Experiencing or witnessing a crime can feel as though it leaves an imprint on our nervous system. In the days and weeks after, we may find ourselves impacted in unexpected ways, like struggling to sleep, constantly feeling on edge, or alternatively, feeling completely numb. As our body and mind attempt to make meaning of what we have experienced, we may find that the memory of what occurred is involuntarily replayed or re-experienced, via flashbacks, intrusive thoughts or nightmares. Each of these manifestations are common responses to objectively frightening, often life-endangering, experiences, which can often be eased with tailored, trauma informed support.
This guide explains how our body stores trauma after a crime, what counselling at The Felt Sense looks like, and how EMDR can fit in alongside police and court processes. If cost is a barrier, Victoria's Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) can fund your sessions, and there is no gap fee at The Felt Sense for FAS-approved sessions.
The lingering impacts after experiencing a crime - trauma and the nervous system
Witnessing or experiencing crime can leave our nervous system feeling hijacked. Although its activation helped us to survive the moment and keep us safe, it can stay switched on, or hyper vigilant to potential threats, even when we are no longer in danger.
Fight, flight, freeze and fawn
When an environmental threat is detected, our body automatically chooses a survival response, usually before we have time to consciously think about it. Depending on the situation, we may try to fight back (fight response), get away from the danger (flight response), stay frozen in place (freeze response), or even try to keep the perpetrator calm by complying with them and minimising our own needs (fawn response). Regardless of the response, all are protective, and often learned based on our early life experiences of coping with danger/threat. People often carry shame surrounding their response to a crime, particularly in the case of a freeze or fawn response. We must remember, however, that in these moments it is our nervous system that defaults to what it believes is safest, or even most familiar for us, to maximise our chance of survival. This is in no way a reflection of personal deficit or poor choices, but rather, a threat detection system doing its job based on the information that it has.
Common nervous system responses after experiencing a crime
Feeling on edge (e.g., hyper-vigilance, scanning the environment for danger, sleep disturbances, irritability)
Shutting down (e.g., emotional numbness, whole of system fatigue, dissociation).
Intrusions (e.g., involuntary or unexpected memories/flashbacks/nightmares/intrusive thoughts that manifest in the form of body sensations or images).
Avoidance (e.g., staying away from certain places, people, smells or conversations that serve as a reminder of what happened).
Shame and self-blame (e.g., replaying what “should” have happened, experiencing unrelenting inner criticism, blaming self).
Changes in relationships and attachment (e.g., finding trust, closeness or support in relationships to be difficult or fear-inducing).
Each of these are normal responses to an abnormal event. You might recognise the idea of the window of tolerance, which is the zone where you can tolerate the normal stresses of life, balancing emotions with the capacity to think clearly and make decisions.. Exposure to trauma can shrink this window, resulting in seemingly small stressors quickly tipping us into a state of shutdown or overwhelm. This is where trauma therapy can be effective, as it works to help us widen our window of tolerance again.
Why does some trauma have a delayed onset?
Some people can cope quite well at first in the face of distress, then begin to struggle weeks or months later once the immediate crisis has settled. The justice side of experiencing a crime can bring with it a new level of stress, as it is admittedly not always a trauma informed process. Things like police interviews, waiting for court dates, Victim Impact Statements and retelling the story to numerous services can all take their own toll on a victim-survivor. A delayed reaction can merely symbolise that our body and mind are attempting to process and make meaning of what we have experienced, and exposure to ongoing triggers within the legal process can bring this to the forefront.
Considerations for immediate psychological safety following exposure to a crime:
Keep a simple routine for basic needs, like meals, sleep and movement
Ground yourself when you feel flooded by triggers and/or intense emotions. For example: notice five things you can see, four you can hear, three you can touch, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.
Spend time with people who feel safe. This is particularly relevant for neurodivergent folk, as unmasking is a core component of psychological safety, and neurodivergent people are more likely to be victims of crime/abuse.
Be gentle with yourself about what you can manage for now. Self-compassion and positive self-talk, whilst difficult when we are experiencing self-blame narratives, can be invaluable in widening our window of tolerance.
