As the spotlight shines on mental health, a trauma counsellor explained how to help those struggling

Trauma counsellor Alex Cloumassis has been traveling around providing counselling services to a wide range of people. He said that mental health and trauma is being misunderstood.

Mr Cloumassis has been working at My Step to Mental Wellbeing here in Griffith, on a three month contract that's been continually extended.

He said that he was motivated to start his work after feeling 'empty' with previous jobs and wanting to help people.

"There was just a need to be doing more, knowing that there's people needing some support, and not knowing how I was going to do it - but just feeling like I should be contributing a bit more," he explained.

He explained that in his experience, most mental health issues could be traced back to childhood and that addressing the root causes was vital in breaking the cycle.

"I found since being here, there's a pattern. A lot of our issues with adults mental health and physical health stem from things that happened in childhood. Most adults I see, there's stuff that's happened in childhood that results in anxiety or depression."

He added hoped to see a more holistic approach towards mental and physical health.

"I think there needs to be more time and more services given to traumatised people to allow people to break the cycle because a traumatised person will impact the next generation and the next generation unknowingly, unless they're able to address their trauma and their pain."

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Recognising a trauma response can be difficult, and Mr Cloumassis explained that it was often invisible to those experiencing it. He explained that many of his clients come in with a separate presenting issue and don't relate it to trauma until they start discussing it.

He added that it can be an especially difficult problem for friends and family to help with, but that the key message was to simply be there for them throughout. He emphasised personal safety though, noting that just sitting with someone in their trauma can necessitate your own support network.

"I think we struggle seeing people in pain, especially when it's someone we care about or someone we know really well. Especially if we see a real shift in behaviour or decline, we kind of want to pull someone out, right? Sometimes it can pick them up too quick, or in trying to, cause further injury."

"When someone's really in a dark place, sitting in the bottom of this well, you can either go to the top, look down and go, hey, everything's alright, come on up. Or you can just climb down and sit with them for a bit. And you'll get insight as to what it's like for them ... So just ask them what's going on."

He added that he was keen to see mental health take on the same attitude we give to first aid, with courses on intervention and treatment widely available.

"More people need to be aware of what questions to ask, and how to take care of yourself. It's a thing with communities."

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