TRAUMA THERAPY
Are You Or Is Someone In Your Family In Need Of Trauma Therapy?
Do the effects of unresolved trauma impact your ability to function? Are persistent physical symptoms making it hard to cope? Have your relationships suffered, causing you to self-isolate and feel cut off from the ones you love?
Perhaps most days, you don’t feel fully engaged in life, as if an invisible wall exists between you and the rest of the world. Rather than feel emotionally connected and confident around others, maybe it’s hard for you to communicate how you feel, leading to misunderstandings and conflicts. Although you may have put up these walls to protect yourself from further hurt, now you might struggle to feel closeness and intimacy, even with your partner and family members.
Trauma’s Physical Symptoms May Trouble You
If you or your child are plagued with flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, panic attacks, or avoid certain situations due to fear, life frequently feels unsafe. You may engage in risky or unhealthy behaviors as a means of coping, opting to numb yourself with substances or mindless distractions as a means of escape. However, these coping mechanisms are faulty, causing further anxiety, depression, and feelings of shame.
These symptoms mask a root cause you haven’t yet acknowledged and processed. With therapy, you can identify the underlying origins of trauma and learn effective ways of resolving it. By taking the necessary steps to address trauma, you can liberate yourself from the pain you feel stuck in and embrace a new, more positive mindset.
Trauma Is A Widespread Issue That Affects Millions Of People
According to PTSD United.org, 70 percent of adults in the United States have experienced some traumatic event at least once in their lives. This equates to approximately 223.4 million people. [1] However, trauma has no age limit and can also negatively impact children and teens. Nationally, “more than two-thirds of children reported at least 1 traumatic event by age 16.” [2]
Although we may associate what constitutes trauma as only significant life events, such as active combat, natural catastrophes, domestic violence, or sexual assault, our childhood experiences can also have a lasting impact on us. While “Big T” trauma is more easily recognizable, more subtle “little t” trauma—in the form of passive neglect, rejection, or being conditioned to believe you’re not good enough or your feelings aren’t valid—can also be emotionally damaging.
We Commonly Normalize Trauma As A Way To Cope
When unhealthy relationship dynamics are the air that we breathe growing up, we tend to normalize our trauma. We may believe that compared to others, what we lived through wasn’t that bad, or even feel ashamed for comparing our experience with someone else we deem “had it worse.” Although diminishing our trauma can be an effective coping mechanism, when we desensitize ourselves, we tend to disconnect from our emotions altogether. If we don’t process our trauma, we can carry internalized shame into adulthood.
Therapy allows you to unpack your experiences at a comfortable pace and realize that what happened wasn’t your fault. In trauma counseling, you can address the effects of childhood neglect, abuse, or sexual assault in a supportive environment with a therapist trained in Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) treatment.
Trauma Therapy Can Help You Build A Brighter Future
Many people find the idea of trauma counseling scary because they’re worried about getting overwhelmed or having to relive the past. However, our job as therapists is to make sure that doesn’t happen by giving you a supportive space where you can truly be heard.
Often, the most important part of counseling is the therapeutic relationship between you and your therapist. That’s why we first aim to build a relationship of trust with you, walking beside you as you grow more comfortable with the healing process.
No matter what happened in your past, please be assured that you are not damaged or broken! You’re just a human being who’s in pain. And that’s why we’re here—to help you heal and finally reclaim your life.
What To Expect In Sessions
As trauma-informed counselors, we strive to customize therapy for every client, no matter their age, with a deep respect for diverse backgrounds and identities. We can tailor counseling to address mental health conditions related to trauma, such as PTSD or Acute Stress Disorder. By setting short- and long-term goals dependent on your needs and desired outcomes, you can rest assured that you or your child will receive the right treatment for your trauma.
Trauma therapy can address persistent symptoms such as chronic stress, flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, or avoiding certain situations due to fear. Working with a therapist, you will receive age-appropriate psychoeducation about the physical and mental impacts of trauma and PTSD. Understanding the physiological effects on the nervous system will help you notice when you are triggered so you can take steps to address the fight-flight-freeze response and remain calm.
In Counseling, We Offer A Comprehensive Approach To Heal From Trauma
Trauma therapy can be present-focused, past-focused, or a combination of both. For example, the structure and accessibility of Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a particularly effective present-focused approach for young people which can often shorten the length of counseling.
Trauma treatment often integrates a variety of modalities to help nurture long-term healing, including:
Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR) and Brain Spotting for trauma and PTSD: both techniques offer evidence-based, non-invasive ways to process traumatic memories;
Coping skills for PTSD: engaging in trauma-informed mindfulness, grounding techniques, and progressive muscle relaxation can help regulate your nervous system to manage stress and anxiety more effectively;
Cognitive restructuring: you will learn how to challenge negative or intrusive thought patterns, poking holes in “What if” thinking;
Trauma-focused narrative therapy: telling your story will help you better understand how what happened impacts you today, allowing you to shift your narrative and live in alignment with your values;
Self-compassion: learning to be kinder and more understanding towards yourself will be the backbone of successful treatment.
The good news is that your experience doesn’t have to define you. Rather, it is a part of your identity that you can accept and move beyond. While trauma therapy can be arduous at times, change is possible. Committing to trauma counseling opens up new doors to healing and well-being.
But Maybe You’re Not Sure If Trauma Therapy Is Right For You…
Won’t rehashing my past in therapy make my PTSD symptoms worse?
As trauma and PTSD counselors, we understand that talking about childhood experiences in therapy sounds intimidating. Perhaps your fear of dredging up the past is why you’ve delayed seeking trauma and PTSD counseling up until now.
However, confronting your emotional wounds in a safe space with a trauma therapist can help release their power. Not only can you assess your experiences from a different perspective in treatment but you can also acquire the tools to cope with trauma and PTSD symptoms more effectively.
I worry that once I start trauma treatment, I’ll be in therapy forever.
It’s important to understand that the goal of trauma counseling is to successfully discharge you from therapy. Although the length of time you may need to accomplish your goals will vary, ultimately your trauma counselor’s aim is to provide you with the tools you need to thrive on your own. We will work together to develop coping mechanisms that help you manage difficult emotions and situations you can continue to use after we stop working together.
Does trauma counseling actually work?
While healing from trauma can be challenging, many people have found significant relief and improved quality of life through therapy. You are not alone in this experience, and with the right support, you can learn coping mechanisms, manage difficult emotions, and build resilience to move forward.
It’s Time To Prioritize Your Mental Health
We offer compassionate, trauma-informed treatment to clients of any age. For a free 15-minute consultation to find out more about Prospering Hope’s in-person and online trauma therapy or to schedule an appointment, please call us at 832-856-1807 or visit our contact page.
[1] https://web.ptsdunited.org/ptsd-statistics-2/#:
[2] https://www.samhsa.gov/child-trauma/understanding-child-trauma
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