Childhood and family wounds
Early experiences of neglect, harshness, instability or not feeling safe can shape how you relate to yourself and others for years. We work with these old imprints gently, without blame and without rushing.
Trauma Counselling Sydney
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Soul Counselling · Trauma Support · Sydney
Gentle, paced trauma counselling for Sydney, at a speed that feels safe
If old wounds, sudden emotional shock or relationship trauma still live in your body as survival patterns, you do not have to force them open. This is slow, safe, trauma-informed support for Sydney, held online and by phone, where nothing moves faster than you are ready for.
Book a free 15-minute assessment → Ask a question firstPrefer to talk first? Call 0479 144 561
Around three in four Australians live through a traumatic event at some point, and close to eleven percent will experience post-traumatic stress, though most people do not go on to carry a lasting disorder. In New South Wales, the ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing for 2020 to 2022 found that roughly one in five adults met the criteria for a mental disorder in a single year, so if you are struggling you are far from alone.
Sources: ABS National Study of Mental Health and Wellbeing, 2020 to 2022; AIHW.
Five-star Google reviews
People keep saying the same thing.
One conversation in, most clients say they’ve finally been understood.
“I truly felt heard for the first time in all my life and deeply understood.”
“When I came to Christina I was drowning in darkness… now I’m finally thriving again.”
“Due to her mediumship I was able to see core issues that I wasn’t able to recognise before.”
When the past is over but your body has not caught up
- Small, seemingly ordinary moments set off a wave of fear, dread or tears that feels far bigger than the trigger.
- You notice yourself shutting down, freezing, over-pleasing others or staying quietly on high alert, even when nothing is wrong.
- Certain memories or body sensations still feel like they are happening now, rather than something that already passed.
- Trust, boundaries, feeling safe and believing you matter have become harder than they should be.
- Part of you wants support, and part of you is afraid of being pushed to talk before you are ready.
In a city that never slows down, there is often no room to feel any of this, so it gets pushed down and pushed through instead of gently met.
How Christina works
How trauma-informed sessions work here
There is no forced disclosure and no pressure to relive anything. You will not be asked to retell the worst moments or to chase a big emotional release. Sessions are paced around your safety, your consent and what your nervous system can actually process on the day, so you stay in choice the whole way through.
Safety first
Before anything else, we build a sense of steadiness. You set the pace, you decide what to share, and you can pause or slow down at any point. Feeling safe enough is not a nice extra here, it is the foundation everything else rests on.
Body-aware depth
Trauma is a survival response held in the nervous system, not a weakness or a flaw. We gently notice what your body is carrying, what triggers it and what helps it settle, so the parts of you still braced for danger can slowly learn that the danger has passed.
Root-level healing
Rather than only managing symptoms, we make careful room for the deeper roots, at whatever depth feels safe. Over time this supports real healing, so old patterns loosen their grip and you feel more like yourself in the present.
Go deeper
Reading that may help along the way
If you like to understand what is happening before you reach out, our writing on trauma, the nervous system and gentle recovery can be a low-pressure place to begin. There is nothing to sign up for and nothing to prove.
Read the trauma counselling blogRead at your own pace, and only take in what feels useful right now.
What we can work through
Some of the trauma themes people bring
People come to Soul Counselling carrying many different kinds of trauma. You do not need the right words or a clear story to begin. These are a few of the themes that come up most often.
Single-incident shock and accidents
A crash, an assault, a medical scare or another sudden event can leave your system stuck on alert long after the event ends. Together we help your body register that the moment is over.
Relationship and betrayal trauma
Betrayal, controlling relationships or the loss of someone you trusted can quietly damage your sense of safety and self-worth. We make space to rebuild trust in yourself, one steady step at a time.
Frontline, work and cumulative strain
Many Sydney workers absorb distressing situations again and again until it stacks up. This kind of cumulative strain is real, and it deserves care rather than being brushed off as part of the job.
About Christina
The counsellor behind Soul Counselling.
Soul Counselling was founded in 2016 by Christina Feyes, a counsellor with training in psychology, social work and human services and more than ten years of experience. She is a counsellor rather than a psychologist, and she works with people right across Australia by video and phone. She does not diagnose, prescribe or promise to cure, she walks alongside you.
Christina brings solid clinical understanding together with warm, grounded counselling and a gift for intuitive insight. That blend means sessions can hold both the practical, everyday steps and the deeper layers underneath, so you feel genuinely met rather than processed.
Common questions
Before you book.
If your question is not here, the free 15-minute assessment is the easiest way to ask it.
Is trauma counselling in Sydney expensive?
