Trauma Therapist in Melbourne for LGBTQ+ Adults

Matthew Austin · Registered Mental Health Social Worker · Thornbury, Inner North Melbourne · Medicare rebates available

Trauma doesn't always arrive as a single, identifiable event. For many LGBTQIA+ people, it accumulates — in the small moments of rejection, the years of hiding, the relationships that didn't feel safe, the families that didn't understand. It shows up in how you relate to yourself, how you move through the world, and the patterns that keep repeating, no matter how much you understand them intellectually.

I'm Matthew Austin, a registered mental health social worker and trauma therapist based in Thornbury, inner north Melbourne. I work with LGBTQIA+ adults navigating trauma, complex trauma, shame, and the deeply held beliefs about themselves that formed in response to pain. My practice is grounded in Gestalt psychotherapy, with EMDR and IFS as specialist modalities I bring in when the work calls for it.

Medicare rebates are available with a GP Mental Health Care Plan.

How I work: Gestalt as the foundation

Most therapy approaches ask you to think differently about what happened. Gestalt therapy goes further — it works with the whole of you: your thoughts, your body, your emotions, and the way you show up in relationship right now, in this moment.

Gestalt psychotherapy is a relational, humanistic approach that I completed an Advanced Diploma in, and it forms the bedrock of how I work with every client. Rather than applying a technique to a problem, Gestalt invites you to slow down, become more aware of what's happening in you from moment to moment, and develop a different relationship with your own experience — including the parts of it that feel most difficult or most stuck.

For LGBTQ+ clients, this is particularly meaningful. Much of the pain people carry comes not from something inherently wrong with them, but from having adapted — often brilliantly — to environments that weren't safe. Gestalt helps you see those adaptations clearly and compassionately, understand what they were protecting you from, and begin to loosen their grip.

Specialist modalities: EMDR and IFS

Alongside my Gestalt foundation, I bring two specialist trauma modalities into my work where they're clinically appropriate.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is an evidence-based trauma therapy endorsed by the World Health Organisation for the treatment of PTSD. I completed EMDR Levels 1 and 2 training and use it to help clients process specific traumatic memories or events that continue to cause distress in the present. EMDR works well alongside Gestalt — Gestalt builds the relational safety and self-awareness needed for trauma processing, while EMDR addresses the memories directly.

IFS (Internal Family Systems) is an evidence-informed approach that works with the different "parts" of the self — the inner critic, the protector, the part that shuts down, the part that carries shame. I completed introductory and deepening IFS training at the Bouverie Centre with trainer Simon D'Orsogna. IFS and Gestalt complement each other naturally: both are interested in the whole person, and both work relationally rather than prescriptively.

In practice, this means I'm not limited to one tool. I work with what you bring, and I draw on whichever approach — or combination — is most likely to help you move.

You can read more about each on my dedicated EMDR therapy page and IFS therapy page.

Who I work with

My practice is built around LGBTQIA+ adults in Melbourne who are carrying experiences that have shaped how they see themselves and the world. This includes people navigating:

Complex trauma and developmental trauma, the impact of prolonged difficult experiences, often from childhood or adolescence, including growing up in environments where it wasn't safe to be yourself
Identity-based trauma, the cumulative weight of homophobia, transphobia, biphobia, and experiences of rejection, exclusion, or invalidation
Sexual trauma and sexual assault, processed carefully, at a pace that feels manageable and safe
Internalised homophobia and shame, the self-directed version of the messages you absorbed from the world around you
Coming out and identity exploration, at any age, in any direction
Minority stress, the ongoing psychological toll of navigating a world that doesn't always make space for you
Distressing memories and negative core beliefs, specific experiences or deeply held beliefs about yourself that keep surfacing and affecting your daily life
Anxiety, depression, and emotional burnout, particularly where these are rooted in trauma or identity

With over a decade working specifically with LGBTQ+ individuals — including roles at Thorne Harbour Health and Queerspace — I bring a depth of understanding to this work that goes beyond clinical training alone

A note on Medicare rebates

IAs a registered mental health social worker, I offer Medicare rebates for eligible clients. To access a rebate, you'll need a Mental Health Care Plan from your GP, which gives you access to up to 10 rebated sessions per calendar year.

