Our approach
REALISTIC
Trauma shatters our belief systems and destroys our trust in people and ourselves. You might no longer see yourself as good or worthy. You might no longer see the world as fair, safe and predictable.
We can't unknow and unsee the things we have been through. A key task of the trauma work is to rebuild a belief system that incorporates the trauma into our narrative. It can be the prequel or a pivotal chapter but it doesn’t have to be the whole story about your life.
FUTURE FOCUSED
Our primary goal is getting rid of trauma symptoms. But trauma processing can often bring unexpected benefits. Post-traumatic growth, finding clarity about what matters, purpose, and meaning. To be clear, there are no silver linings in trauma that are worth the pain: You shouldn’t have to go through it then or carry the consequences now. My approach is pragmatic and future focused: “It shouldn’t have but it happened. Now what can we do to heal and make sense of it, so that it no longer interferes with the way you want to live your life?”
HOLISTIC
Complex trauma has a ripple effect on how we see ourselves and the world. It affects our relationships, education / work, and general mental and physical health. Many mental health conditions develop as a response to complex trauma, for example anxiety, depression, self-harm, or OCD. It can also lead to difficulties with disordered eating, emotion regulation, personality disorder traits, and substance use. If trauma is the root cause, then treating it is likely to benefit these secondary presentations.
We would work together to create a treatment plan that incorporates the root causes, the different ways they manifest, and how they interlink. Tackling symptoms individually without getting to root causes can keep us stuck in a frustrating game of symptom whack-a-mole.
“I first met Dr Thanh during the darkest days of my life, at a time when my plans for suicide were advanced and concise.
Sometimes, during dark days, we just need the love and support of our partner, friends and a beloved dog; but equally there are times when we need professional, highly qualified help to get get back on track. Having reached out to a number of so called “therapists” in the past I thank god that when I hit rock bottom I met Dr Thanh - highly qualified, wise and sensible but at the same time approachable with a great sense of humour.
Over a number of weeks we discussed many topics in a relaxed and respectful, safe environment and I have no doubt that the decision to finally seek highly qualified help was literally a life saver.”
— David M., FORMER CLIENT