Hannah Hawkes Clinical Psychologist Accredited EMDR Practitioner
"The paradox of trauma is that it has both the power to destroy and the power to transform and resurrect"
Peter A.Levine
A bridge back
Feel like you keep falling into the same old patterns of coping? Maybe past memories trouble you? Do your emotions take you by surprise as if they don't even belong to you? It's never too late to face the past with a compassionate guide even if your trauma was long ago.
EMDR
I have a special interest in a treatment technique called EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing). This is an evidence-based treatment which can be highly effective for PTSD and other trauma responses. It has a growing evidence base and can be used to treat depression, anxiety and phobias.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy (Shapiro, 2001) was initially developed in 1987 for the treatment of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and is guided by the Adaptive Information Processing model (Shapiro 2007).
The Adaptive Information Processing model considers symptoms of PTSD and other disorders (unless physically or chemically based) to result from past disturbing experiences that continue to cause distress because the memory was not adequately processed. These unprocessed memories are understood to contain the emotions, thoughts, beliefs and physical sensations that occurred at the time of the event. When the memories are triggered these stored disturbing elements are experienced and cause the symptoms of PTSD and/or other disorders.
Unlike other treatments that focus on directly altering the emotions, thoughts and responses resulting from traumatic experiences, EMDR therapy focuses directly on the memory, and is intended to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing and eliminating the problematic symptoms.
During EMDR therapy, clinical observations suggest that an accelerated learning process is stimulated by EMDR’s standardized procedures, which incorporate the use of eye movements and other forms of rhythmic left-right (bilateral) stimulation (e.g., tones or taps). While clients briefly focus on the trauma memory and simultaneously experience bilateral stimulation (BLS), the vividness and emotion of the memory are reduced (APA).
EMDR does not require the person to talk in depth about their trauma and, in fact, traumas can be processed without the therapist knowing what they are.
ABOUT ME
Hannah
Treatment Focus
Treatment Focus
A Clinical Psychologist, EMDR Consultant in Training and a Psychology Board Approved Supervisor.
Hannah is described as warm and compassionate and she strives to be down to earth and practical. She is passionate about working alongside people to enable them to feel comfortable and supported, whether they are clients or other therapists..
Treatment Focus
Treatment Focus
Treatment Focus
I work with common symptoms and issues like depression and anxiety. I have a special interest in helping people with trauma symptoms, PTSD, complex trauma, dissociation and structural dissociation.
I use a range of approaches, mostly EMDR and schema therapy or parts work (IFS-informed, ego state approaches). I often draw on DBT/CBT and ACT.
I have training in trauma-informed yoga.
Treatment Focus
Treatment Focus
Treatment Focus
Using a harm minimisation approach I am interested in supporting people who may have had their own experiences with non-ordinary states. I am trained in Psychedelic-Assisted therapy and am able to assist with additional preparation and integration after legal medicine sessions or trials.
WHAT NOW?
I know it's hard to take the step and reach out. I invite you to connect for a chat or email first to make sure you feel comfortable. Even if you are not sure exactly what you need, it's OK to ask questions! See 'Contact Us'
You can self refer or you can provide a referral from a GP or Psychiatrist in order to access Medicare rebates. Please book a double session with your GP to discuss a Mental Health Care Plan. I also see self or fund managed NDIS clients. As a Clinical psychologist I can help you access the $131.65 rebate