PTSD & Trauma — Therapy in Newcastle & the North East

Trauma changes the way the brain and body respond to the world. After a frightening, distressing or life-threatening experience, your nervous system can get stuck in a state of high alert — as if the danger is still present, even when you're safe. This isn't weakness. It's a normal response to an abnormal experience. And with the right therapy, it can be resolved.

What does PTSD feel like?

PTSD — post-traumatic stress disorder — can develop after a single traumatic event or after prolonged exposure to distressing experiences. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, but for those who do, the impact on daily life can be profound. Common experiences include:

• ✓Flashbacks — vivid, intrusive memories that feel like reliving the event
• ✓Nightmares and disturbed sleep
• ✓Hypervigilance — being constantly on edge, scanning for threat
• ✓Avoidance of people, places or situations that act as reminders
• ✓Emotional numbness or feeling detached from life and other people
• ✓Intense distress when reminded of what happened
• ✓Feelings of shame, guilt or the sense that you're permanently changed

Complex PTSD — which can develop after prolonged or repeated trauma such as childhood abuse, domestic violence or neglect — can also involve difficulties with emotional regulation, identity and relationships.

What causes PTSD?

PTSD can follow any experience that feels overwhelming or life-threatening — road accidents, assault, bereavement, medical emergencies, abuse, combat, or witnessing something deeply distressing. It can also develop in people who support others through trauma. There is no hierarchy of trauma — what matters is the impact it has had on you, not whether someone else might consider it serious enough.

How therapy helps with PTSD and trauma

Trauma-focused therapy works by helping your brain and body process what happened — moving the memory from something that feels present and dangerous to something that belongs in the past. This is different from simply talking about what happened. It's a structured, carefully paced process that is done at a speed you're comfortable with.

The main evidence-based approaches for PTSD are Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) and EMDR — Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing. EMDR is particularly effective and is recommended by NICE as a first-line treatment for PTSD. It uses guided eye movements or other forms of bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they no longer trigger the same intense distress.

Our therapists are trained in both approaches and will work with you to find the right fit for your experience and preferences.

What to expect from your first session

Trauma therapy begins gently. Before any processing work takes place, your therapist will spend time building trust, understanding your history, and ensuring you have the coping tools in place to feel safe. You will never be pushed to talk about anything before you're ready. The pace is always yours.

Many people who have been carrying trauma for years are surprised by how much relief is possible with the right support.

PTSD therapy in Newcastle, Tynemouth & the North East

We offer trauma-focused therapy and PTSD counselling at House Seven in Tynemouth and The Lamp House in Jesmond, Newcastle — as well as online for clients across the UK, including Gateshead, Sunderland, Northumberland and County Durham.

All our therapists are professionally accredited with BACP, BABCP, HCPC or BPS. Use our 2-minute Match Quiz to be paired with a therapist who specialises in trauma — confidential and no obligation.

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