If these responses last more than a few weeks, or are significantly impacting work, sleep or relationships, it's probably a good time to reach out for support.
Booking counselling at The Felt Sense: What to Expect
Starting therapy after experiencing a crime can feel overwhelming, especially if we are struggling with intense emotions, or if trusting new people feels difficult and daunting. Here is a breakdown of what the process looks like, to remove as many unknowns as possible.
Book a free 15-minute consultation.
This is a chance to ask questions/discuss what you're looking for, and to see whether we feel like a good fit. There is absolutely no obligation to share details you’re not comfortable with. You are welcome to share as little or as much as feels safe, and can choose whether you’d like this consultation to be via phone or video link.
Choose between in person sessions, telehealth or a combination of both:
Sessions are available in Thornbury or by video/phone anywhere in Australia. For telehealth, a private space where you won't be overheard helps people feel settled and safe.
Explore funding options:
If you are applying to the Financial Assistance Scheme, let us know when you book. We'll give you invoices to upload to the FAS portal, and there is no gap for FAS-approved sessions. If you're not using the FAS, Medicare rebates are available with a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP, with no referral needed to book.
The first session:
We focus on getting to know you, and what you’d like to be different. You get to set the pace and you are never required to move faster than you are ready to. We will often finish with a grounding strategy to ensure that you leave feeling steadier. The session will also involve regular check-ins to ensure that you are feeling heard and that the session is covering the areas that feel relevant.
Ongoing sessions:
Most people begin with weekly or fortnightly sessions, however, we regularly review this and can adjust the focus as things change, including around police or court dates.
It is absolutely normal to feel nervous before the first appointment, or to feel tired afterwards, particularly with EMDR. Both of these things are completely okay, and you will be met exactly where you are at, with your needs being the utmost priority.
Funding your sessions: The Financial Assistance Scheme
The Financial Assistance Scheme (FAS) is the Victorian Government scheme that helps victims of violent crime fund their recovery and healing process, including counselling. It replaced VOCAT in November 2024, and you can apply online without having to go to court.
The FAS can fund up to 20 counselling sessions without a report, and some sessions can be approved early whilst your application is assessed. At The Felt Sense, there is no gap fee for FAS-approved sessions, which means that the entire session cost is covered by FAS.
Eligibility, time limits and the application process are best checked directly with the sources, which are linked below:
Financial assistance for victims of crime: who can apply, what's covered, and how to apply online
Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817, for help with your application and other support
EMDR therapy for victims of crime
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is one of the trauma therapies recommended in the Australian guidelines for treating PTSD in adults (Phoenix Australia PTSD guidelines).
Before any reprocessing can begin, earlier sessions are spent understanding your needs and triggers, and building trust. This process is called resourcing, and it is essential in setting the foundations for psychological safety (for example: having tools to manage if intense emotions arise within or outside of sessions).
To start reprocessing, we identify a specific target (such as a memory or belief) that still feels distressing. Whilst you hold this in mind, you will be gently guided through sets of bilateral stimulation (such as eye movements/tapping depending on what feels comfortable for you). This process is thought to work by placing a light, steady demand on your working memory, which helps your brain reprocess distressing memories and file them into normal, everyday memory storage.
Over the course of reprocessing, the memory typically becomes less distressing and more like something you can recall without your body reacting as though it's happening again. Once the distress has settled, we work on strengthening a more accurate, self-compassionate belief in its place, then finish with a body scan to check nothing's left feeling unsettled.
What people often appreciate about EMDR:
Details do not have to be described out loud, where a lot of the processing in EMDR happens internally. This can feel more manageable than externally articulating or intellectualising.
EMDR focuses on both beliefs and memories. Beliefs about a traumatic event can keep us locked in disempowering patterns of thinking. EMDR can assist, for example, with transforming the belief “I should have stopped it” into “I did what I could to survive”.
EMDR is structured and predictable within an eight-phase protocol. The early phases provide intentional time for building safety, trust and resources. This means that you are not required to jump into the most intensive or emotionally overwhelming elements of the traumatic event until safety has been established.