You can start without paying anything. The first step is a free fifteen minute assessment, with no card required and no obligation, so you can get a feel for whether this is right for you before deciding anything. We keep the focus on what you need rather than on cost, and there is genuinely nothing to lose by having that first gentle conversation and seeing how it sits with you.
Do I need a referral to start?
No referral is needed. You can reach out directly and book your free fifteen minute assessment whenever you feel ready. You do not need a diagnosis, paperwork or a doctor’s note to begin. Soul Counselling is a counselling service, and Christina works alongside you rather than diagnosing or prescribing, so you can simply get in touch and start from wherever you are today.
Is there a Soul Counselling clinic in Sydney?
There is no Sydney clinic. Soul Counselling works with people right across Sydney online, by video and phone, and the only physical base is in Southport on the Gold Coast. For most Sydney clients online sessions actually work better, because there is no commute across a huge city and you can join from a space where you already feel safe and comfortable.
Where do I even start with trauma counselling?
You start with a single, low-pressure step, the free fifteen minute assessment. You do not need to have your story worked out or know where to begin. You can simply say that things feel hard right now. From there, Christina helps you find a gentle, safe pace. There is no right way to start, and no expectation that you will have the words ready straight away.
Will I have to retell everything that happened?
No. There is no forced disclosure here and no need to relive the details. You share only what you choose to share, when and if you feel ready. Trauma work does not require retelling the worst moments to be effective. We move at the pace of your nervous system, focusing on safety and steadiness first, so you always stay in choice about what is spoken about.
How many sessions will I need?
There is no set number, because trauma recovery is not one-size-fits-all. Some people come for a season of support, others stay for a longer, slower journey. We go at your pace and keep checking in about what is helping. You are never locked into anything, and you can take breaks whenever you need. The right number of sessions is simply the number that feels supportive to you.
Is online trauma counselling private and effective?
Yes. Sessions are held privately by secure video or phone, and many people find it easier to open up from their own safe space at home. Working online does not water down the support. If anything, feeling settled in familiar surroundings can help your nervous system relax, which matters a great deal in trauma-informed work. You control the environment, which supports the sense of safety that healing needs.
What if I need urgent help or I am in crisis?
Soul Counselling is not a crisis service and cannot offer emergency support. If you are in immediate danger, please call 000. For urgent emotional support you can call Lifeline on 13 11 14 or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 at any time. For specialist support around complex trauma, the Blue Knot Helpline is available on 1300 657 380. Please reach out to these services first if you need help right now.
A gentle first step, whenever you are ready
You can begin with a free fifteen minute assessment. There is no card required, no obligation and nothing to lose. It is simply a chance to talk, to ask questions and to feel out whether Christina seems safe enough for you to take the next step. If it does not feel right, that is completely okay.
Book your free 15-minute assessment →Prefer to talk first? Call 0479 144 561
Trauma support across Sydney
Trauma counselling that fits a relentless Sydney life
Sydney is the biggest and most expensive city in the country, and the constant pressure of cost-of-living and long working hours leaves very little room to process old wounds. So trauma often gets pushed down and pushed through, year after year. The city carries a huge frontline, healthcare and emergency services workforce absorbing cumulative strain, alongside a deeply multicultural population, many of whom hold refugee, migration or intergenerational trauma. Add long commutes and the strange feeling of being anonymous in a crowd, and it is easy to feel unseen while quietly struggling. Online counselling makes room to be met, without adding another trip across the city.
- Support for CBD and inner city workers who keep going on adrenaline and never quite land.
- Care for frontline, healthcare and emergency staff across the Eastern Suburbs, North Shore and Northern Beaches carrying cumulative strain.
- A safe space for people in Western Sydney, including Parramatta, Blacktown and Liverpool, holding refugee, migration or intergenerational trauma.
- Gentle help for families across the Inner West and the Sutherland Shire where old wounds keep resurfacing under daily pressure.
Sessions are held online and by phone across Sydney and all of Australia, so support fits around your life. You can also explore all Sydney counselling services.
Safe enough to do the work
No commute across a huge city, just support from wherever you feel safe
In a city this spread out, the thought of travelling to yet another appointment can be enough to put healing off indefinitely. Working online removes that barrier, so you can begin from a room where you already feel settled.
You will be working with a qualified counsellor in trauma-aware, paced sessions where you stay in control the whole time. Whether you are on the Northern Beaches, in the Sutherland Shire or deep in Western Sydney, you can join from wherever feels safe, in your own space, with your own comforts nearby. Nothing is pushed before you are ready, and you can slow down or pause whenever you need to.