With the right support, people can and do recover from complex trauma. The lived experience and research evidence of healing and resilience is strong. There is hope and there is help.
If you are a survivor of complex trauma, this section provides information, resources and access to support, for your healing journey.
Call 1300 657 380 between 9am-5pm 7 days a week AEST/AEDT.
All human beings need to feel and be safe. People with experiences of complex trauma can find it hard to feel safe. This is because they were harmed in relationships, and this challenges our sense of safety, trust and connection. Survivors can often feel isolated and alone. They can find it hard to trust and might struggle to think of who they can talk to or ask for help.
Just as people can be harmed in relationships, safe and supportive relationships can also play an important role in healing and recovery from complex trauma. Healthy relationships bring experiences of being respected, heard and supported. Over time they can help survivors feel safe, build trust, strengthen connection and start to reach out to others for support.
Learning to trust after complex trauma can take time. There is no need to rush. Try to notice how you feel around different people. Who is available and reliable? Who listens to you, respects your boundaries responds to your experiences with compassion?
Is the relationship helping you to feel safer, respected and supported? Trust can develop gradually through experiences of compassion, understanding and care. Support can come from a friend, a family member, a colleague or a professional. If you seek help from a counsellor, therapist or service, look for someone who is experienced in supporting people with complex trauma.
If you have experienced childhood trauma you can call the Blue Knot Helpline on 1300 657 380 and Press 1 between 9am-5pm, 7 days a week and speak to one of our specialist trauma counsellors.
When things are difficult, it can be hard to remember what helps. Make a list you can find easily for when you need it.
Write down the people and services who can support you – a friend, family member, counsellor, support service or crisis support.
Think about what helps you feel calmer, comforted or supported. You might: spend time or play with your pet, make yourself a cup of tea or a cold drink, listen to your favourite music, go for a short walk or spend time in nature, take a warm shower, draw, colour in or create something, reach out to someone you trust and with whom you feel safe.
Everyone is different and finds different activities calming. Notice what calms and comforts you. Keep your list somewhere which is easy to find – on your fridge, in your phone or wherever works for you.
“Safety is not the absence of threat; it is the presence of connection.”
Gabor Mate
Self-care can be difficult when you’ve experienced complex trauma. Caring for yourself can feel unfamiliar or uncomfortable, particularly when experiences of violence, abuse, neglect or not being protected have affected how you see and feel about yourself. You may struggle with feelings of shame or worthlessness, or find it difficult to believe that you deserve care and support.
These feelings can develop when you’ve been harmed by another person, when you were a child, a young person, an adult, or at different times. The harm may have been deliberate, or it may have happened because your parent or caregiver was not able to care for, nurture or protect you, as you needed. When experiences like these happen repeatedly or over time, they can deeply affect your sense of self and self-worth.
While feeling this way makes sense, what happened to you does not determine how worthy you are. You are deserving of compassion, care and support – including from yourself.
This section explores how complex trauma can affect you, the ways people cope with violence, abuse and trauma, and strategies that can help.
People can and do heal from complex trauma. Understanding its impacts, coping strategies and recognising your own resilience can support healing and recovery. You can also find practical information to help with different challenges, including going to court.
There is always hope, even when it doesn’t feel hopeful, and there are always possibilities for healing, even when healing feels elusive.
When things feel difficult, having a few strategies to try can help.
You might:
You don’t need to try everything. Choose what feels helpful for you right now.
Caring for yourself can also mean doing more of what interests you and gives you meaning.
You might:
Think about what you would be positive to add into your life. It doesn’t need to be big – start slowly with something small that feels right for you.
Our counsellors provide empathetic, informative and empowering support for adult survivors of childhood trauma (Blue Knot Helpline) and adult survivors of institutional child sexual abuse engaging with redress (Redress Support Services)
Call 1300 657 380
Blue Knot Foundation respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of the Lands on which we work and pay respect to First Nations peoples and their Elders past and present. We acknowledge their strength and resilience and are honoured to journey with them on the path to healing and reconciliation. Please be aware that this website may contain the names, images and voices of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who may now be deceased.
© 2026 Blue Knot Foundation. | ABN 49072260005 | All rights reserved.
