Neglecting a child’s basic human needs can cause emotional wounds that last into adulthood.

Somatic Trauma-Informed Counselling and Clinical Psychotherapy

Teenagers,  Individuals,  Couples and Relationships

Recover your wholeness and authenticity by acknowledging and honouring the wounds you still hold in your mind, soul, and body.

Now in Brisbane and online across Australia and Worldwide.

West End | Milton

“Therapy is a courageous journey (not a quick fix) and a commitment to self-discovery, a safe space to nurture self-empathy and self-compassion, take ownership of your life, and create powerful, lasting personal transformation.”

Neglecting a child’s basic human needs can cause emotional wounds that last into adulthood.

Child representing emotional wellbeing and psychotherapy support

Somatic Trauma-Informed Clinical Psychotherapy

Recover your wholeness and authenticity by acknowledging and honouring the wounds you still hold in your mind, soul, and body.

Now in Brisbane and online across Australia and Worldwide.

West End   |   Milton

Alpha Ponce, psychotherapist and counsellor, helping clients connect with their inner wisdom to heal from trauma

Pain that is avoided tends to repeat itself. Pain that is acknowledged, felt, and processed can become a pathway to healing, growth, and transformation.

BODY AND MIND ARE ONE

We cannot heal in parts. We cannot work deeply with the body without also addressing the mind and the soul.

My approach combines somatic(body-based) awareness and movement with trauma-informed talk therapy, creating a safe, non-judgmental space to explore and understand your inner world. By paying attention to your thoughts, emotions, feelings, and bodily sensations, we can uncover deeper aspects of the wounds that you may or may not be aware of. This method helps identify the root causes of unhealthy behaviours and emotional distress, promotes awareness, personal growth, and a stronger connection to your wholeness and authenticity, and supports healthier relational connections.

“Trauma is not the bad things that happen to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” ~Dr. Gabor Maté

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“Trauma isn’t just what happened to you; it’s what happened within you”

Trauma (from the Greek word for “wound”) exists on a broad spectrum. It can include anything from experiences that lead to disconnection from oneself, that is, your authenticity, body, emotions, or intuition–as well as from any experience that diminishes the hope for reconnection.

Anything that disrupts a person’s sense of wholeness and authenticity more often than not stems from trauma.

“Complex trauma doesn’t have to be physical abuse, but the reason attachment is so affected by it is because it is usually 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

This may include times of emotional neglect and unpredictable moods from a caregiver, or exposure to more external threats like bullying or community violence.

I use somatic and trauma-informed therapy approaches such as Gestalt Therapy, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, Compassionate Inquiry, Focused Therapy, Constellations, and Internal Family Systems to support clients in understanding and processing these experiences with their attachments.

It hurts to feel your childhood pain. But it hurts even more to carry it silently, unfelt, shaping your life from the shadows

Child stretching arms on a window bar, symbolizing freedom and healing the past.

The following symptoms and experiences are generally associated with complex trauma:

  • Feeling chronically anxious, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted.
  • Feeling “stuck” or unable to move forward in life.
  • Being constantly on alert or finding it difficult to fully relax.
  • Carrying unresolved past experiences or developmental trauma that is hard to fully understand.
  • Feeling disconnected from the body, emotions, or sense of self.
  • Experiencing burnout, people-pleasing tendencies, or difficulty setting boundaries.
  • Struggling with self-worth, shame, or self-blame despite doing inner work.
  • Fear of abandonment or difficulty trusting others.
  • Living with ADHD / ADD or experiencing trauma-related symptoms such as PTSD.
  • Overthinking, self-doubt, or difficulty regulating emotions.
  • Experiencing trauma, including emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, neglect, or witnessing traumatic events
  • Growing up with emotional, psychological, or relational needs that were not consistently met
  • Mild addictive behaviours, such as overuse of substances, food, screens, or self-soothing habits
  • Difficulty tolerating or expressing emotions
Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT) Somatic Therapy Wise Beginning Alpha Ponce

“From Survival Patterns to Authentic Self: A Mind-Body Approach to Healing”

In childhood, our experiences shape the development of our nervous system, the beliefs we hold about ourselves, our coping mechanisms, patterns and behaviours, as well as the ways we relate to the world around us. They may also include transgenerational memories and influences, some of which we are aware of, while many remain outside our conscious awareness.

External reality is, to some extent, a reflection of our internal world. Many of the difficulties we experience today are connected to unresolved memories, core beliefs, a distorted self-image, and a disconnection from our body, emotions, intuition, and authentic self. They are also connected to defence mechanisms and adaptive strategies that once helped us survive and navigate challenging experiences.

