Working Through Trauma

Specialist Therapy for Teens and Adults - by Hope Pugh

When trauma shapes how you feel, think, and relate to others, it can touch every area of life; school, work, relationships, even sleep. At Therapy Huddersfield, Hope Pugh (MSc, MBACP) offers a calm, steady space for teens (13 +) and adults to recover from the effects of trauma, abuse, and chronic anxiety.

Hope is a qualified psychotherapist with more than eight years’ experience in both the UK and New Zealand. She has worked extensively with complex trauma, dissociation, personality-disorder presentations, and sexual-abuse recovery. Her work is grounded in clinical formulation, integrative psychotherapy, and a compassionate, attachment-based approach.

A Specialist Approach to Healing Trauma

Trauma isn’t just about what happened — it’s about how the body and mind learned to survive. Hope’s sessions create safety first, then gently build capacity to process what’s been overwhelming. Her approach honours both the psychological and physical impact of trauma, helping clients feel safe not only in their thoughts but also in their bodies.

• Integrative psychotherapy drawing on CBT, Person-Centred, TA and Gestalt models

• Trauma-focused psychoeducation to help you understand the nervous system

• Somatic attunement and body-based awareness, supporting clients to notice tension, breathing, and embodied emotion as part of healing

• Stabilisation and emotional-regulation skills

• EMDR-informed techniques (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing Part 1 trained)

• Attachment-focused and relational work to strengthen connection and resilience

Hope recognises that trauma often lives in the body as much as the mind — through tension, numbness, or an ever-present sense of threat. Her practice aligns with the work of Gabor Maté and Bessel van der Kolk, integrating body–mind awareness and relational safety to support deep, sustained recovery.

Therapy for Teens (13 +); When School and Life Feel Overwhelming

Many young people carry the invisible weight of trauma, bullying, or family stress. Hope offers a non-judgmental space where they can explore feelings safely and learn tools to manage anxiety and panic.

Example: A teenager struggling with concentration and irritability at school begins to learn grounding techniques, builds a calm-down plan for busy corridors, and regains confidence before exams.

• Anxiety and panic attacks at school

• Sleep problems or nightmares

• The impact of bullying or online harm

• Family changes, divorce or loss

• Self-esteem and confidence issues

• Processing past abuse or neglect

Parents are involved supportively — always respecting the young person’s confidentiality.

Therapy for Adults — When the Past Keeps Showing Up

Unresolved trauma can resurface years later through anxiety, relationship conflict, or unexplained body tension. Hope helps adults recognise survival patterns like fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, and gently process the roots of these responses.

Example: An adult survivor of abuse learns to identify triggers, practise grounding, and gradually work through traumatic memories using trauma-informed approaches such as EMDR. Over time, they rediscover calm, connection, and hope.

• Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and dissociation

• Recovery after sexual abuse or assault

• Relationship and intimacy difficulties

• Chronic anxiety and hypervigilance

• Burnout, perfectionism, and self-criticism

• Low mood, shame, or emotional numbing

Support for Anxiety and Overwhelm

Even when trauma isn’t the starting point, chronic anxiety can feel all-consuming — tightening the body, racing the mind, and leaving you in a cycle of overthinking or shutdown. Hope’s trauma-informed, somatic approach helps clients reconnect with their body’s signals, learning to notice tension, breath, posture, and the subtle cues that show when the nervous system is under pressure.

Drawing inspiration from Peter Levine (Somatic Experiencing) and the compassionate insights of Gabor Maté, Hope teaches clients to become more attuned to their embodied feelings — recognising early signs of stress or dissociation and practising skills for self-regulation and grounding. Over time, this awareness builds greater resilience and emotional balance, allowing anxiety to become more manageable and less defining.

Hope combines her background in integrative psychotherapy with body-based techniques to help clients move from thinking about their anxiety to feeling safely back in their bodies. The aim isn’t to eliminate anxiety altogether, but to restore steadiness, presence, and flexibility in everyday life.

Working with Autism & ADHD in Trauma Therapy

Hope is also confident and experienced in working with clients who have Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and/or ADHD, understanding how these can intersect in complex ways with trauma. Research shows that individuals with autism may have a heightened vulnerability to traumatic stress, often linked to sensory sensitivities, emotion-regulation differences, and experiences of social misunderstanding. Similarly, ADHD and trauma frequently co-occur — ADHD traits such as impulsivity, hyper-alertness, or difficulty concentrating can both mimic and intensify trauma responses.

Because of these overlaps, therapy often needs to distinguish which experiences arise from neurodivergent wiring and which from trauma. Hope approaches this with confidence, sensitivity, and curiosity, creating a space where neurodivergent clients feel understood, respected, and safe while working toward recovery and emotional balance.

What to Expect in Therapy

• Assessment & understanding — mapping difficulties, triggers, strengths, and goals.

• Stabilisation — developing emotional-regulation skills and safety strategies.

• Processing (when ready) — using EMDR-informed or integrative trauma work at your pace.

• Integration — consolidating changes, improving relationships, and planning next steps.

“You set the pace. There’s no pressure to share more than you’re ready for.”

About Hope Pugh, MSc MBACP

• Masters (MSc) in Counselling & Psychotherapy – University of Salford

• EMDR Institute Part 1 – New Zealand EMDR Association

• Experienced trauma therapist (UK & New Zealand)

• Registered Member of the BACP | Regular supervision | Fully insured

Book a Session with Hope

Premium Adult and Teen Trauma Specialist - £75 per hour
Location: Therapy Huddersfield, Independence House, Holly Bank Road, Edgerton, HD3

If you or your child are struggling with the effects of trauma, anxiety, or neurodiversity-related overwhelm, you don’t have to face it alone. Book an initial appointment with Hope today through our Find a Therapist page.

If you are in immediate danger or feel unable to stay safe, please call 999 or visit A&E. You can also contact Samaritans on 116 123 (free, 24/7).