CHILD PSYCHOLOGIST WOLLONGONG

Helping children heal from trauma and difficult life experiences.

Every child deserves to feel safe, connected, and confident. When children experience traumatic or overwhelming events, their brains and bodies can remain on high alert long after the danger has passed. This can show up as anxiety, emotional outbursts, withdrawal, nightmares, difficulties at school, behavioural changes, or struggles with relationships.

At Glimmers Clinical Psychology, I provide compassionate, evidence-based therapy for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma, loss, neglect, family violence, abuse, medical trauma, accidents, grief, or other overwhelming life experiences. My goal is not simply to reduce symptoms, but to help children process what has happened, rebuild their sense of safety, strengthen relationships, and return to being able to learn, play, and enjoy childhood.

Children don't always have the words to explain what has happened to them. Instead, they often communicate through behaviour, play, drawings, stories, or changes in their emotions. For this reason, therapy is adapted to your child's developmental stage rather than expecting them to participate in traditional "talk therapy."

Depending on your child's needs, therapy may include:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing)
• Play-based therapy
• Therapeutic Life Story Work
• Parent support and coaching
• Attachment-focused interventions
• Emotional regulation and coping skills
• Trauma-informed cognitive and behavioural strategies

Every treatment plan is individualised to your child's experiences, strengths, and family circumstances.

EMDR is an evidence-based therapy that helps children process traumatic memories so they become less distressing and no longer feel like they are happening in the present. Unlike traditional counselling, EMDR does not require children to repeatedly talk about traumatic experiences. Instead, therapy uses developmentally appropriate activities, including play, storytelling, drawing, movement, and bilateral stimulation, to help the brain process memories in a safe and supported way.

EMDR can be effective for children who have experienced:

• Abuse or neglect
• Family violence
• Foster care or out-of-home care experiences
• Medical procedures or hospitalisation
• Accidents or injuries
• Grief and bereavement
• Natural disasters
• Witnessing frightening events
• Bullying
• Anxiety following stressful life events

Treatment begins with careful preparation to ensure children have the emotional skills and supports needed before trauma processing begins.

Play is a child's natural language. Through carefully selected play-based interventions, children can safely explore emotions, make sense of difficult experiences, and develop healthier ways of coping.

Play-based approaches can help children:

• express feelings they cannot yet put into words
• increase emotional regulation
• strengthen confidence
• improve relationships
• develop problem-solving skills
• process difficult experiences in a developmentally appropriate way

Where appropriate, I work collaboratively with parents to help them understand how trauma affects children's behaviour and emotions, while providing practical strategies to support regulation, connection, and recovery at home. When beneficial, I also liaise with schools, paediatricians, GPs, psychiatrists, speech pathologists, occupational therapists, and support coordinators to ensure children receive coordinated care.

Is trauma therapy right for my child?

Your child may benefit from trauma-focused therapy if they are experiencing:

• ongoing anxiety or excessive worry
• emotional outbursts or aggression
• withdrawal or low mood
• nightmares or sleep difficulties
• avoidance of reminders of frightening events
• changes in behaviour following stressful experiences
• difficulties trusting others
• separation anxiety
• problems with attention or concentration after trauma
• challenges adjusting following family changes

Contact Us

If you're unsure whether trauma therapy is the right fit, I'd be happy to discuss your concerns and help determine the most appropriate support for your child. Early support can make a real difference.

Contact us today to schedule an assessment, therapy session, or parent consultation.