The practitioners listed with Escape to Better Foundation share our commitment to compassion, safety and empowerment. Their approaches vary so you can choose someone whose style, experience and modality feels like a good fit for you. Their services are offered on a fee-for-service basis.
Support to help you feel calmer, clearer and more prepared before court or mediation
Preparing for a court appearance or mediation can bring up a lot of emotion, stress and fear – especially when the situation involves someone who has caused harm in the past.
Many people notice their anxiety increasing as the date approaches. It can be difficult to think clearly, sleep well, or feel steady when imagining the conversation or legal process ahead. These reactions are completely understandable. At the same time, these legal encounters can be important opportunities for your voice to be heard and for decisions to be made about your future.
Pre-Court and Pre-Mediation Trauma Recovery is designed to help you approach these situations feeling calmer, more centred, and better able to focus on what matters most to you.
The goal is not to change your story, but to help reduce the emotional intensity connected with past experiences so you can move through the process with greater confidence and control.
A gentle, fast-acting approach to trauma recovery
We offer fee-for-service support to help you feel steady before court or mediation. Delivered through private sessions with a trained practitioner, these sessions are gentle, fast-acting and drug-free. They are designed to help calm the nervous system and reduce the emotional intensity connected with past experiences. As a result, you can approach court or mediation feeling more composed and in control.
During the session, the focus is not on reliving painful events. Instead, the process helps calm the nervous system and restore a sense of safety and balance. When the nervous system feels steadier, many people find they are able to think more clearly, communicate more easily, and feel more in control of their emotions during challenging situations.
How Pre-Court Trauma Recovery can help
People often choose this type of support because they want to feel more emotionally prepared before an important legal process.
Possible benefits include:
- Feeling calmer and more settled when thinking about an upcoming court appearance or mediation
- Reducing anxiety around giving evidence or speaking about your experience
- Feeling more confident to express yourself clearly
- Strengthening your sense of resilience and emotional stability
- Being able to focus on the outcome you want rather than the stress surrounding the process
Things to know about Pre-Court and Pre-Mediation Trauma Recovery
- If you are preparing a Victim Impact Statement, it is recommended you complete the statement before undertaking a recovery session
- Many people notice positive results after one or two sessions
- Sessions run for approximately 90 minutes
- Appointments can be conducted online or in-person at Breathe Stretch Float in Adelaide
- Sessions are offered on a fee-for-service basis
- Before booking, you will have the opportunity to speak with a trained practitioner to discuss the process and whether it is right for you
To learn more or to arrange an appointment, contact Breathe Stretch Float
Cultivate Counselling and Consultant
Sue Watson is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker who has been supporting people through complex life challenges since 2010. Her experience spans community social work, mental health care, and palliative care, giving her a deep understanding of how people navigate trauma, grief, and major life transitions.
Sue focuses on helping clients find their own path forward by combining practical life skills with therapeutic support. She aims to create a calm, respectful space where people feel heard and understood.
Sue offers telehealth appointments and also provides face-to-face sessions for clients in the Sunraysia region of North West Victoria and Far West NSW.
Visit the website to learn more about Sue’s approach or contact Sue here.
Cynosure Counselling and Coaching
Neville supports people going through major life transitions, including leaving or recovering from abusive relationships. He works alongside you to gently explore what has been happening, how it is affecting you and what you want life to look like as you move forward.
Using a non-medical, collaborative and tailored approach, Neville helps you make sense of your experiences, strengthen your inner resources and take practical steps toward safety and stability. For those considering significant changes, he also offers reflective practice to build resilience and confidence so you feel more prepared for what lies ahead.
Visit the website to learn more about Neville’s approach or contact Neville here.
Tia Cherry is a qualified social worker and psychotherapist with nearly 20 years of clinical experience working with adults and children. Much of her work has involved supporting people who have experienced trauma, including domestic violence and intimate partner abuse.
Tia understands that every person’s story is different and tailors her approach to suit each individual’s needs. She draws on evidence-based therapies including Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behaviour Therapy, and Schema Therapy. Her goal is to help clients better understand their experiences and develop practical strategies for healing and moving forward.
Tia works with clients online across Australia and in person in Adelaide.
Visit the website to learn more about Tia’s approach or contact Tia here.
Jim Ryan specialises in helping people reduce the emotional triggers linked to traumatic experiences, particularly those connected with domestic and family abuse.
Before becoming a Havening practitioner, Jim spent 16 years as a police officer where he witnessed first-hand the impact domestic violence and abuse can have on individuals and families. This experience now informs his compassionate approach to supporting victim-survivors.
Using the Havening technique, Jim helps clients process past trauma so the memories no longer carry the same emotional intensity. His work focuses on helping people regain a sense of calm, safety, and control as they move forward in their lives.
Learn more about the power of Havening or contact Jim about how Havening could help you.