Trauma Therapy

Trauma can cause so many invisible scars. You may be wondering how to process what you’ve experienced. You may question whether you’ll ever be able to find healing. Traumatic experiences can destroy our feelings of safety and security. But there is hope.

 

Trauma therapy has been designed to help you heal. You don’t need to continue feeling helpless, lost, afraid, and alone.

 

What is Considered Trauma?

Any event or situation that causes you mental or emotional harm can be considered a traumatic experience. It includes:

 

• Abuse

• Abandonment

• Accidents

• Crime

• Death

• Divorce

• Illness

• Homelessness

• Injury

• Life-threatening event/situation

• Natural disaster

• Neglect

• Assault

• Terrorism

• Violence

 

It’s important to note that this list is not exhaustive. If you’ve experienced something that has impacted you deeply on an emotional or mental level, you could benefit from trauma therapy.

 

What is Trauma Therapy?

If you’ve had a traumatic experience in your life, it’s crucial to seek help from a professional. You need to talk over your experience and pain to get over the mental and emotional distress. It can sound scary, and we understand you may not want to face the reality of what you’ve experienced. But it can actually empower you and help you process it.

 

The psychological disruption that trauma brings can last for a long time. Some people suffer for years after the event. It is not something that you’ll be able to overcome on your own.

 

However, you must find a therapist who has the proper training and skill. Not all therapists understand how to help people who have experienced trauma.

 

Here are some of the most common types of trauma therapy:

 

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TFCBT)

This form of therapy relies on the cognitive behavioural approach to treatment, which means we can control our behaviour by controlling our thoughts. Some of the ways your therapist will help you include teaching you more about the impact of trauma. You’ll also be encouraged to talk through your pain and the experience. This can help you adjust your thoughts about what you experienced.

 

Psychodynamic Psychotherapy

Some therapists are trained to delve into the unconscious mind, which is what psychodynamic psychotherapy does. You’ll be invited to discuss your symptoms and the traumatic event with your therapist through talk therapy. During sessions, you’ll be free to talk about anything that crosses your mind. Therapists will then help you understand the defence mechanisms you’ve been using to avoid dealing with the experience. Once you know this, it can help you start the healing process by undoing those mechanisms and processing the trauma you’ve experienced.

 

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a newer form of psychotherapy and can sometimes work much faster than the other forms of trauma therapy. Using an external stimulus, such as eye movements, hand tapping, etc., your therapist will ask you to talk about your traumatic experience. During the sessions, you will think about different parts of your story as you track the therapist’s movements. It’s believed that this process can help your brain work through the memories of the experience.

 

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing (CISD)

If the traumatic event happened very recently, you might want to undergo CISD. Another form of talk therapy, it helps you discuss the experience and examine how you are feeling about it. However, you’ll likely need more than just one debriefing session to accept what has happened and heal from the trauma fully.

 

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

As part of the CPT process, your therapist will help your challenge you view of the trauma. You’ll examine the thoughts that you’ve had since the event happened. This type of therapy can be done in an individual or group setting. You’ll learn some cognitive restructuring strategies to help you get rid of negative thoughts and build positive ones.

 

Why Trauma Therapy?

You have the power inside of you to heal yourself. We can help you process past events and reclaim your life again. Here are some of the benefits you’ll experience with trauma therapy:

 

• Gain power of the reality of the event that occurred in your past rather than let it control you

• Eliminate your trauma symptoms

• Bring your focus to the present, not stay stuck in the past

• Improve your everyday life

• Regain your independence and control over your life

• Get help in overcoming addictions that are caused by the traumatic stress you suffered

• Gain skills to prevent a relapse.

 

If you or a loved one has experienced a trauma that left them with lasting scars and ongoing challenges. Contact Catharsis Counselling & Psychology for a free consultation.

 

You don’t need to stay trapped in the past. Let us help you reclaim your life and look forward to your future.