Trauma Recovery Centre

Trauma Recovery UK exists to support children and families who have experienced trauma, offering specialist services that not just addresses symptoms but facilitates long-term recovery. Trauma Recovery UK has Trauma Recovery Centres (TRCs) across the UK and in Guernsey and was founded in 2011 by Betsy de Thierry, an international expert and pioneer in Trauma Recovery. The TRC Guernsey centre launched in 2017, started initially by local Social Worker and qualified Play Therapist Rosy, who had a solid understanding of the complex nature of trauma after completing further Trauma Recovery focused training and could see a real need for a TRC Centre on the Island. TRC Guernsey operates with the belief that recovery is not only possible – it’s essential.

The charity partners with Trauma Recovery Globel to use the clinical model, the BdT Trauma Recovery Focused Model (TRFM®) which facilitates both the child or young person and the parents and carers recovering from trauma. They do this by offering 1:1 creative psychotherapy and therapeutic mentoring for the child or young person, as well as therapeutic parenting courses for the parents and carers. Clinical data from their centres last year shows that 97% of their clients had experienced Type 2 trauma (multiple traumas) or Type 3 trauma (multiple, pervasive traumas from an early age that continue over a length of time).

TRC Guernsey work with each child at the centre of care, creating personalised plans and spending time listening to how the child interacts with other systems like schools, social services, or the criminal justice system. That feedback loop helps improve those systems too. Families are supported regardless of financial background, thanks to generous grant funding, which allows TRC Guernsey to offer therapy at reduced or no cost for those for whom finances were a barrier to them accessing the service. These donations, such as the Lloyds Bank Foundation grant, enables them to stay with families as long as needed – not just managing trauma, but aiming for full recovery.

A £33,529 grant from the Foundation has had a direct impact on TRC Guernsey’s capacity. It has enabled the team in Guernsey to grow from offering trauma therapy one day a week to two as well as employ more team members. As a result, they’ve been able to more than treble the number of families receiving care. Though the waiting list had to be temporarily closed due to demand, the additional funding allowed them to clear it at one point – a huge achievement for a small team. The centre now sees children on Wednesdays and Thursdays until 5:15pm, and the need remains strong.

Rosy Corbin, Clinical Lead at TRC Guernsey, says, “We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received from Lloyds Bank Foundation. I truly don’t think we would have been able to expand without it. Our message of recovery is so hopeful and radical to the families that come through our doors. Sometimes just telling them ‘you can recover’ is the lightbulb moment they’ve been waiting for.”

Since launching in Guernsey, demand has come almost entirely through word of mouth – a clear indicator of trust in the service. TRC Guernsey believes the island's small, interconnected community creates real potential for systemic change. With around 65,000 residents, Guernsey could become a model for not just trauma-informed practice, but hope for trauma recovery across health, education, and justice systems. Already this year, 27 children and their families are engaged in recovery work, with real-life results: children are re-engaging with school, parents are moving beyond guilt and confusion into understanding and hope.

This charity stands out for its belief that healing is not only possible but achievable, its willingness to walk with families through their full recovery journey, and its drive to transform how trauma is understood and treated in the wider community.