Trauma Support Providers

Lena grew up in Sweden and has lived in Australia since her teenage years, speaking fluent English as a second language. Lena has recovered from childhood trauma to build a loving network of friends, community, and a blended family.. Her passion is to support people to maintain good mental health. Lena’s counselling experience extends across a range of professional organisations, which specialise in different areas. This has provided her with extensive knowledge and expertise in psychological interventions for her clients. In her role as an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker, with a Master of Counselling, Lena believes everybody deserves a safe and respectful therapeutic environment in which to engage in counselling. Lena uses a collaborative approach, and specialises in supporting people who come from childhood trauma. Lena has taught at several Universities in Brisbane and is currently a sessional academic at QUT and Griffith.

Lena works with the persons’ strengths in order to decrease their difficulties or limitations and increase their overall satisfaction with life.Some of the outcomes that you can expect when meeting with Lena are: trauma recovery, new and effective ways of reducing anxiety, strategies for coping each day, clarification of issues, feeling supported and being validated, increased resilience and wellbeing, in the moment, and over the years, new perspectives, mindfulness, achieving goals.
She is constantly inspired by the people with whom she works and from whom she learns.

Lena is passionate about providing a holistic approach to supporting people towards improved well-being by acknowledging the uniqueness of each person. People from diverse communities, including those from the GLBTIQ+ community, can be vulnerable to unique stressors and Lena has experience in providing inclusive counselling. A session usually lasts one hour to one hour and a half hour, and is available face-to-face, via phone or Skype. With a professional and a supportive approach, Lena can help people who require assistance with: trauma (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or complex PTSD), addictions, suicidal thoughts or feelings, anxiety, depression and grief and loss.

Lena generally charges $ 150 per hour, however fees can be discussed prior to the first session, and payment is to be made at the end of each session.

I am an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker based in Toowoomba with eight years of experience in counselling, specialising in trauma and Complex PTSD. My approach is grounded in trauma-informed care, integrating Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Phased-based trauma treatment (Blue Knot Foundation), and Prolonged Exposure Therapy for PTSD. I also incorporate Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behaviour Therapy (DBT) to support safety, regulation, and meaning after trauma.

What to Expect When Working with Me
I provide individual therapeutic support tailored to your needs, offering a space where you feel heard, validated, and supported in a way that feels safe for you. If your needs extend beyond my scope, I will collaborate with other professionals—such as psychiatrists, psychologists, or specialised trauma services — to ensure you receive the most appropriate care.

Session Structure & Practical Details
Session Planning: Sessions are structured around your needs, balancing processing work with stabilisation techniques to maintain emotional safety.
Space & Environment: I work in a calm, private therapy space with one other therapist. The setting is designed to be grounding, with soft lighting and a welcoming atmosphere.
Availability & Cost: Sessions are by appointment only. For Complex Trauma, I typically recommend a phased-based approach with a minimum number of sessions for continuity of care. Details on session fees, cancellations, and scheduling can be found on the website.
Managing Overwhelm in Sessions
If you begin to feel overwhelmed, I will support you with grounding strategies to help regulate emotions before moving forward. This may include breathwork, sensory engagement, or pacing the therapy process to ensure you feel safe while continuing to work through trauma.

My Trauma-Informed Approach
I integrate core trauma-informed principles into every aspect of my practice:
Safety – Creating a stable, predictable space for healing.
Trust & Transparency – Clearly explaining the process so you feel informed and in control.
Collaboration & Choice – Working together to determine what feels right for you.
Empowerment – Helping you reclaim your sense of agency and strengths.
Cultural Sensitivity – Recognising and respecting individual backgrounds and experiences.

Why I Do This Work
I am passionate about walking alongside individuals on their healing journey. Trauma can leave people feeling isolated and misunderstood—I want to change that by offering a compassionate, supportive space. Success in therapy looks different for everyone. It might be feeling a little safer in your body, having tools to manage distress, or noticing a shift in how you relate to your past. My goal is to help you feel more in control of your own healing.

Accredited Mental Health Social Worker
Trauma focused
Trauma trained
Extensive knowledge in mental health and trauma impacts

Providing, psychoeducation, counselling, critical incident response, psychological first aid and evidence-based mental health interventions for individuals, couples, groups, teams and organisations in the public and private sectors including defence and emergency service personnel.

Manson specialises in treating adults and teenagers experiencing intense distress from anxiety, depression, stress, grief or trauma. He also provides couples therapy for adults.

Manson is an accredited practitioner in:
* Eye Movement Desensitisation & Reprocessing (EMDR)
* Clinical Hypnosis
* Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and
* Mindfulness (MiCBT).

Since 2005, Lieutenant Commander Ignace has completed six operational deployments to the Middle East and the Ivory Coast with the RANR as a Navy Psychologist on ANZAC class frigates providing mental health screening and counselling to Australian Defence Force members. Manson welcomes current and past defence and emergency service personnel.

