How to find a therapist who is the right fit for your trauma recovery?

Looking for a new therapist in nipaluna Hobart and wondering what to consider? Below I have 10 things I recommend considering when trying to find the right therapist for you.

What is their experience with your main concern?

Look for someone who specialises in and understands what you are living with and what you have experienced.

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I created Rise Counselling and Social Work to provide trauma-informed therapy in Hobart for people impacted by abuse and violence. My experience is working alongside survivors. I primarily incorporate EMDR into our trauma therapy sessions, which is an evidence-based approach I have found to be really effective in supporting trauma recovery.

Availability that suits you.

Do they have appointment times that suit you? Does it feel like you have to wait weeks to get your next appointment?

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I offer outside of hours appointments, as I know first hand the difficulty of scheduling therapy within work hours. I have online appointments available 4pm to 7pm Monday to Wednesday and in-person appointments available in Hobart on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Their understanding of trauma.

Trauma informed therapists understand how trauma and chronic stress impacts the nervous system. 

Trauma informed therapists recognise that recovery is not just cognitive and support you to feel safe enough to reconnect with your body and emotions.

Rise Counselling and Social Work: As a trauma-informed therapist working and living in Hobart, I understand how trauma, abuse and chronic stress impact the nervous system. I recognise that recovery is not just cognitive, which is why I focus on helping you feel safe enough to gently reconnect with your body and emotions in our sessions with EMDR, parts work including Internal Family Systems and somatic experiencing.

Do you feel comfortable with them?

Therapy is meant to be a space where you are not judged so that you can feel safe enough to be vulnerable. Does your therapist come across as authentic themselves? Are they creating a space where you can be your authentic self?

Rise Counselling and Social Work:  In my work as a trauma-informed therapist in Hobart, I aim to offer a non-judgemental space where you feel safe enough to be vulnerable. I have been both a client and a therapist, and I know how essential it is to feel emotionally safe with your therapist.

Creating a safe, trauma-informed space is a core part of how I support trauma recovery through therapy, including EMDR therapy.

Is your connection building?

Research shows us that the client-therapist relationship is the most important element for recovery and the strongest predictor of outcomes!

Trust and safety doesn’t have to be instant, but it should be growing. 

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I don’t expect trust to be instant, particularly in trauma therapy, but I do think it should be growing over time and you should feel more comfortable as each session passes. I regularly check in with you about how sessions are feeling and whether the work is supporting your goals. I welcome feedback (seriously, I love it!) and see it as an important part of our work together. I find feedback helps you and I adjust, and deepen the therapeutic relationship.

Do they compassionately challenge you?

Without challenge or perspective broadening, our recovery might be stilted. Therapy sessions should always feel safe and you won’t be judged, but it can also feel tricky and challenging. 

Rise Counselling and Social Work: As we build trust and a sense of safety together, I may share reflections or curiosities that could be challenging for some parts of you, whilst also being eye-opening or validating for other parts of you. In trauma-informed therapy, these moments of challenge often lead to important insight.

Have they done their own work and therapy?

Most therapists are drawn to support others after having lived through their own challenge. So it’s important that therapists have been a client, and know what it’s like to be vulnerable and work on themselves.

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I began my social work career with a deep interest in understanding how people survive hardship. This curiosity came about when my dad died suddenly when I was 10 years old, and my world felt fragmented from that point on. Like many therapists working in trauma therapy, my professional interest in trauma recovery was influenced by a desire to understand recovery and healing from both a personal and professional lens.

I continue to invest in my own therapy, and having my own therapy allows me to show up in your sessions as my most present, and emotionally regulated self.

How do you feel when you leave a session?

Not all sessions will have light bulb moments, however, you should walk away feeling that you are partnered with your therapist and working towards your desired outcome. 

You want to leave sessions knowing what you’re working towards. 

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I focus on collaboration and really aim to be clear, so you know what we are working toward and why. Whether we are using EMDR therapy or other trauma-informed approaches, sessions are guided by your desired outcomes.

How do they respond to misunderstandings or misattunments?

Like any sort of relationship, even the professional relationship between client and therapist, there will be times you feel misunderstood. Good therapists will approach this with transparency and model clear communication, where you can voice any concern or worry.

Rise Counselling and Social Work: I encourage you to voice any concerns or worries, and like I said above, I truly do love feedback. You can share any worries or let me know if I got something wrong, with me face-to-face or via email to risecounsellingandgmail.com

I have found when you feel comfortable enough to address any concerns together, our therapist relationship will strengthen and sharing feedback will support your progress in trauma therapy, whether we are working with EMDR therapy or other trauma-informed approaches.

Are you noticing progress?

Progress and change can be gradual and specific. 

You might notice you are able to regulate faster after becoming activated.

You might be able to offer yourself compassion for mistakes. 

You start recovering from hard moments without them taking over your whole day.

Rise Counselling and Social Work: As your trauma therapist, I am tracking progress and offering reflections during sessions. Together we track small wins and we can celebrate growth. Offering my reflections will allow you to begin to track and notice you own progress and recovery, and make sure that our sessions, whether they are EMDR therapy or other trauma-informed therapy approaches, are working well for you.