What is Trauma Therapy?
Few of us will get through life without experiencing unexpected, sudden, and intensely stressful events. When a stressor is unexpected, sudden, intense, and threatens our safety or that of someone else we love, it is often described as a "traumatic" experience. Traumatic experiences are an extreme and threatening type of stressor. Trauma may come in the form of a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, a physical accident such as a car accident, sexual assault, the sudden loss of a loved one, or war.
When a person experiences trauma, their entire world can change instantly. Many survivors of traumatic experiences have a hard time feeling safe and secure. They may experience feelings of anxiety and depression, have trouble sleeping, and may experience other behavioral changes that are frightening or unusual to them and their loved ones.
How Does Trauma Therapy Work?
When you have experienced trauma and begin to see some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it’s time to explore treatment so you can begin healing. The idea of therapy can feel scary and overwhelming to people with PTSD, mainly because they need to have a sense of being in full control in order to feel safe.
But trauma therapy is really something that can empower an individual with PTSD. With the help of a caring and qualified mental health professional, the person can begin to process past events, stripping that traumatic event of its power.
Trauma therapy has the potential to actually change the way your brain works through what is called "neuroplasticity". Neuroplasticity simply means our brains and neural pathways (i.e., how we think and feel) are capable of change. Through specific mental health tools and strategies, we can retrain our brains to let go of the fear and regain a sense of choice, voice, and control in our lives.
Some of the goals of trauma therapy are:
- To safely process the traumatic event
- To eliminate or alleviate the symptoms of trauma
- To improve day-to-day functioning
- To regain your personal power
- To obtain the skills and tools to prevent relapse
If you or a loved one are living with PTSD, it’s important that you recognize the symptoms and seek help. Life does not have to continue to be scary or overwhelming. There are strategies that can help you process your pain so that you may continue to live your life meaningfully and with greater satisfaction.
If you are interested in learning more about how I approach trauma therapy, please check out the different treatment options I offer: https://tiffanybeks.com/traumatic-stress-ptsd
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