EMDR listens to the body, where you will be prompted to notice where memories, thoughts and sensations land within. This promotes a stronger connection between what is felt and what is known.
It is very important to note that EMDR is not going to be the right fit for everyone, nor is it infallible in every situation. Some people benefit from more stabilisation first, and others prefer a different approach, but the most important thing is that we decide together.
EMDR and going to court: what to know
Nobody should have to sideline their recover or healing process until a court case is over. However, if you may give evidence, it helps to plan the timing and focus of EMDR with your therapist and the people running your case. There are various components of this worth noting:
The emotional component
Court can be one of the hardest parts of the process, with things like waiting/uncertainty, as well as the daunting prospect of being cross-examined. These things can keep our nervous system on guard for extended periods of time, as the threat continues to permeate our lives. During this time, therapy can be particularly helpful for:
Helping you to stay regulated and to cope with the uncertainty of delays/adjournments
Preparing for the experience of providing evidence, including triggers such as potentially seeing the accused, and discussing the crime.
Rehearsing calming strategies
Combatting dissociation
Making meaning of the court experience itself, and the impact this has for you
EMDR processing activates memory networks, which can sometimes unsettle the nervous system for a few days after a session. It is for this reason that we would usually avoid intensive memory processing in the lead up to days where you are required to give evidence in court.
The memory component
EMDR is designed to reduce how vivid and distressing a memory feels, wherein. some researchers have raised concerns that this could affect how a memory is recalled or described in court. For this reason, defence lawyers may ask about any therapy you've had (Memory, 2021).
Despite this, it is important to consider the bigger picture, as it provides more context than this concern suggests. A 2026 review of Italian Supreme Court decisions found that the court rejected the idea that EMDR automatically undermines a witness's evidence. Rather, what was more important was whether it had affected memory in this specific case, and whether the therapy was well documented and kept separate from the investigation Frontiers in Psychology, 2026).
Practical safeguards we use
Ideally your police statement/recorded interview is completed before we process the crime memory itself.
Advise your vase team, police informant or the Office of Public Prosecutions that you have commenced psychological support. The Victims and Witness Assistance Service (1800 641 927) can help with this.
EMDR is very versatile, and does not merely need to be used for processing a singular traumatic event. Rather, it can focus on things like present-day triggers, sleep, fear of court and/or future scenarios rather than the offence memory itself. Instead, the offence memory could be processed after you have given evidence. What’s most important is that you get to choose the focus, and that you have a say every step of the way.
Session notes are kept carefully in case they are ever requested/subpoenaed.
If you have questions about how therapy might interact with your case, ask the prosecutor or a lawyer. This article is general information, not legal advice. Victorian courts also offer protections when giving evidence, such as a remote witness room, screens and a support person (Protection at court).
How The Felt Sense can support you
Lauren is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker offering trauma-informed, neuroaffirming counselling in Thornbury and via telehealth across Australia. She works with EMDR, schema therapy, DBT, ACT and somatic, attachment-informed approaches, and has worked extensively with both perpetrators and victim-survivors of violent, sexual and psychological abuse and crimes throughout her career. She works with adults and adolescents affected by crime, including family violence, sexual assault, assault and other violent crime, using a trauma-informed and neuroaffirming approach. Support can include things like:
FAS-funded counselling with no gap fee
EMDR, with careful planning around police and court processes
DBT and somatic skills to steady your nervous system
Schema therapy and attachment-informed work for underlying relationship patterns
A counselling report if you need to request more than 20 sessions
Sessions in Thornbury or via telehealth anywhere in Australia
Where to get help now:
If you are in immediate danger, call 000.
Victims of Crime Helpline: 1800 819 817
Victims and Witness Assistance Service (OPP): 1800 641 927
Child Witness Service: 1300 790 540
Sexual Assault Crisis Line (after hours): 1800 806 292
Safe Steps family violence support (24/7): 1800 015 188
1800RESPECT: 1800 737 732
Lifeline (24/7): 13 11 14
This article provides general information only and is not legal, financial or clinical advice. FAS amounts and rules are current at the time of writing and may change; check the Financial Assistance Scheme website for the latest details.
