What is Betrayal Trauma and how can counselling help?

Betrayal trauma occurs when someone's trust is shattered by a partner's secret addiction or infidelity. In counselling, we focus on establishing safety and stabilization first, using psycho-education to normalize your experience of rage, hyper-vigilance, and paranoia before moving into deep healing and boundary work.

Do you offer in-person addiction counselling in Melbourne?

Yes. I provide face-to-face specialist counselling for addiction and betrayal trauma at my office in Croydon, in Melbourne’s South East. I also offer Telehealth sessions for clients Australia-wide.

How does lived experience improve addiction recovery outcomes?

Lived experience creates a 'bridge of trust' that clinical-only approaches often lack. By combining my Bachelor of Counselling with my own recovery journey, I offer an empathetic, non-judgmental space where clients feel truly seen while utilizing evidence-based frameworks like CBT and Motivational Interviewing.

Can you help with sex, porn, or gambling addictions?

Absolutely. I specialize in process addictions, including sex, porn, gambling, and shopping. We work together to identify unique triggers and use Polyvagal Theory and psychodynamic techniques to understand and rewire the neurological processes behind addictive cycles.

Addiction Support

Whether you are the person struggling with addictive behaviours or the parent, child, friend or partner of someone who is suffering - I offer tailored support to help you find solutions and resolution.

Who

I offer specialised counselling support for individuals and families navigating the complexities of addiction.

Some of the process addictions I can help with overcoming are:

Drug and substance addiction and misuse
Alcohol addiction and misuse
Sex and porn addiction and sexual acting out behaviors
Shopping and debt addiction
Overeating and food addictions
Gambling addiction

Addiction is a family disease that rarely stays confined to a single individual; it radiates outward, often leaving partners and family members exhausted, isolated, and emotionally depleted. I provide a dedicated space for these supporters to shift the focus back to their own well-being, helping them establish healthy boundaries and dismantle the cycle of enabling that often stems from love and fear. This support is vital because a burnt-out support system cannot provide the stability necessary for long-term recovery. When family members engage in their own healing, they transition from being reactive participants in the addict's chaos to becoming grounded, resilient anchors. This shift not only preserves the support person's mental health but also fundamentally changes the family dynamic, often creating the necessary pressure or clarity that encourages the addict to seek and maintain their own sobriety.

The process

Addressing substance use or compulsive sexual behaviors requires a dual-focused approach targeting both behavioral cessation and the underlying trauma architecture:

Harm Reduction & Behavioral Stabilisation: Implementing immediate, practical strategies to disrupt compulsive cycles using Cognitive Behavioural and Somatic frameworks.
Core Driver Processing: Using Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) to address the deep-seated trauma or shame driving the behavior.
Long-Term Relapse Prevention: Building sustainable emotional regulation skills to ensure durable, long-term recovery.

Addiction Support Resources

Alcoholics Anonymous
12 Step Support groups for those wanting to stop drinking

‍ aa.org.au

Narcotics Anonymous :
12 Step Support groups for those wanting to stop using drugs
na.org.au
SHARC
Victorian Peer led service supporting people to recover from drugs and alcohol
www.sharc.org.au
Steve Stokes
CSAT and Sex Addiction Specialist
stevestokesconsulting.com
DirectLline
Drug and Alcohol referral for rehabilitation programs, counselling etc.
directline.org.au

Addiction Support

Who

The process

Addiction Support Resources

Sammy Molloy Counselling