Our Services / Trauma
Facing Trauma with the Right Support
Trauma is our body and brain’s response to a deeply distressing event (or events) that overwhelms our ability to cope. Trauma can result from life-threatening situations, where the severity and danger of the traumatic event have a lasting psychological impact and can evoke intense feelings such as shock, fear, or helplessness. When we experience trauma, our brain shifts into survival mode. When life hits hard with trauma, it’s like carrying a weight that just won’t lift. That’s where a trauma psychologist and online therapy come in. They’re your guide through the tough terrain of past experiences, helping you find your way back to feeling more like yourself.
At The Indigo Project, we do not solely focus on people’s problems, instead we aim to meet people where they are at. We understand and consider the pervasive nature of trauma and create environments of healing and recovery. For those experiencing trauma, we recognize the ongoing impact it can have on daily life, often disrupting everyday life, routines, and the ability to function normally. We also support individuals who have experienced trauma, acknowledging the long-lasting effects and the importance of compassionate care.
Why Choose an Indigo Trauma Psychologist?
Trauma can shape the way you think, feel, and relate to others – often in ways that feel overwhelming or confusing. That’s why working with a trauma psychologist who understands these impacts is so important. At The Indigo Project, our therapists provide warm, trauma-informed support to help you make sense of your experiences and begin healing at your own pace.
People come to us experiencing a wide range of challenges, including anxiety, low mood, emotional overwhelm, difficulties in relationships, or feeling disconnected from themselves or others. Sometimes trauma also sits alongside longer-term patterns, such as those seen in personality disorders like borderline personality disorder (BPD). Whatever your experience looks like, we meet you with understanding rather than judgment.
What matters most is that you feel safe, understood, and supported. Our trauma psychologists are trained to recognise how trauma shows up in daily life and to help you regain a sense of control, connection, and wellbeing.
Here’s what you can expect with us:
- Expert Guidance: Navigate your trauma with someone who truly understands and meets you where you’re at.
- Personalised Approach: Your experience is unique, your therapy should be too.
- Safe, Supportive Space: Online trauma counselling offers privacy, comfort, and a sense of safety.
- Evidence-Based Therapies: Including trauma-focused psychotherapy and trauma-informed approaches designed to support your healing.
- Perfect Match Promise: If you and your psychologist don’t connect after the first or second session, we’ll pair you with someone new and cover your next appointment (T&Cs apply).
- Our goal is to support your recovery and help you move toward a more grounded, connected, and empowered version of yourself.
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Let’s break down Trauma some more:
Trauma-Informed Care
In online counselling for trauma, many of our therapists practise trauma-informed care. Some of the principles that underlie this include:
- Trauma awareness
- Promoting safety
- Rebuilding a sense of control
- Developing connection and trust
- Focusing on strengths and resources
- Maintaining a belief in recovery
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
PTSD can develop in people who have experienced a traumatic event which threatened their life or safety, or that of others around them. People with PTSD experience 4 main types of difficulties:
- Reliving the trauma event e.g., flashbacks, nightmares, vivid memories
- Being hypervigilant aka overly alert e.g., sleep difficulties, irritability and becoming easily startled
- Avoiding reminders of the traumatic event e.g., avoiding activities, places, people, or thoughts/feelings related to the event
- Feeling emotionally numb and disconnected from reality e.g., losing interest in daily life, detached from friends, family and ourselves
If you’ve been experiencing these problems continuously for 1+ months, and its caused significant challenges in your ability to function and interact with others, we encourage you to seek professional help and/or a diagnosis.
Post-traumatic growth (PTG)
Research shows that most people who experience trauma, also experience PTG.
PTG is a positive psychological change that is experienced after struggling with highly challenges and distressing circumstances. It involves a life-changing psychological shift in thinking and relating to the world and ourselves.
