Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy & Counselling
in Brisbane and online across Australia and Worldwide.
Psychotherapy & Trauma Counselling Brisbane
Begin to transform your life through embracing your inner wisdom
Trauma Counselling and Psychotherapy Brisbane
Neglecting a child’s basic human needs can cause emotional wounds that last into adulthood.
My approach combines body awareness and movement with traditional talk therapy to create a safe and non-judgmental space for exploring and understanding one’s inner world. By focusing on one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, we can uncover the deeper, often hidden aspects of one’s experience. This method is particularly effective in identifying and understanding the root causes of unhealthy behaviours and emotional and psychological distress, leading to awareness, growth, and lasting change. NDIS Complex trauma Informed
I support adults who want to connect with their wisdom and heal from the impacts of complex trauma (or developmental trauma)
“Complex trauma doesn’t have to be physical abuse, but the reason attachment is so affected is that it usually is perpetrated by, or not able to be stopped by, a child’s primary caregiver”.
“And that’s what makes it so fundamentally disruptive: the primary caregiver can’t provide consistency and safety to the child”. Dr. Howard
Complex trauma might develop when an unsupported child goes through difficult times with their caregiver. For example, when the caregiver is emotionally disconnected or neglectful, happy and loving one minute to extremely angry the next and experiencing bullying or violence in the community, etc.
I use Gestalt therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Compassionate Inquiry (I am currently studying CI), Family Constellations, and basic knowledge of Internal Family Systems.
The following symptoms and effects are generally associated with complex trauma:
• It can be challenging to connect with others and keep relationships strong
• Difficulty regulating emotions and behaviour such as anger, fear and shame
• Dissociation from reality
• Mind and body disconnection, feeling numb.
• Low self-esteem: believing that you are not lovable, you are not good enough
• Fear of being rejected / People-pleasing
• Anxiety
• Depression
• Skin picking/biting
• Hypersensitivity
• Difficulty trusting others.
• Fear of abandonment
• Suicidal Ideation
• ADHD
• Unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse, addictions, and eating disorders.
• The overall negative outlook on the world
Trauma modifies the brain’s structure, function, and chemistry in development.
How we were raised shapes our adulthood; our early experiences shape our beliefs about ourselves, others, and the world.
However, knowing that our brain possesses adaptability and can forge fresh pathways conducive to healing and restoration is excellent. We possess an inherent ability to overcome trauma if we find and get the proper professional support.
I would create a strong, genuine, and safe working alliance between us, which would be based on mutual respect and honesty. I will treat you as my equal and welcome all your thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Our mutually supportive relationship will involve psychoeducation to help you understand more about your mind, body, and emotional regulation skills to develop exercises that will enable you to connect with your wisdom and create new neural pathways in your brain to cope with stressful situations more effectively—as such, paving the way for a healthier and happier you.
About Alpha
Counsellor, Psychotherapist, and Founder of Wise Beginning
Alpha graduated with a degree in Psychology in Mexico and, in Australia, she has completed a Master’s Degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy. Alpha is also trained in Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Compassionate Inquiry (She is currently studying CI), Family Constellations, and basic knowledge of Internal Family Systems. She has received positive outcomes with clients presenting ongoing challenges with stress, anxiety, addiction, trauma, depression and immigrants vulnerable to domestic violence.
Her beliefs are grounded in everyone being able to connect with their wisdom to find answers and healing.
Wise Beginning is a Psychotherapy and Counselling practice based in West End, Brisbane in Australia.
Psychotherapy and Counselling services are offered In-Person and Online, in both English and Spanish.
Alpha also works in Brisbane CBD at Brisbane Wellbeing Psychologists.
At Wise Beginning, we understand how disappointing it can be to reach out for support only to feel unheard and unsupported.
As a trauma-informed Psychotherapist with experience supporting people through grief, trauma, anxiety, addiction and relationship issues, my approach is all about helping you to connect with your wisdom in order to get the best answers and outcomes for yourself.
This approach involves going beneath the surface, to better understand what your emotions or physical symptoms are trying to tell you.
Working together, we can bring awareness to your behavioural patterns, emotions and physical symptoms, so you can get clarity on the answers you need and the direction you wish to lead for a new brighter and wiser beginning.
Counselling that meets you where you are
“The support I've received through Wise Beginnings has been invaluable. I've learned strategies that have helped with self advocacy and ways to recognise patterns of behaviour in myself and others that impact my wellbeing.
Alpha has been kind, patient and supportive through transition periods in my life which has enabled me to adjust to new situations positively and effectively. I would strongly recommend anyone struggling with self-advocacy, transitions, or any other difficulty to access this support.”
I've been through a few practitioners over the last 2 years but no one has made me feel more seen, heard and understood than Alpha.
I'm glad that I found such an empathetic therapist who really listens to me. She is intentional with her questions and holds space for me to deep dive into my past and present self.
I originally came to her to help me cope with past trauma and she didn't just give me worksheets and pushed me to "move forward" from it. Instead, she engaged me in discussions and exercises to help me find the root of why things happened the way it did. I really appreciated this as it was what I was looking for in a therapist.
