Feeling on edge, or far away
Finding it hard to settle, feeling watchful or disconnected, or struggling with memories and reminders that arrive uninvited.
Trauma recovery · Online with Zoe
Trauma therapy,
at your pace.
You don’t have to find all the words
before you begin.
If difficult experiences are affecting life now, there’s room to talk. Work with Zoe Semmler on what you’re carrying, what feels manageable and what you’d like to change.
Adults 18+ · 60 minutes · Secure telehealth across Australia
Making room for what’s happening now
When the past
keeps showing up.
It might be one experience, or things that happened over time. You don’t need a PTSD diagnosis to ask for help with how you’re feeling.
We can start with how life is for you today.
Life becoming smaller
Avoiding places or situations, disrupted sleep, or finding everyday tasks take more out of you than they used to.
Relationships feeling harder
Difficulties with trust, closeness or boundaries. Or carrying feelings about what happened that are hard to make sense of alone.
People respond differently to difficult experiences. These are reasons to start a conversation, not a checklist for a diagnosis.
Working together
Careful listening.
A practical way forward.
Zoe brings warmth, curiosity and a straightforward approach to the conversation. She’ll ask what matters to you, explain the options and work with you to decide where to begin.
You have a say in the work
You can ask why an approach is being suggested, talk about your concerns and say when you need to slow down or pause.
The plan can change with you
You and Zoe can discuss coping strategies, readiness for more focused trauma work and how sessions are going. If you’ve tried therapy before, what helped—and what didn’t—matters here too.
Understanding the options
EMDR, explained simply.
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy that works with distressing memories while using guided eye movements or other alternating stimulation.
It usually doesn’t require a detailed spoken account of every part of what happened. It does involve engaging with memories, so Zoe will explain the process and discuss whether it fits your needs.
More about EMDR from the National Center for PTSDAn approach that fits
You don’t have to choose a method.
Trauma-focused CBT and EMDR are recommended treatments for PTSD in Australian guidelines. The approach for you depends on your experiences, preferences and assessment.
Alongside a treatment plan, you may work on grounding, understanding physical responses, or the effect of past experiences on relationships. Zoe can explain what each part is for and how you’ll review it together.
Explore the Australian PTSD guidelinesThe first conversation
Start where
you feel able.
You don’t have to tell the whole story at your first appointment. Zoe will ask what brought you here, what life is like now and what you hope could be different.
There’s time to ask questions about the approach and confidentiality, discuss what support you already have, and agree a useful next step.
You can bring a few notes if that helps. It’s also fine to begin with “I’m not sure where to start.”
Before you book
A clear starting point.
60-minute individual sessions.
These are the amounts paid at booking.
Do I have to talk about everything that happened?
You can begin by describing how things are affecting you now. You don’t need to give a complete account at the first session.
Some trauma-focused treatments involve working with difficult memories. Zoe can explain what that involves, answer questions and discuss your choices before you decide how to proceed.
Do I need a PTSD diagnosis?
No. You can seek support for the effects of difficult experiences without a PTSD diagnosis. Not everyone who has experienced trauma develops PTSD.
You and Zoe can explore what’s happening and what kind of support is appropriate. Funding pathways have separate requirements.
How long will therapy take?
There isn’t one timeline that fits everyone. The approach, your needs and your circumstances all matter.
You can discuss an initial plan with Zoe and review progress, session frequency and what’s useful as you go.
What if I have tried therapy before?
You’re welcome to talk about what helped, what felt difficult and what you would want to be different. That experience can help shape the conversation about your next step.