Many LGBTQIA+ adults have had mixed experiences navigating the Medicare system — particularly around finding a therapist who genuinely understands their community. If you're unsure how to get a referral or what to say to your GP, I'm happy to talk you through it before you book.

Frequently asked questions about trauma therapy in Melbourne

Trauma therapy is an umbrella term for therapeutic approaches that help people process and integrate traumatic experiences — events or periods of life that overwhelmed the nervous system's capacity to cope and left lasting effects on how a person feels, thinks, and relates to others. In my practice, trauma therapy is grounded in Gestalt psychotherapy and draws on EMDR and IFS as specialist modalities. The specific approach depends on what you're carrying, where you are in your process, and what feels most useful at each stage of the work.
Trauma typically refers to a specific overwhelming event — an accident, an assault, a sudden loss. Complex trauma refers to the impact of prolonged, repeated, or developmental experiences of adversity, often in the context of relationships where safety or trust was compromised. For many LGBTQIA+ people, complex trauma is the more accurate description — it reflects years of navigating environments that were hostile, dismissive, or unsafe, rather than a single identifiable event. Both are real, both deserve care, and both respond well to the approaches I use.
No. You don't need a PTSD diagnosis or any other formal diagnosis to work with me. What matters is your experience and what you want to address — not a label. A GP Mental Health Care Plan, which gives you access to Medicare rebates, requires only a referral for mental health support, not a specific diagnosis.
Gestalt therapy is a humanistic, relational approach that focuses on present-moment awareness — what's happening in your body, your emotions, and your relationships right now, rather than just analysing the past. I use it as my foundation because it works with the whole person, not just symptoms or thought patterns. It's particularly well-suited to LGBTQIA+ clients whose difficulties often stem from having adapted to external pressure rather than from something inherently wrong with them. Understanding those adaptations — and building a more compassionate relationship with them — is often where the most meaningful change happens.
The main practical difference is in registration and training pathway. Psychologists complete a university degree and supervised practice in psychology. I am a registered mental health social worker — my training is grounded in social work, with an Advanced Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy and specialist training in EMDR and IFS on top of that. Both psychologists and registered mental health social workers can offer Medicare rebates via a GP Mental Health Care Plan. The more meaningful difference is often the fit — the approach, the lived understanding of your community, and the therapeutic relationship itself.
Yes. As a registered mental health social worker, I offer Medicare rebates to clients with a valid Mental Health Care Plan from their GP. This covers up to 10 sessions per calendar year. You don't need a trauma diagnosis — a general mental health referral from your GP is sufficient.
My practice is specifically built around LGBTQIA+ adults. This isn't a checkbox — it's the core of how I work. I've spent over a decade in the LGBTQIA+ community in clinical and advocacy roles, including at Thorne Harbour Health and Queerspace. I understand the specific ways that identity, shame, and systemic experiences shape mental health for LGBTQIA+ people, and I bring that understanding into every session. You don't need to explain the basics of who you are here.
Yes. I offer online sessions to LGBTQIA+ clients across Australia. Online delivery works well for the approaches I use, and for many clients, it's more accessible and comfortable than in-person sessions. Medicare rebates apply to online sessions just as they do to in-person sessions. description

About Matthew Austin

Matthew Austin is a Melbourne-based counsellor and psychotherapist who has worked with LGBTQIA+ individuals for over a decade. He has held roles at both Thorne Harbour Health and Queerspace, where he developed a deep understanding of the external forces that shape how LGBTQIA+ people see themselves. His background working with children and adolescents who have experienced trauma and neglect informs his understanding of how early experiences shape the lens through which we view ourselves, others, and the world.

Matthew holds a Bachelor of Social Work, a Certificate in Developmental Psychiatry, and an Advanced Diploma in Gestalt Psychotherapy, and has completed EMDR Levels 1 and 2 training and IFS introductory and deepening training at the Bouverie Centre. He is a registered mental health social worker and offers Medicare rebates.

His approach draws on IFS, EMDR, and Gestalt therapy to help LGBTQIA+ clients access the compassion, calm, and clarity that has always been there — beneath the self-criticism and distress.

Ready to take the first step?

I offer a free 30-minute check-in to talk about what you're carrying and whether working together feels like a good fit. There's no obligation — just a conversation.

Matthew Austin is a trauma therapist working with LGBTQIA+ adults in Thornbury, inner north Melbourne, and online across Victoria. Medicare rebates are available with a GP referral.

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