I feel safe to be vulnerable with Alpha and I always feel lighter and more happy when I leave the session. I would highly recommend Alpha if you are looking for someone to cope with whatever challenges you are going through.
Working together with you, we will move at your pace and level of comfort, to explore the questions or concerns you have.
I am open-minded and feel comfortable with diversity. I aim to build a genuine and collaborative therapeutic relationship, with clear boundaries, as I accompany you in a process of awareness-raising. I develop the best quality of connection with my clients, always making sure you have autonomy within the therapeutic work, as I believe and honour that you have wisdom and you are the expert in your life.
Through Psychotherapy and Counselling, I can help with a variety of mental health and wellbeing concerns, including:
What to expect from Counselling & Psychotherapy at Wise Beginning, Brisbane
Coming to Counselling can be daunting. You may be feeling anxious about it and even unsure if Counselling can help.
Knowing what to expect may help.
Counselling provides an opportunity to explore your concerns in a safe and supported environment, to gain an understanding of factors that are influencing your situation, then build the resources and tools to improve your situation.
Long-term therapy benefits
I offer both short-term and long-term therapy, depending on your individual goals and needs.
While there is no right or wrong answer to how long you engage in therapy, there are some unique benefits to long-term therapy, including:
- The opportunity to establish a new level of trust and understanding with your therapist
- Time to unpack deeper challenges, such as childhood trauma or addiction, which take time to safely access and process, and
- Time to understand your past and where this may be affecting your present in order to heal these past experiences and find greater mental health and well-being.
What happens in the first session?
If you’re unsure what your needs and wants for Counselling are, then we can explore this and figure it out together.
When exploring your situation, I will…
Read moreask some questions; don’t worry it won’t be an interrogation but a dialogue to obtain important information about your situation.
In this way we can focus on understanding the reason for your discomfort and emotional pain.
Some people struggle with getting in touch with their feelings, but you don’t have to stress about this.
I will always encourage you to communicate with me if I say something to you that does not feel right, and feel free to ask any questions along the way.
You will always have authority in our sessions.
For how long do I need to attend Therapy?
It can take time to create change and see to permanent results; however, you should see some level of significant progress after the first three sessions.
Read moreImportantly, it depends on your needs and situation, as this varies greatly from person to person.
Some people feel that they get the most value after just a few sessions.
In contrast, others prefer or need therapy for an extended period of time, especially if they have unresolved trauma, depression, anxiety or chronic pain. In this situation, the process may last up to 10 sessions, followed by a re-assessment; we can reassess together whether more therapy will be helpful.
Depending on how you feel, weekly sessions may be more effective, and when we are more advanced in the process, we can lengthy the sessions monthly.
We will work with you to develop a plan which suits your needs and finances. This is entirely up to you.
If you are not working or experiencing financial hardship, we can work out the best plan that suits you.
How do I know when therapy is working?
At times, straightforward Counselling may not be enough to make meaningful and profound changes.
During Counselling, patterns, emotions, indecisiveness, or procrastination may reveal unresolved or unrecognised wounds from the past.
Read moreThis may require in-depth Psychotherapy, provided the client is ready to address these deeper issues.
It can take time to create change and see permanent results; however, you should feel some level of progress after the first session.
Therapy is more about taking the time to look for and treat the source of the wound. The time of treatment for any one person in therapy greatly depends on what they need treatment for (their personal history, symptoms, support, background, and health).
In every session we revise the progress that has been made.
This is important because we need to acknowledge the significant improvements that you have done inside and outside of the session.
Ultimately, successful therapy means that your symptoms are better managed or are decreasing, and you feel like you are accomplishing your current goal(s) or raising your self-awareness outside of therapy.
For example, if you went into therapy to deal with anxiety issues, you can look at whether your symptoms have decreased - such as feeling less anxious, less panic attacks, or sleeping more hours at night.
The approaches I use aim to create deep and lasting change.
How does Therapy work?
Therapy can look depending on the individual client and their needs and goal(s).
Read moreI am open-minded and feel comfortable with diversity.
I develop the best quality of connection with my clients, giving them an authority in the therapeutic work, as I believe and honour that everyone has wisdom and is the expert in their own life.
I use an integrative humanistic model to explore interpersonal relationships. This approach is non-judgmental and avoids making interpretations.
Coupled with brain-mind contemporary neuroscience, this integrative model promotes and supports the client to localise, identify and connect with their own needs and internal dialogue, so that internalised messages, blocked memories, and unresolved emotions from the past can be revealed through the client.
Understanding and acceptance of where their struggles have originated from, allows for meaningful inner personal wisdom and resourcing to navigate their personal lives.
Ultimately, Psychotherapy aims to empower the individual by enabling awareness of their blocked emotions and patterns, through increased self-awareness, resulting in meaningful changes in perspective regarding oneself, life quality experiences and relationships.
“Alpha is absolutely amazing. I've never had a therapist who is as intuitive, flexible, and empathetic as her! She really works with you to try to get to the root cause of things but is always sure to not push you too far. She also doesn't just rely on worksheets and nice little sayings during her sessions. She actually listens and takes the time to formulate a compassionate and thought provoking response. You can tell she really loves the work she does. I really can't recommend her enough!”