For more information please see 1Psych.com

Margaret has extensive experience as a trauma informed practitioner treating complex trauma including in relation to historical child sexual abuse cases. She applies a variety of therapeutic modalities including EMDR, Cognitive Behaviour Therapy and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

I am trained as a clinical psychologist, completing my PhD in Clinical Psychology in 2010. I have worked in private practice since gaining registration in March 2009 and received my Clinical endorsement in early 2011. In my clinical practice, I focus on the treatment of adults with PTSD, Complex PTST and mood disorders, and have broad experience working with military, veterans and emergency service personnel, I have completed training in Trauma-Focused CBT, Schema Therapy and EMDR,
In addition to my private practice, I have taught in the clinical psychology program at the ANU since 2011. Prior to becoming a psychologist, I served for 28 years in a range of command, regimental and staff appointments in the Australian Army, deploying twice on active service. My PhD (An Examination of Pre-existing Cognitive, Emotional and Behavioural Vulnerabilities for Post-Trauma Psychopathology), was conducted using ADF personnel who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan in 2008.

I am a registered clinical psychologist and am passionate about helping my clients live the best life they can. I care about my clients and I understand how difficult it can be to explore the past and to talk about the trauma we've experienced. I am by nature warm, caring and non-judgmental. I am client-centred, which means I tailor my approach to suit the needs of the client and we always go at a pace that my clients feel comfortable with. Although a lot of work we need to do in therapy involves exploring the past, I make sure we don't lose sight of the present, and importantly, the future.

I am a passionate Integrative Counsellor/Psychotherapist.

It takes courage to seek support outside of your family or from people other than close friends and I am understanding of that.
I have a background focusing on sexual assault, and repairing the self after trauma. I am trauma-informed in my practice and a strong advocate for self-care whilst working carefully through impacts and memories of trauma. Recognising that we are storied in our lives and therefore individuals respond to traumatic events differently depending on the family of origin context, attachment, culture and social norms.

I approach each case from a non-judgmental exploratory platform, helping you to take charge of the process and develop a working contract in which we can evaluate progress and review change. This is one of the wonderful things that my practice can offer that a Medicare health plan can not.

What would it feel like if you were no longer affected by the impacts of trauma? What would it be like if you could walk through this life in a gentler and kinder way? What might it feel like to feel more effective in your relationships or be the parent you want to be? My focus is to reduce the impacts of toxic relationships, sexual assault/abuse and emotional injury that comes afterwards. I work with distressed, confused and curious people. My job is not to judge but to empower you to find your true self. There are many people who are functioning well, they are mothers, fathers, partners, and workers. They are holding up life because they have no other choice. Maybe underneath it all there is something unresolved, some shame or fear that is holding them back. They might be drinking or smoking a bit too much. Anxiety may be ruling the day. Maybe you are losing it with the kids. Perhaps you can't bear to think about becoming a parent, as it is just too painful. Or do relationships just feel too hard? Underpinning this is a feeling of not being okay and not knowing what to do about it. Well, that may be where I can help because I will meet you where you are. I do not believe in pathology or medicalised language. I do not think there is anything wrong with you. I believe that we adapt to our circumstances and to what we have learnt from our relationships and past caregivers. I am a Psychotherapist/Counsellor with 15 years of experience. I see people from all over Australia. I have helped many people over the past two decades and I love what I do. I specialise in sexual assault and trauma because it is too often an area where survivors get let down by support services. Being trauma-informed I offer you an empowerment model, where you build reflective skills and awareness to offer you grounding strategies, stability and understanding before you process memories and learn ways to integrate to yourself and live authentically. If you like what you read, please get in contact and we can arrange a session.

The Director of Life Bridge Counselling & Psychology Clinic Lyn Baird enjoys working with adolescents, adults and couples experiencing a range of difficulties. Lyn has a particular interest in trauma, PTSD and grief and is interested in treating single event and complex psychological trauma, including those involved in accidents or critical incidents, victims of violence and adult survivors of childhood physical, sexual or emotional abuse. Lyn is also a L3 registered Gottman specialist offering relationship counselling addressing how past & present trauma can affect relationships. She can also offer a unique perspective on twin relationships being a twin herself. Lyn holds a Masters in Counselling and has worked as a counsellor and trained in this field for the past 18 years. Prior to this Lyn worked as Registered Nurse including working in a burns unit for several years. Her approach is very holistic and she works as a team at Life Bridge. Life Bridge counselling is based on the principles of trauma-informed care and incorporates a variety of modalities including workshops such as Trauma informed Yoga, EMDR, creative therapies.

Lyn’s passion for working with people who have experienced trauma began with her own journey of healing from both being a victim of childhood trauma and then witnessing a roadside trauma of a family member. Currently Lyn also manages a not for profit organisation that works with Women in crisis offering them and their children supported accommodation on the Sunshine Coast. Throughout her work history she has supported both children and adult survivors of abuse and complex trauma.

Appointments are available during business hours as well as Wednesday nights and Saturday morning either face to face or via Skype or phone. The cost is $110 per one-hour session. If clients can obtain a MHCP they will be referred to other members of the team who can offer trauma informed services and pay a gap fee of around $50.

Maria Katsarou is a highly experienced clinical psychologist who focuses on Systemic therapy and EMDR. With over two decades of practice, Maria has helped countless individuals and families overcome various mental health challenges.

Maria is skilled at integrating various therapeutic approaches, including Systemic therapy, EMDR, Interpersonal therapy, Cognitive-Behavioral therapy, and attachment theory. Her expertise in family therapy allows her to address complex family dynamics and foster healthier relationships.

Currently, Maria practices at Downs Specialists Centre in East Toowoomba, offering services such as EMDR therapy, Family therapy, Systemic therapy, CBT and parenting consultations.