ABOUT THE TRAUMA & PHOBIA CLINIC
Psychological Trauma
Psychological trauma is an emotional response to a catastrophic incident such as a natural disaster, a motor vehicle accident, physical or sexual assault/abuse, repeated domestic violence, etc., which results in a significant impact in the brain. In the case of once-off incidents, these are typically unexpected and overwhelming, often followed by shock and denial in the immediate term. Longer-term reactions include unpredictable emotions (e.g., anxiety, nervousness, irritability, moodiness); flashbacks, reliving the incident(s); disturbed sleeping patterns and nightmares; strained relationships; and even physical symptoms, such as headaches, dizziness, or nausea. Thus, the overwhelming amount of stress exceeds one's ability to integrate the experience and the emotions accompanying it.
Very often, these incidents get caught up in the subconscious part of the brain, where they are dormant, waiting for the right trigger to come along and cause them to resurface in their entirety, or at least partially, with all the raw emotion accompanying it, and the person experiencing a specific incident or incidents all over again. Thus, instead of dealing with the experience, getting closure, many people tend to suppress the experience and their emotions, trying to redirect their thoughts or attention to something else. Accordingly, the experience once again gets caught up in the subconscious part of their mind where it is dormant for the next trigger to cause a repeat of the same reaction all over again. Not only is this a severely emotionally distressing situation, the constant resurfacing of an experience and the resultant suppression thereof, can be extremely tiring.
All of this is an indication of the brain never having dealt with the experience. The good news, however, is that our brain has all the ability and skill to deal with whatever has happened to us in the past.
Very often, these incidents get caught up in the subconscious part of the brain, where they are dormant, waiting for the right trigger to come along and cause them to resurface in their entirety, or at least partially, with all the raw emotion accompanying it, and the person experiencing a specific incident or incidents all over again. Thus, instead of dealing with the experience, getting closure, many people tend to suppress the experience and their emotions, trying to redirect their thoughts or attention to something else. Accordingly, the experience once again gets caught up in the subconscious part of their mind where it is dormant for the next trigger to cause a repeat of the same reaction all over again. Not only is this a severely emotionally distressing situation, the constant resurfacing of an experience and the resultant suppression thereof, can be extremely tiring.
All of this is an indication of the brain never having dealt with the experience. The good news, however, is that our brain has all the ability and skill to deal with whatever has happened to us in the past.
Phobias
Similar to psychological trauma, many people suffering with a phobic reaction to particular anxiety/stress-inducing stimuli, feel embarrassed by it. Accordingly, they try to hide their fear, or they simply avoid those fear-inducing environments/situations at all cost. This invariably leads to living a limited life.
The current trend - COVID-19 Pandemic
Psychologists the world over are experiencing an increase in clients presenting with posttraumatic stress disorders, vicarious trauma, phobias, anxiety disorders and mood disorders. The COVID-19 pandemic has brought about a catastrophic global explosion in the incidence of people suffering from mental health issues, in the face of mental health providers being unable to cope with the growing demand.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drag on globally, this is taking a major lasting toll on the mental health of millions of people. There is no doubt that a fear of getting sick, lockdown causing social isolation, and the significant economic/financial strain and insecurity, has had - and is continuing to have - a catastrophic impact on mental health, globally. With psychological and other mental health services already stretched to the maximum, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many providers reporting an inability to meet the growing demand. This issue is expected to even further increase in future, with many people trying to access mental health services, expected to fail getting the help they need.
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to drag on globally, this is taking a major lasting toll on the mental health of millions of people. There is no doubt that a fear of getting sick, lockdown causing social isolation, and the significant economic/financial strain and insecurity, has had - and is continuing to have - a catastrophic impact on mental health, globally. With psychological and other mental health services already stretched to the maximum, the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in many providers reporting an inability to meet the growing demand. This issue is expected to even further increase in future, with many people trying to access mental health services, expected to fail getting the help they need.
The Trauma & Phobia Clinic
The Trauma & Phobia Clinic was established as a specialist service for the treatment of trauma and a variety of phobic disorders. Having the mental well-being of our clients as the ultimate focus, we provide an outcomes-orientated and evidence-based psychotherapeutic service, utilising the following therapies:
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- Clinical Neuro-psychotherapy
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERPT), also utilising Virtual Reality (VR) technology
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
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What we stand for
Expertise
Hein Roth is a mature and established Masters trained practitioner, having 37 years' experience in the industry, specialising in the treatment of psychological trauma, phobias, anxiety disorders and mood disorders. Hein has extensive training in Clinical Neuro-psychotherapy, Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR), Exposure Response Prevention Therapy (ERPT), Virtual Reality (VR) treatment of trauma and phobias, Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
Safety & Confidentiality
We provide a secure environment, having our clients' safety and confidentiality as our highest priority, ensuring the carefully guided delivery of sensory and psychotherapeutic stimulation within a secure and controlled therapeutic environment. We ensure the total and safe storage of our clients' information in accordance to appropriate professional standards. If necessary, i.e., having the safety and care of client as the primary focus, any discussion with referring health professionals or insurance institutions only occurs with the written consent and knowledge of the client.
Ease of access
We provide both face-to-face consultations to local clients, as well as to international and other clients who find it difficult to access a psychological service due to their special circumstances.
Transparency
We seek to demonstrate a transparent and honest approach to all our practices. Accordingly, we seek feedback from our clients and their referring health professional (if referred) as to the quality of our service on a regular basis. An online feedback form for clients is also available on this website to provide anonymous feedback.
Principal Psychologist
Hein RothHein Roth is a mature Masters degreed counselling psychologist having a rich and impeccable professional record since 1983.
Hein practiced as a counselling psychologist in South Africa for 18 years. Serving in the South African Medical Services in a permanent capacity for a number o f years during the South African Border War, Hein has a rich experience in the treatment of various trauma-related disorders. Relocating to New Zealand in 2001, Hein resumed practice as a consulting psychologist where a significant aspect of his work involved dealing with suicides on New Zealand farms. Hein and his family relocated to Perth in July 2011, where he initially consulted for a number of organisations in the construction industry. Since 2014, Hein has resumed practicing full-time again, having built an impeccable reputation as a master practitioner.
Professional MembershipsCertified Member of the International Association of Applied Neuroscience
Member of the International Society of Mental Health Online |