Do I need a formal diagnosis to access trauma counselling?
No. You do not need a PTSD diagnosis or any formal label to benefit from trauma-informed counselling. If you feel that past experiences are affecting your present life, that is enough.
Trauma-informed counselling
Trauma-informed counselling in West Wales and online across the UK
Trauma is not just what happened to you; it is what happened inside you as a result. It can live in the body long after the events have passed, shaping how safe you feel, how you relate to others, and how you move through the world. Trauma-informed counselling offers a space where that experience can be explored gently, at your pace, and with deep respect for what you have survived.
Book an AppointmentI am Gareth Vaughan, a BACP Accredited Counsellor and Psychotherapist based in New Quay, Ceredigion, West Wales. I offer trauma-informed counselling in person and online via Microsoft Teams to clients across the UK.
What is trauma?
Trauma is any experience that overwhelmed your capacity to cope at the time, leaving a lasting imprint on your nervous system, your sense of self, or your ability to feel safe. It does not have to be a single dramatic event.
Complex or developmental trauma often arises from prolonged experiences, childhood neglect or abuse, growing up in an unsafe or unpredictable environment, ongoing relational harm, or repeated exposure to distressing events. Many people who have experienced this kind of trauma do not identify themselves as "traumatised", they simply feel that something is wrong, or that they have never quite felt at home in themselves.
How does trauma show up?
Trauma can manifest in many ways, including:
- Emotional flashbacks, sudden waves of shame, fear, or distress that seem disproportionate to the present moment
- Hypervigilance, a persistent sense of being on guard or waiting for something to go wrong
- Dissociation, feeling detached from yourself, your body, or your surroundings
- Difficulty trusting others or forming close relationships
- Shame, self-criticism, or a deep sense of being fundamentally flawed
- Physical symptoms, tension, fatigue, digestive issues, or chronic pain
- Patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, or self-sabotage
My approach to trauma counselling
I work in a trauma-informed way, meaning that safety, choice, and your pace are central to everything we do together. I draw on Polyvagal Theory to understand how trauma affects the nervous system, Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) to work with shame and self-criticism, and elements of Internal Family Systems (IFS) thinking to explore different parts of your experience.
We will never push into material before you are ready. The foundation of trauma work is a secure, trusting therapeutic relationship, and building that takes time. That time is not wasted: it is the work.
Frequently asked questions, trauma counselling
Will I have to talk about what happened in detail?
Not necessarily, and not before you are ready. Effective trauma work does not always require detailed disclosure of events. Often the most useful work happens through understanding how trauma lives in your body and nervous system now, and developing your capacity to feel safe in the present.
How is trauma counselling different from standard counselling?
Trauma-informed practice means that everything, the pace, the structure of sessions, the language used, is shaped by an understanding of how trauma affects the nervous system and sense of self. It is careful, attentive work, led entirely by you.
Do you offer online trauma counselling?
Yes. I offer trauma-informed counselling via Microsoft Teams to clients anywhere in the UK. For many people, the safety of their own home can actually support trauma work rather than hinder it.