What Is the Most Effective Therapy for Trauma?

Trauma is a condition that can leave a deep impact on the mind and body. The impacts of trauma may not show themselves immediately but could arise months, or even years later, which can have a major effect on every aspect of a person’s life, including their perception of the world and their relationships. When it comes to choosing the right trauma therapy, there is no one-size-fits-all approach because it involves finding the best one that fits the individual. Therapy can help an individual understand traumatic events and work through the symptoms while working towards understanding and relieving traumatic symptoms. Here are some approaches that may prove beneficial.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TFCBT)

This involves cognitive behavioural approaches to treatment and helps people to recognize false beliefs and correct unhealthy behaviour patterns, while also developing new ways to cope. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is predominantly used for younger people, like children and teenagers.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

This is a therapy that was developed in 1987 and is different from traditional talking therapies. The approach involves releasing traumatic memories through eye movement patterns. The person undergoing an EMDR session will be asked to hold a specific aspect of a traumatic event in their mind, while they focus on their hand moving back and forth or rhythmic tapping, which aims to help the brain reprocess the memory.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

This approach aims to help people who feel stuck in their thoughts about a trauma. The approach involves changing and challenging and helpful beliefs, allowing the individual to understand and think differently about the event and relieve any negative associations.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

This is an approach that helps people who have experienced a very recent traumatic event. Another type of talk therapy, CISD helps individuals discuss the experience in detail and examine their feelings towards it. Originally designed for responders to traumatic events, CISD is predominantly in small group settings to help people process the event or minimize any symptoms of traumatic stress.

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

This approach involves a therapist helping an individual to understand how the past has affected their current behaviours, emotions, and relationship patterns. Psychodynamic therapy works to help someone understand the unconscious motives that drive their behaviour. These would include early childhood experiences or family dynamics, which could all be shaped by trauma, which can affect an individual’s coping methods or attitudes and beliefs about the world. Psychodynamic psychotherapy can help individuals use more helpful coping methods and improve many aspects of their lives, including self-esteem, and relationships, and improve their ability to function.

As far as the most effective trauma therapy is concerned, the answer depends on the individual. There are some people who are more receptive to specific types of therapy than others, such as talking therapies like CISD and CPD. Others may benefit from less talking such as EMDR. For anybody who is looking to deal with trauma, there are a variety of therapies on offer for this condition.