In the therapeutic process, regardless of the challenges or conflicts we are experiencing, we seek to understand and transform these memories — held in the mind, body, and nervous system — helping our body and mind recognise that what happened is in the past, that we are safe in the present, and that we are no longer the same person we were during childhood.

The way to do this is by understanding the origins of our struggles and allowing the emotions connected to those experiences to be safely felt, processed, and released through the mind and body. This is where a real, deep, and lasting transformation can begin, as the unconscious patterns, beliefs, and embodied responses that once shaped our experience begin to change.

The mind and body are deeply interconnected; we cannot truly heal one without acknowledging and working with the other. Healing requires your willingness to explore both your thoughts, beliefs, and memories, as well as the experiences held within your body, including sensations and emotions.

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EXPERIENCE

Positive outcomes and significant progress can be made after the first couple of sessions.

INTUITION

Highly attuned to others’ thoughts and feelings to support clarity and deeper understanding.

KNOWLEDGE

Well-informed and up to date, drawing on evidence-based approaches to bring meaningful change.

WISDOM

Integrating lived experience, reflection, and insight to support balanced and compassionate growth

ALPHA PONCE

Counsellor, Psychotherapist, and Founder of Wise Beginning, PACFA Clinical Registration

I’m a psychotherapist specialising in trauma recovery. I hold a degree in Psychology from Mexico and completed my Master’s Degree in Gestalt Psychotherapy in Australia. My training includes Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and Family Constellations. I am a Compassionate Inquiry-certified practitioner (Gabor Mate’s therapeutic method), with foundational training in Internal Family Systems. I remain committed to ongoing learning and professional development.

Trauma shows up differently for everyone. Sometimes it’s obvious, tied to specific events or relationships. Other times it’s subtle, quietly shaping how we relate to ourselves and others, how we experience emotions, or even how we feel in our own bodies. I work with people navigating the aftermath of narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and other relational wounds that leave lasting imprints.

In our work together, we create space to understand how past experiences continue to influence your present life. Whether you’re struggling with anxiety, relationship patterns that feel impossible to break, or a sense of disconnection from yourself, therapy offers a path toward healing and wisdom. My approach is body-aware and relationally focused, helping you process what’s been unresolved and build the resilience and self-understanding needed to move forward with confidence.

I offer psychotherapy and counselling in both English and Spanish, available through in-person sessions and online therapy for greater accessibility.

Family Constellations

Supporting individuals and those in relationships, through trauma-informed and humanistic Psychotherapy & Trauma Counselling

Have you worked with therapists who avoided exploring past trauma, insisting you focus only on current symptoms without addressing the roots of your pain?

Have you felt dismissed, misunderstood, or invalidated by mental health professionals who didn’t grasp the complexity of what you’ve experienced?

Has a counsellor told you they’re “out of their depth” with your situation, offering only to listen without providing real therapeutic tools or direction?

Are you wondering if anyone truly understands trauma recovery or has the expertise to guide you through healing and meaningful understanding?

I understand how disheartening it can be to reach out for support, only to feel unheard or dismissed by the very people meant to help.

As a trauma-informed psychotherapist, I help individuals who are dealing with complex grief, trauma, anxiety, disconnection from their authentic Selves, and relationship challenges. I particularly focus on those healing from narcissistic abuse, childhood trauma, and relational wounds. My approach goes beyond addressing surface-level symptoms to explore what your emotions and physical sensations are truly communicating.

This isn’t about giving you answers or telling you how to feel; it’s about creating space where you can process experiences at your own pace and develop your own inner body’s wisdom. The result is a path toward becoming more grounded, self-aware, and authentic that can lead you on your way to experiencing real transformation as you regain your agency.

You’re probably very curious about what happens in the first session of somatic therapy.

I combine a variety of therapeutic approaches, and in the first session, I will generally ask you about your intention for this process. What would you like to gain from it? What would you like to be different in your life? And what are you willing to do to support that change?

It’s important to understand that not everyone is ready to begin therapy using a somatic approach. Most of us are not accustomed to being in contact with our bodies, so this process looks different for every person.

During the first session, once you tell me what you would like to work on or heal, I will ask you certain questions about the sensations you notice in your body. Some people respond in ways that indicate they are not yet deeply connected to their bodies. It is very common for people to tell me, “I’m very connected to my body. I feel a lot.” Yet when I ask them to identify physical sensations or name emotions as they are experienced in the body, they often find it quite difficult.

