Port Arthur : trauma and the counselling response.

Reprinted from Psychotherapy in Australia; 1996; v. 20; no. 4; p. 10-16

The Port Arthur massacre on Sunday, April 28, 1996, has already achieved a grim distinction in the national consciousness. Holiday-makers visiting the historic site, were randomly shot at for no visible motive, by a lone gunman, on a scale unprecedented in Australian, indeed world history. Thirty five people were killed, another nineteen seriously injured. In the weeks that followed, reactions were numerous, varied and dramatic. Much thought and research has gone into considering what people and communities need following a traumatic event. Theories have been created to explain what happens to the psychological system during and after trauma, and what best assists recovery. Interventions will clearly differ depending on the event itself and the individual's role in the event, whether victim or carer