Therapy for Trauma

Trauma is a person’s emotional response to experiencing a distressing event. There is no one size fits all to trauma. Two people can experience the same traumatic event and have very different reactions. 

“Trauma is in the eye of the beholder. The event itself may not be as important as how the event is perceived by the individual.” - Beck (2004)

For some people trauma may make it challenging to trust others and a person may find themself withdrawing from others around them. Intrusive thoughts and distressing memories may be ever present, sneaking into a person’s consciousness at the most inconvenient time; or appear within a person’s dreams making sleep challenging. At times a person may find themself having trouble concentrating, dissociating from reality, avoiding situations or places that remind them of the trauma, developing an exaggerated startle response, and / or  becoming hypervigilant. Shifts in a person’s mood may also occur making it difficult to experience any positive emotional responses. 

I am here to help you cope with and process trauma. One of the main ways I help support those who have experienced trauma is by using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). CBT helps you challenge unhealthy thought processes and emotions connected to your trauma in order to work towards reconceptualizing your understanding of the traumatic experience. In doing this you will gain a better understanding of yourself and your ability to cope. One main objective of CBT involves efforts to change thinking patterns to change behavioral patterns. To accomplish this we work together to help you face your fears instead of avoiding them; learn to calm your mind and relax your body through different grounding techniques and coping strategies; and use role play to help prepare you for potentially triggering and problematic situations you may encounter.

Another method I use in trauma therapy is called Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT). CPT is a specific type of cognitive behavioral therapy. CPT is a more structured therapeutic approach which helps you understand why recovery from traumatic experiences is difficult and how the symptoms of trauma affect daily life. Specific goals of CPT are: improvement of understanding of trauma, reducing distress associated with memories of the trauma; decreasing emotional numbness; decreasing avoidance of trauma reminders; reducing hypervigilance and feelings of being on edge; decreasing depression, anxiety, guilt, and / or shame; and improvement of daily quality of life.