Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks can feel distressing, confusing, and at times terrifying. They often arrive suddenly — unwanted images, memories, or ideas that seem to take over your mind without your control. For some people, they’re linked to anxiety, stress,  neurodivergence or obsessive thinking; for others, they stem from past trauma or painful experiences that the mind is still trying to process.

A flashback can feel like being pulled back into the past — vividly re-experiencing sensations, emotions, or images from a traumatic event as though it’s happening again in the present. You might feel panic, confusion, or disconnection, unsure what’s real in the moment.

Both intrusive thoughts and flashbacks can leave you feeling ashamed, out of control, or afraid of your own mind — but they are not a sign of weakness or “madness.” They are your mind’s way of expressing unprocessed pain or fear.

Counselling offers a safe, calm space to begin understanding these experiences, gently exploring their roots, and learning grounding techniques to regain a sense of safety in the here and now. As an integrative counsellor, I will use different therapeutic approaches to meet you where you are — emotionally, mentally and physically. I will focus on helping you feel safe, understood and in control again.

Together, we might work to:

• Create safety in the present moment: Learning grounding and self-soothing techniques to help you stay anchored when intrusive thoughts or flashbacks arise
• Understand triggers and patterns: Exploring what activates distressing memories or thoughts and how to manage them more gently
• Process unresolved trauma: Working at your pace and using techniques to control painful memories so they no longer overwhelm you
• Build emotional regulation skills: Learning ways to calm your nervous system and reduce hypervigilance, anxiety, and self-criticism
• Strengthen self-compassion and trust: Replacing shame and fear with understanding and kindness toward yourself

Counselling can’t erase the past, but it can help you change your relationship with it — so the memories lose their power to control your present. Over time, you can begin to feel safer in your body, more grounded in the moment, and more at peace within yourself.

“The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.” — Caroline Myss