Trauma service

Sub service:

Specialist trauma service for non-recent childhood sexual abuse

For:

Adults

Available in:

Barnet, Brent, Camden, Ealing, Enfield, Hammersmith and Fulham, Haringey, Harrow, Hillingdon, Hounslow, Islington, Kensington and Chelsea, Westminster

We help people with

What we do

Some trauma services require patients to have a certain number or type of symptoms in order to be seen. We consider anyone who feels trauma is something that causes them significant distress or interferes with their relationships or daily living or capacity to work productively.

Usually, the people we see find that something has become ‘stuck’ around the trauma, and they find it hard to move forward. They may experience flashbacks, nightmares, feel significantly depressed or numb, or struggle with anxiety. Social isolation may also be prominent due to avoidance of possible triggers.

What to expect

We usually offer an extended consultation over four sessions to understand the nature and impact of the trauma, using a Trauma-Informed Psychodynamic approach. We also consider the most suitable approach to treatment in a collaborative approach, constructing a personalised package of care.

The package of care may include:

• Trauma–informed individual psychotherapy – at weekly or sometimes fortnightly intervals. This may include individual art therapy.
• A trauma art therapy group – one-year duration
• A trauma–focused mentalization therapy group – runs alongside individual work
• A trauma yoga group – runs alongside other treatments offered
• A gardening therapy group
• Peer support from practitioners with lived experience
• A specialist group that focuses on therapeutic endings

Generally no more than one group at a time is suggested, and most are offered for one year.

In addition to using an adapted psychodynamic approach, we sometimes make use of other trauma-focused interventions. This will generally be in the context of an on-going therapy however, as these techniques (especially in complex PTSD) require a period of stabilisation and secure establishment of a therapeutic relationship.

We regularly request questionnaires are completed before, during and after the treatment as these allow us to monitor your progress and to assess our service.

We also provide access to our online community via our electronic noticeboard and to our lending library with specialist books available focusing on trauma and the work of the service.