What is trauma therapy?
Trauma is an extremely stressful event which overwhelms a person’s coping mechanism, having posed a risk to the person’s life or sanity. Trauma therapy is a form of therapy in which a counselor works with a client to enable him or her to overcome psychological trauma.
How does trauma therapy work?
Trauma therapy in itself is not a specific type of therapy, but rather a set of therapies which may be used individually or in combination with one another. Every trauma therapy, irrespective of its form, follows a basic model. There are mainly three phases in a trauma therapy which are:
1) Establishing safety and stabilization:
The key to recovery is for the client to feel safe and stable. In order for the client to feel safe, the client must work to introduce productive self-soothing and self-care techniques. Many times, the techniques adopted by victims of psychological trauma for self-care are self-destructive in nature. Through trauma therapy, the client is enabled to tap into his or her full potential which contributes to personal growth and safety.
Stabilization refers to the client’s feeling of safety within himself or herself and their movement towards the replacement of unhealthy coping strategies. During counseling, the counselor must, with care and compassion, confront the client about the dangerous nature of the client’s anti-social behavior. Through stabilization, the client also begins to eliminate avoiding talking about the traumatic event.
2) Remembrance and integration of traumatic memories:
The second phase is only moved on to when the client is ready to remember the traumatic event, and is entered into with the client’s permission. In this phase, the client recollects the traumatic memories in light of what happened. The client is allowed to freely express and experience his or her feelings. Re-experiencing the traumatic memories in a safe and trusting environment assists the client in overcoming feelings of isolation or mistrust. The client is also able to recollect some forgotten traumatic memories. Being given the opportunity to grieve the loss caused due to the trauma helps the client in integrating the traumatic memories into the narrative of life and makes them less disturbing.
3) Reintegration and rehabilitation:
The last phase focuses on the acceptance of trauma by the client, thereby helping him or her in moving forward in life. The client’s traumatic memories and powerful feelings lessen. The client is able to function better in his or her daily life and is able to strengthen his or her coping mechanism and overcome previously difficult situations with ease. The client has come to understand that the traumatic event does not define him or her, and the individual feels empowered.
If you are looking for a counselor to help you or someone you know become a part of trauma therapy or any other kind of counseling, contact Collaborative Therapeutic Services, located in Tampa, Brandon, FL. Our therapists are trained, and we offer various kinds of specialized counseling services.
Collaborative Therapeutic Services (CTS) seeks to maximize clients’ options by offering a variety of services, hours, and service providers with diverse specializations. We offer evening & weekend appointments. Have questions? Contact Us Here or Call 813-951-7346. Located in Tampa, Florida.