7 areas of growth that can spring from adversity:
- Greater appreciation of life
- Strengthening of close relationships
- Increased compassion and altruism
- Recognising new meanings or purpose in life
- Great awareness and use of personal strengths
- Enhanced spiritual development
- Creative growth
“In some ways suffering ceases to be suffering at the moment it finds a meaning” – Viktor Frankl, Man’s search for meaning
Treatment
You don’t have to try and handle the burden of trauma alone. It might feel like you will never get your life back, but our qualified therapists are here to help you regain a sense of control over your life.
The primary treatment is psychotherapy, but medication can also be used alongside (just check in with your GP). Combining these treatments can help improve symptoms by:
- Teaching you skills to address your symptoms and ways to cope when they arise
- Helping you reframe your thinking about yourself, others and the world
- Empowering you to take control of the direction of your life by leaning into your resources and strengths
Window of Tolerance
The Window of tolerance is a term used to describe the zone of optimal arousal in which a person can function most effectively. Basically, when we are in this zone, we can readily receive, process, and integrate information as well as respond to the demands of everyday life fairly easily – how good.
Trauma can push ourselves above or below this optimal zone.
Hyper-arousal: AKA ‘fight or flight’ response. We feel anxious, overwhelmed, and alert. We may react with anger or aggression and battle intrusive thoughts. It can be extremely difficult to rest, sleep or digest as we feel constantly “on”
Example activities to decrease arousal:
- Using a weighted blanket
- Shaking or stomping our nervous energy
- Music (soothing and calming sounds)
- Diaphragmatic breathing
- Jumping on a trampoline
- Heavy work: lifting, pulling, pushups, situps etc
Hypo-arousal: AKA ‘freeze or fawn’ response. We feel disconnected from the present and from others, dissociate – sometimes having no memory of what’s happening. We can withdraw, shut down and feel separate from our own bodies as we feel constantly “off”
Example activities to increase arousal:
- Anything that stimulates the senses
- Smelling scented candles, essential oils or perfume (ps. Smell is the fastest way back to the thinking brain)
- Movement of any kind
- Dancing
- Finger painting
- Eat comfort food
Reading recommendation: The body keeps the score – Bessel van der Kolk
Frequently Asked Questions
What is complex trauma?
Complex trauma comes from repeated or long-term traumatic experiences, often in situations where safety or stability was missing. These experiences can affect how you regulate emotions, relate to others, and see yourself. Many people with complex trauma feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or unsure of their identity. With the right trauma-informed support, it’s possible to build emotional safety, strengthen coping skills, and heal with confidence.
What is trauma bonding?
Trauma bonding is a strong emotional attachment that forms in harmful or unstable relationships due to a cycle of fear, affection, and inconsistency. This push–pull dynamic can make the relationship feel addictive or difficult to leave, even when it’s unhealthy. It’s a survival response—not a personal failing. Therapy can help you recognise the cycle, rebuild self-trust, and develop healthier boundaries and relationships.
What is trauma-informed care?
Trauma-informed care is an approach that recognises how trauma shapes emotions, behaviour, and the nervous system. Instead of asking “What’s wrong with you?”, it asks “What happened to you, and how can we support your healing?” It emphasises safety, trust, choice, and pacing therapy in a way that prevents overwhelm. At The Indigo Project, trauma-informed care guides everything we do, helping you feel grounded, understood, and supported.
What is intergenerational trauma?
Intergenerational trauma refers to the emotional and psychological effects of trauma being passed down through families over time. It can show up as anxiety, hypervigilance, disconnection, or repeating unhealthy patterns without knowing why. These responses often reflect survival strategies learned by previous generations. Therapy can help you understand these patterns and begin breaking the cycle with awareness and compassion.
How can The Indigo Project help with trauma?
The Indigo Project offers compassionate, trauma-informed therapy that helps you process difficult experiences safely and at your own pace. Our psychologists support you with evidence-based approaches to regulate emotions, reduce distress, and rebuild a sense of stability. We create a supportive space where you feel understood, empowered, and in control of your healing. Online sessions make it easy to access care wherever you feel most comfortable. Ready to take the next step? Get started with us here.
