Jane Belinda Therapy
Trauma Therapy
"It’s the rough side of the mountain that’s the easiest to climb; the smooth side doesn’t have anything for you to hang on to.” Aretha Franklin
a self-assured woman is an assertive woman
Trauma
Trauma isn’t simply stored as a memory; it can continue to influence your emotions, relationships, nervous system and sense of self long after the original experiences have passed.
Complex or developmental trauma often develops through repeated experiences of not feeling safe, seen, soothed, or valued, particularly within early relationships. Rather than being linked to a single event, these experiences can shape how we relate to ourselves, others, and the world. They may leave us feeling disconnected from our emotions or bodies, constantly on alert, overwhelmed by relationships, or burdened by shame, self-criticism, or a persistent sense of not being “enough.”
Healing from developmental trauma requires more than simply talking about the past. It involves gently rebuilding a sense of safety within the nervous system and fostering a compassionate relationship with the parts of ourselves that adapted in order to survive. These protective patterns were often essential at the time, even if they now create difficulties in daily life.
My aim is not to change who you are, but to help you rediscover the authentic self that has always existed beneath the adaptations trauma required you to make.
Did you know?
Women with PTSD are 7 times more likely to die by suicide and men 4 times more likely.
Women between the ages of 16-24 age group are at most risk of PTSD.
Rates of PTSD: rape 49%, severe physical assault 31.9%, road traffic accident 16.8%, shooting or stabbing 15.4%
Is This You?
- You know your past still affects your present
- You find yourself repeating the same relationship patterns
- You struggle to trust yourself or other people
- You constantly expect something to go wrong
- You feel on edge, even when safe
- You find it difficult to rest or let your guard down
- You carry shame that doesn't seem to belong to the present
- Certain situations trigger emotions that feel bigger than the moment
- You understand why you react this way but still can't seem to change it
- You might swing between irrational anger and numbness
- You may suffer from auto immune diseases and physical ill health
- You may have lost hope in the goodness of people or the world
- You may feel lonely and is if no one understands
- You might feel ambivalent towards others, relationships or life
Types of Trauma I Support
Child and Developmental Trauma
Early experiences that shaped your sense of safety, worth and relationships.
Complex Trauma and CPTSD
The lasting impact of repeated or ongoing experiences such as emotional neglect, abuse, criticism, instability or growing up having to meet the emotional needs of others.
Attachment Trauma
When early relationships taught you that love, safety or acceptance depended on meeting other people’s needs or hiding parts of yourself.
Single Incident Trauma
Experiences such as accidents, assaults, medical trauma, sudden loss or other overwhelming events.
Relationship Trauma
Recovering from emotionally abusive relationships, betrayal, manipulation or coercive dynamics.
Rather than asking “What’s wrong with you?”, I believe a more compassionate question is, “What happened to you, and how did you learn to survive?” Understanding these survival strategies allows us to process the past while creating new ways of living that feel safer, freer and more authentic.
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” Frida Kahlo
How I Work
I believe that healing from trauma is about much more than reducing symptoms, it’s about helping you reconnect with yourself with greater safety, compassion, and confidence.
My approach is holistic, integrating the mind, body, and nervous system. I draw from several evidence-based approaches, including Internal Family Systems (IFS), EMDR, polyvagal theory, neuroscience, and somatic interventions. Together, these approaches help us understand not only what has happened to you, but how your experiences continue to be held in your body, nervous system, emotions, and beliefs.
At the heart of my work is compassionate witnessing. I offer a safe, attuned therapeutic relationship where every part of you is welcome. Rather than trying to “fix” or judge your responses, we become curious about them together, recognising that even the strategies that now feel limiting were once your mind and body’s best attempts to keep you safe.
Using an Internal Family Systems (IFS) lens, we gently explore the different parts of you. Those that protect, those that carry pain, and those that long to be seen and understood. As these parts begin to feel heard and supported, they no longer need to work so hard to protect you.
Understanding the nervous system through polyvagal theory and neuroscience helps us make sense of why trauma can leave us feeling stuck in patterns of anxiety, overwhelm, numbness, or hypervigilance. Through body-based (somatic) interventions, we work with your nervous system to develop a greater sense of regulation, safety, and resilience, allowing healing to occur not only cognitively but physically.
I can weave EMDR into our talking therapy sessions or offer as a stand alone treatment, depending on your needs. Together we’ll explore not only what happened to you, but how those experiences continue to shape your life today.
EMDR
What happens when you are traumatised?
Your body routinely manages new information and experiences without you being aware of it. However, when something out of the ordinary occurs and you are traumatised by an overwhelming event (e.g. a car accident) or by being repeatedly subjected to distress (e.g. childhood abuse), your natural coping mechanism can become overwhelmed. This overloading can result in distressing memories being stuck at the forefront of our brain or being "unprocessed".
Your ability to live in the present and not be disturbed from flashbacks and triggers of the event can be inhibited. EMDR helps create the connections between your brain’s memory networks, enabling your brain to process the traumatic memory in a very natural way.
What is an EMDR session like?
EMDR utilises the natural healing ability of your body using something called bilateral stimulation. After a thorough assessment, history taking and identification of distressing memories that you would like to work on, eye movements, similar to those during REM sleep, will be recreated.
The eye movements will last for a short amount of sets with regular intervals for feedback on what you are noticing. If bilateral stimulation via eye movements isn't suitable, there are alternative methods that we can use such as body tapping.
What can EMDR be used for?
In addition to its use for the treatment of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, EMDR has been successfully used to treat: anxiety and panic attacks, depression, stress, phobias, sleep problems, complicated grief, addictions, pain relief, low self-esteem and confidence, negative limiting self-beliefs
How long does treatment take? EMDR can be a brief focused treatment or integrated into existing therapy sessions. EMDR sessions are 50 minutes and can be more frequent if needed.
Will I will remain in control and empowered? During EMDR treatment, you will remain in control and can stop the process at any time. This is not a form of hypnosis. Adapted from www.traumacentre.com
"This EMDR is magic…!” Esly Regina Carvalho
Looking beyond the diagnosis
ADHD is often seen as something diagnosed in childhood, but for many women, ADHD symptoms can become more noticeable or even emerge for the first time during menopause. Hormonal shifts can have a profound effect on brain function, and combined with entering a different phase in your life with menopause, therapy can provide vital support and a space to talk through a confusing transitional time.
A diagnosis can bring clarity, but it doesn’t explain everything. Many of the women I work with have spent years overcompensating, people-pleasing, striving to get everything right or hiding how difficult life really feels. My approach is about understanding the whole person, not just ADHD.
ADHD doesn’t define who you are. Neither do the years you’ve spent masking, adapting or believing you weren’t enough. Therapy is about understanding your brain, making sense of your experiences and building a kinder, more compassionate relationship with yourself.
Testimonial
"Just thank you" A.Y.