As a trauma expert, here’s how to look after yourself and others after a tragedy like Bondi

2 months ago 5

Opinion

December 15, 2025 — 7.00pm

Like most of Australia, I spent much of Sunday night locked to the news with a nauseated sense of recognition as I watched the attacks in Bondi unfold. I remembered this feeling of sickness and horror from the Bourke Street attack in 2017, and the stabbings in Bondi Junction Westfield last year.

Though my work involves stories of violence daily, seeing a mass attack still shakes my sense of safety and belief that the world is just, safe and controllable. I know how it can leave people with enduring trauma.

A woman kneels and prays at a flower memorial to shooting victims outside the Bondi Pavilion on Monday, December 15.

Over the next few weeks, months and even years, many people will be struggling with their responses as they process the experiences of Sunday night. For victims, their families and others at Bondi Beach on Sunday, the grief and horror will be long-lasting. They are the primary victims of this attack. There are other secondary victims too – first responders who witnessed the aftermath of the attack, as well as everyone else exposed to this tragedy – bystanders, community members who intervened or were near Bondi Beach, the broader Jewish community across Australia, and the Bondi community. For many affected community members, this event will be a stark reminder of danger that may surface at any moment and may ignite reminders of other violent events, such as Westfield.

There are many misconceptions about trauma, notably that any distress is a sign of post-traumatic stress disorder and problematic. Work in the field teaches us that having a strong reaction to an overwhelming event is entirely natural and expected and is an essential part of allowing the brain and body to process the trauma. We cannot expect to experience and witness murders in cold blood without strong distress. Typical responses in the immediate period after trauma might include flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of trauma reminders, strong emotional responses (eg, panic) and hypervigilance.

Trying to push away this distress, keeping up with normal tasks, expecting too much of ourselves or avoiding distress by numbing through substances can solidify distress, interrupt processing and may embed trauma. Equally, staying too focused on the events (eg, by consuming a lot of media) can also become a harmful experience.

There are a few steps we can take to support ourselves and those around us as we navigate the next few days and weeks. These tasks will be different for impacted people and communities, to secondary victims and bystanders/witnesses.

Impacted people and communities will understandably be experiencing a strong threat response, with anxiety, fear and panic. Allowing space for this reaction without recourse to dismissal, whether of self or others, that’s designed to make us feel better (“well, they’ve caught the perpetrator now”) is important, as is offering compassion, physical comfort (if desired) and support with practical tasks. Making sense of a trauma without self-blame and guilt (“I should have known it would be unsafe to go”) is essential, and it is important for supporters to gently remind victims and impacted communities including first responders that the only people responsible for these attacks and deaths are the perpetrators, and that there is no blame or guilt to be directed toward oneself.

Making space for emotion is vital and simply noticing what one is feeling and accepting that is helpful. This will look different for everyone – first responders may need acknowledgement of their exhaustion and the agitation they feel, while victims and families may simply need support as they cry or express rage.

Community connection can be helpful – meeting at a vigil or other prayer ritual, or engaging in shared action such as donating blood. Thoughts around being alone with harm and needing to manage traumas by oneself are one of the key cognitions that embed trauma and allow an acute stress reaction to become post-traumatic distress.

While none of us can take away what has happened for victims and families, we can try to mitigate the harms by supporting people as much as possible, keeping a focus on kindness and gentleness, encouraging people to reduce expectations of themselves, and ensuring that people do not feel alone or sidelined with their trauma.

People struggling with specific types of difficulties such as intrusive imagery or panic may benefit from specialised psychological interventions sooner rather than later, and supporting people to access this care is important. For many, the difficulties experienced in the immediate aftermath of this event will linger. If these difficulties are very distressing or last for more than a month after the event, seeking professional assistance is essential.

While primary victims require the main support, it may also be beneficial to check in with secondary victims to check how they are processing what they have witnessed. For those directly impacted such as first responders, offering spaces to talk and company for activities such as a walk can be helpful, as well as open acknowledgement that they may be battling difficult emotions and may not be feeling happy and joyous over the festive season.

Dr Ahona Guha is a clinical and forensic psychologist, trauma expert and author.

If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14, or Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636.

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