Jane Belinda Therapy
Trauma & EMDR
"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
Flexible appointment times - Surbiton/Kingston In Person Clinic - Secure Online Sessions - Confidential Support
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.
Trauma takes many forms. You may have experienced a break up that was traumatic, lost a loved one, been in an accident or experienced childhood abuse.
What is traumatic to our nervous systems is universal and also personal. All experiences are welcome and there is no 'right or wrong' way to respond to a distressing event.
Healing is never about forcing change or reliving trauma. It is about creating the conditions in which your mind, body, and nervous system can safely process what has been carried for so long. My role is to walk alongside you with compassion, curiosity, and deep respect for your unique story, trusting in your innate capacity to heal and grow.
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.
EMDR
I have specialist trauma training in EMDR* (Eye Movement Desensitisation Reprocessing), a powerful therapy that enables the brain to reprocess traumatic memories so they become less emotionally charged and no longer hold the same influence over your present life. EMDR is carefully woven into therapy at a pace that feels safe and respectful of your nervous system or offered as a stand alone separate treatment.
*Keep scrolling for more information on EMDR
Did you know?
10-12% of women experience PTSD compared to 5-6% of men
Perpetrators of child sexual abuse were most often male (91.3%) and most often aged 18 years and over (69.8%), with women experiencing abuse by older perpetrators more frequently than men.
Women (10.1%) experienced all four types of abuse more commonly than men (3.1%).
Approximately 7.5 million (31.5%) women and 6.1 million (26.4%) men experienced any abuse before the age of 18 years. Prevalence was higher for women than men for emotional abuse, sexual abuse and neglect. There was no significant difference by sex for physical abuse.
The largest difference was seen in sexual abuse, with around 3.3 million (13.9%) women having experienced abuse before the age of 18 years compared with 949,000 (4.1%) men.
Women between the ages of 16-24 age group are at most risk of PTSD.
Women with PTSD are 7 times more likely to die by suicide and men 4 times more likely.
Rates of PTSD: rape 49%, severe physical assault 31.9%, road traffic accident 16.8%, shooting or stabbing 15.4%
Violence against women and girls crimes now represent approx. 20% of all reported offences.
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.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD
Any traumatic experience where symptoms have been prolonged, consistent and haven't faded with time.
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.
“At the end of the day, we can endure much more than we think we can.” Frida Kahlo
How I Work
My approach is holistic, integrating the mind, body, and nervous system. I draw from several trauma informed approaches, including 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.
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.
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
Testimonial
"Just thank you" A.Y.