Trauma Therapist in London, Los Angeles, and online
Understanding Trauma: When Past Experiences Leave a Lasting Impact
Sometimes, life events leave a lasting mark not just on the body, but on the mind and nervous system. These emotional or psychological wounds are often referred to as trauma — and while trauma affects everyone differently, understanding how it shows up is the first step toward healing.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is the emotional and physiological response to distressing or overwhelming events that exceed a person’s ability to cope at the time. These events may include:
- Accidents or injuries
- Physical or emotional abuse
- Sexual violence or harassment
- Bullying or neglect
- Sudden loss or grief
- Natural disasters
- War, conflict, or displacement
- Medical emergencies or childbirth complications
What makes an event traumatic isn't just the event itself — it’s how your nervous system responds and whether the experience gets fully processed or remains "stuck" in the body or mind. You might not always call it “trauma” — but if any of this sounds familiar, therapy can help:
- Panic attacks or chronic anxiety
- Emotional numbness or overreactivity
- Difficulty trusting others or forming relationships
- Overworking, burnout, or emotional exhaustion
- Guilt, shame, or feeling "stuck in the past"
What is PTSD?
Trauma can disrupt your sense of safety, trust, and control. However, not everyone who experiences trauma will go on to develop PTSD. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a clinical diagnosis that can develop after a person experiences or witnesses a life-threatening or terrifying event. Symptoms may include:
- Intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares
- Avoidance of reminders, hypervigilance (always feeling “on edge”)
- Emotional numbness or disconnection
Subclinical Trauma, Trauma-Related Conditions, or the Impact of Negative Life Events
Not everyone who experiences emotional pain or hardship meets the full clinical criteria for trauma or PTSD. However, many people still suffer from trauma-like symptoms stemming from difficult or overwhelming life events — even if these symptoms are milder or more diffuse. These may be referred to as:
- Adjustment difficulties
- Trauma-related distress
- Traumatic stress reactions
- Emotional dysregulation
- Mental or emotional exhaustion (sometimes called “burnout” or a breakdown)
These experiences are no less valid. In fact, many people seek help for relationship issues, self-doubt, perfectionism, or people-pleasing, only to realize later that unresolved trauma is underneath.
What Helps with Trauma?
There are several evidence-based approaches for healing trauma, including:
✅ EMDR Therapy (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing). Helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories and remove their emotional charge. Especially effective for PTSD, complex trauma, and negative beliefs formed during difficult events.
✅ CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)
Helps identify and shift unhelpful thought patterns, often combined with exposure techniques for managing anxiety and avoidance behaviors.
While EMDR helps reprocess deep emotional pain much faster, CBT can lead to long term transformation, focusing on thought behaviour patterns. In my practice, I combine both approaches when helpful. This allows us to address the roots of pain (with EMDR) and rebuild healthy thinking and coping tools (with CBT).
I am Ily Tsare, an accredited EMDR therapist, certified CBT practitioner, and business & career psychologist.
If you are ready to take the first step, sign up for the first consultation today by filling out the form below or messaging me directly on WhatsApp. Fees start from 150 SGD per hour during off-peak hours.
CONTACT ME
Tuesday–Sunday
7 am - 6 pm (London, the UK)
10 am - 9 pm (Dubai, the UAE)
2 pm - 1 am (Singapore)
4 pm - 3 am (Sydney, Australia)
8 pm - 3 am (Los Angeles, USA)
10 pm - 3 am (New York, USA)
$100/£75 per session
WORKING HOURS
PHONE/WHATSAPP
ADDRESS
9a Tinto Place, Edinburgh, United Kingdom