How we help
Trauma & PTSD Treatment Gold Coast
Trauma is not defined by the event itself, but by the way an overwhelming experience continues to live in the mind and body afterwards. It might follow a single incident - a car accident, an assault, a medical emergency, a workplace or first-responder event - or it might be the cumulative result of years of abuse, neglect, family violence or childhood adversity, often described as complex trauma.
Our Clinical Psychologists at MindTree Psychology in Mermaid Beach provide trauma-informed treatment for adults and adolescents across the Gold Coast. We understand that talking about what happened can feel daunting, so we begin with stability and safety, and move at a pace you control. You will never be asked to relive anything before you and your psychologist agree that you are ready.
Signs and symptoms
Post-traumatic stress affects memory, mood, the body and relationships. Common experiences include:
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks or nightmares about the event
- Feeling as though danger is still present, with constant scanning of your surroundings
- Being easily startled, jumpy or unable to relax
- Avoiding places, people, conversations or reminders connected to what happened
- Emotional numbness, or feeling detached from yourself or those around you
- Difficulty trusting others, or a persistent sense of being unsafe in relationships
- Sleep disturbance, irritability and difficulty concentrating
- Guilt, shame or self-blame about the event or your response to it
- Longstanding difficulties with emotional regulation and identity in complex trauma
How therapy helps
Trauma memories are often stored differently to ordinary memories - fragmented, vivid, and disconnected from a sense of time passing. That is why reminders can feel like the event is happening now. Trauma treatment helps the brain process and file those memories properly, so they become part of your history rather than an ongoing threat.
Treatment is phased. We build coping and stability first, undertake processing work when you are ready, and then focus on reconnecting with the life you want. Your psychologist will draw on the approaches best suited to your situation.
Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT)
A structured, well-researched treatment that helps you process the memory safely while addressing the beliefs trauma leaves behind - about danger, blame, trust and your own worth.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
An evidence-based therapy that uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, while you briefly attend to the memory. EMDR reduces the intensity and vividness of traumatic recollections without requiring detailed retelling.
Schema therapy
Particularly useful for complex and developmental trauma, schema therapy addresses the deep patterns formed by early adversity - mistrust, abandonment, defectiveness - and works to meet the needs that went unmet.
Stabilisation and emotion-regulation skills
Grounding, containment and nervous-system regulation strategies that come first in treatment, giving you reliable tools to manage distress before and between processing sessions.
What to expect at MindTree
- A paced, trauma-informed first session. You share only as much as you choose, and we never push for detail before it is useful.
- A clear phased plan - stabilisation, processing, then reconnection - so you always know where you are in treatment.
- Choice and control at every step, including which processing approach we use and when we pause.
- Coordination with your GP, psychiatrist or other supports where appropriate, and with your consent.
- A private, calm consulting suite at Mermaid Plaza, with telehealth available where that feels safer or more practical.
Frequently asked questions
Do I have to describe what happened in detail?
Not necessarily. Some approaches, such as EMDR, require very little verbal recounting. Your psychologist will explain the options and you decide together how much detail is useful for the work.
What is the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
PTSD typically follows one or a small number of identifiable events. Complex trauma arises from repeated or prolonged adversity, often in childhood, and tends to also affect identity, emotional regulation and relationships. Treatment plans differ accordingly.
Can therapy help if the trauma happened many years ago?
Yes. Trauma memories do not expire, and people frequently seek help decades later - sometimes when a life change or new stressor brings things to the surface. Time since the event does not prevent effective treatment.
Speak with our team about trauma and ptsd
Our reception team can help you find the right psychologist and a time that suits you.