Trauma Counselling Northern Beaches
Living with the effects of trauma or PTSD shouldn’t mean facing them alone. Wendy offers calm, confidential trauma counselling and in-depth psychotherapy, with in-person appointments in Dee Why and online sessions for adults where clinically appropriate.
- Dual-qualified as a clinical psychotherapist and endorsed mental health nurse practitioner, providing psychotherapy, mental health assessment and diagnosis, and medication prescribing when clinically appropriate within her scope of practice
- 30 years supporting adults through trauma and PTSD
- A trauma-informed approach that starts with safety and trust and moves at your pace
- In-person in Dee Why. Online wherever you are in Australia, where clinically appropriate.
- A FREE 15-minute introductory phone consultation before you decide to begin
Expert Psychotherapist & Mental Health Nurse Practitioner.
Holistic, trauma-informed care for lasting healing.
In-person Dee Why or flexible online sessions.
Trauma Counselling for Adults on the Northern Beaches
Trauma can follow a single event or a series of experiences, such as a serious accident, violence, abuse or assault. Sometimes the effects show up straight away. Other times they take years to surface. Either way, talking with a trauma counsellor who understands what you’re dealing with can help you make sense of it and feel steadier. Wendy offers a confidential, non-judgmental space to do that, as part of her counselling and psychotherapy practice in Dee Why.
When Trauma Stays With You
Particular events or periods in life can leave you struggling to shake off the past, or constantly bracing against stress, fear or anxiety. These effects can show up physically too, leaving you tired, on edge and unwell. If that sounds familiar, you don't have to work it out alone.
PTSD Counselling Northern Beaches
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after you witness or experience a frightening or life-threatening event. Fear, anger and sadness are common in the weeks afterwards, and for many people they ease. If they don’t, or if they’re getting in the way of daily life, it’s worth speaking to an experienced psychotherapist. A professional assessment is the safest way to understand what you’re experiencing, rather than relying on self-diagnosis.
Common Signs of Trauma and PTSD
- Vivid memories, flashbacks or nightmares about what happened
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- Feeling on edge, easily startled or constantly on guard
- Avoiding people, places or situations that remind you of the event
- Guilt, shame, irritability or low mood
- Panic attacks, headaches or other physical pain
- Pulling away from people and the things you used to enjoy
Everyone’s experience is different, and symptoms can appear soon after an event or years later. Having some of these signs doesn’t mean you have PTSD, but it’s a good reason to talk to someone.
Trauma-Informed Therapy at Your Pace
Wendy’s trauma-informed approach puts your safety first. Her treatment focuses on changing unhelpful patterns in your thinking, emotions and behaviour, using approaches tailored to your needs.
Her dual background in psychotherapy and nursing means she’s attentive to how trauma can show up in the body as well as the mind, and as an endorsed nurse practitioner, Wendy can provide mental health assessment and diagnosis, and prescribe medication when clinically appropriate within her scope of practice.
Care may combine evidence-based pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment, including psychotherapy and suitable medication options. For people with complex trauma, Wendy offers in-depth, longer-term psychotherapy, with continuity across assessment, therapy and medication care where appropriate. You can read more about Wendy’s approach to therapy and her background.
How Your First Session Works
In your first treatment appointment, Wendy listens to your story: what matters to you, what is affecting your wellbeing and your relevant medical history. The FREE 15-minute introductory phone consultation is a separate opportunity to discuss your needs and whether Wendy's approach feels right for you; it is not a clinical assessment or treatment session. From there, she helps you take the first steps towards feeling more at ease. You choose what to share and when.
Meet Wendy Corliss
Clinical Psychotherapist and endorsed Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Wendy Corliss brings a calm, compassionate and non-judgmental approach to every session, drawing on both her clinical training and her understanding of the person in front of her, not just the problem. Wendy’s mental health nursing background includes work with complex mental health needs. As an endorsed nurse practitioner, she can also assess, diagnose and prescribe medication within her scope when clinically appropriate in individual clinical care; these are separate from couples counselling. Her approach is also trauma-informed, which matters when relationship strain is tangled up with harder experiences. You can read more about Wendy’s background and her approach to therapy.
Ready to Start Talking?
Request a FREE 15-minute phone consultation
Call Wendy on 02 9972 0071
Your Step-by-Step Process
Wendy works through six stages, at a pace that suits you. Progress isn’t always a straight line, and you can take your time at each stage.
1. Develop Safety and Trust
Therapy begins with making sure you feel safe in your relationship with Wendy. She'll accept whatever you want to talk about and work to meet your needs, so you can start to feel more secure and confident, with yourself and with others.
2. Learn to Calm and Soothe Yourself
When difficulties have been long-standing, emotions can stay on high alert and feel out of control. Together you'll work on relaxing your mind and body, so life can feel calmer and more manageable.
3. Feel More at Ease in Your Relationships
As therapy progresses, you'll explore how stressful events have affected your relationships. You can build a stronger sense of yourself, set healthier boundaries and get clearer on what you need and want.
4. Build Self-Awareness
As you understand the role trauma has played in your life, it becomes easier to respond to yourself and others in ways that feel right to you, and to feel more in charge of your choices.
5. Improve Your Mood
As you heal, many people notice more room for joy, pleasure and creativity, and a growing sense of confidence.
6. Bring It Into Everyday Life
The final stage is about carrying what you've learned into your life, so difficult experiences from the past can loosen their hold and you can feel more whole.
Ready to start living consciously?
Request a FREE 15-minute phone consultation or call 02 9972 0071 for a confidential first conversation.