On the other hand, some people say, “I don’t feel anything,” and yet when we begin exercises focused on noticing sensations and emotions in the body, they find it surprisingly easy.

Generally, the people who find it easier to connect with their bodies have already done some personal or emotional work. They may regularly practice yoga, meditation, breathwork, or other forms of self-awareness. Those who struggle more often have never worked somatically before, have a strong fear of feeling their emotions, or experience significant blocks that make it difficult to connect with their bodies.

In these cases, we first work with the blocks that are preventing connection. Developing a relationship with the body helps us understand ourselves more deeply. It allows us to access the answers we need and gives the body permission to do what it naturally needs to do in order to release stuck or unresolved energy. However, this process cannot happen until a person develops sufficient contact with their body.

For most people, it takes between two and four sessions to feel more connected to their bodies and begin sensing what the body needs to express or do.

As we deepen our connection with the body, memories, insights, and awareness often emerge that help us understand why we behave in certain ways, react to particular situations, or experience specific triggers. We begin to recognize our coping strategies and behavioural patterns. We understand why we may feel disconnected from ourselves, from the present moment, from others, or from our emotions. We also begin to see how we may have become disconnected from our instincts and intuition.

When we are disconnected from our bodies, intuition, emotions, sensations, and instincts, we often experience anxiety and depression. We may overthink, seek validation from others, struggle to set boundaries, find it difficult to say no, and carry a deep fear of rejection. We may hesitate to pursue our dreams and feel stuck in life.

A central goal of this approach is self-discovery and developing self-awareness. But even more important is cultivating self-empathy and self-compassion. Many people believe they already have these qualities, yet when we explore them through experiential exercises, they often discover that self-compassion is much more challenging than they expected.

Because many people are afraid of feeling their emotions, we move very slowly. You always remain in control of the process. You have the authority to say when something does not feel right, when something does not resonate, or when you need to set a boundary. You can decline any exercise, and we will always proceed at a pace that feels safe and manageable for you.

It is also important to understand that meaningful healing cannot happen by working only with the body. To achieve lasting results, we must also understand and include what is happening in your mind and emotional world. Nothing exists in isolation.

If you are looking for a therapy that focuses solely on the body, this may not be the right fit for you. In this approach, we do not separate the body, mind, emotions, and spirit. Everything is interconnected.

Even if you come to therapy because of a physical injury or ongoing pain after an accident, we will still explore the limiting beliefs and unconscious stories you hold about yourself. These beliefs can unknowingly interfere with healing and recovery. By raising their awareness, we create the conditions for deeper healing, growth, and transformation.

This approach blends a variety of therapeutic modalities. If you are looking for a therapy that focuses only on the body, where you do not need to explore emotions or observe your thoughts, then this may not be the right fit for you.

Even if you are seeking support following an accident or a physical injury, we will still need to explore your emotional experience and thought patterns. More often than not, these emotions and beliefs have roots in early life experiences.

From the moment we are born—and even before birth—our nervous systems and brains are shaped by our environment. We develop beliefs about ourselves, many of which are inaccurate or limiting. We also develop coping mechanisms and survival strategies designed to help us maintain attachment with our caregivers and navigate our surroundings.

When a child grows up in an environment that is emotionally safe, nurturing, attuned, and supportive, they are more likely to develop resilience. However, when a child does not receive the protection, attunement, and emotional support they need, they often carry unresolved adaptations into adulthood.

As a result, when a person later experiences a single traumatic event—such as an accident, assault, natural disaster, or other overwhelming experience—many of these earlier adaptations can be activated. Old fears, survival strategies, coping mechanisms, and deeply held beliefs about oneself often rise to the surface.

This is one reason why two people can experience the same traumatic event and have very different outcomes. Not everyone who goes to war develops Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Research and clinical experience suggest that a person’s early relational environment, attachment experiences, and developmental history can significantly influence how they respond to later trauma.

When a child grows up without consistent emotional attunement, safety, or support, they may become more vulnerable to developing symptoms of PTSD following a traumatic event later in life.

For this reason, when we work with the effects of a single traumatic event, it is often necessary to explore aspects of the past. This is not because we are looking for something to blame, but because earlier experiences may be shaping how the nervous system responds in the present. By understanding and working with these deeper layers, we create the possibility for more profound, lasting, and sustainable healing.

It can take time to create change and see permanent results; however, you should see some level of significant progress after the first Sixth-TENTH sessions. Importantly, 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.

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.This 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.
Therapy can look depending on the individual client and their needs and goal(s). I 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.