and confidence—no matter how long ago the trauma occurred.
Please schedule a complimentary 15-minute consultation to explore how we might work together.