Professionals in trauma-informed psychotherapy focus on the mental health and recovery of individuals impacted by trauma. They collaborate with medical practitioners, mental health experts, and community support services to ensure that patients receive compassionate care and effective therapeutic interventions.
We offer trauma-informed psychotherapy at postgraduate coursework level through both a medicine and science/health pathway.
For those with a medical degree, we have several options including the Graduate Certificate in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy, the Graduate Diploma in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy) and the Master of Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy).
If you have at least a bachelor’s degree in health or science, you might opt to study the Graduate Certificate in Science in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy) which is a prerequisite to the Graduate Diploma in Science in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy), which is in-turn, a prerequisite to the Master of Science in Medicine (Trauma-Informed Psychotherapy).
Both pathways are taught together and equip graduates with the skills needed to foster healing and resilience, enhancing the wellbeing of those they serve.
Sydney Medical School stands as a world-class institution, ranked 27th globally and 2nd in Australia for Medicine (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).
Our specialised medical pathways cater to psychiatry registrars, Chief Medical Officers, psychiatrists, general practitioners, and other medical professionals seeking careers in psychotherapy, addressing essential training needs in psychotherapy and trauma-informed care.
Our science and health pathways are designed for clinicians with mental health experience, including social workers, psychologists, nurses, psychotherapists, counsellors, and school counsellors. Additionally, these options may appeal to professionals such as speech pathologists and dentists.
As part of Australia’s largest health and biomedical research precinct, Westmead provides a distinctive educational experience that equips students to become health professionals of the future.
All our trauma-informed psychotherapy courses are homed at the Westmead Psychotherapy Program for Complex Traumatic Disorders, but are taught online. Our collaboration with the Western Sydney Local Health District (WSLHD) ensures an active connection with real-world health settings, research centres and projects.
Being part of a smaller online student cohort allows for personalised interactions with academic staff and the chance to form strong, supportive relationships with classmates, regardless of where you are in Australia. Supervision and seminars are offered via Zoom, with synchronous teaching focussed around a Thursday morning for most units. A couple of units are completely online and can be done in the student’s own time.
Immerse yourself in trauma-informed psychotherapy guided by renowned academics and practising psychotherapists and trauma clinicians, dedicated to delivering an exceptional learning journey.
As your teachers, our academics and clinical supervisors are committed to nurturing compassionate and skilled psychotherapists equipped to effectively address trauma and make a positive impact in this growing field.
All our courses in trauma-informed psychotherapy are part-time in order to cater to working professionals.
For students who want to take their study further, there is also the option of specialising in trauma-informed psychotherapy research where you could choose to undertake a Master of Philosophy (Medicine and Health) or Doctor of Philosophy (Medicine and Health).
These research degrees can lead to studying trends in trauma-informed psychotherapy and neuroscience, developing policies and interventions, and working to improve the overall health and wellbeing of those impacted by trauma on a broader scale.
