Therapy for Trauma
Understanding Trauma
Trauma. It’s a term that we hear a lot – especially these days. But what does it really mean? Does a person have to be a combat vet to experience “real” trauma? Or can we experience it in other ways? Is all trauma “BIG, CAPITAL T TRAUMA,” or can other less sensational experiences have a similar traumatizing impact on us?
Small “t” trauma is any event that exceeds our capacity to cope. We tend to not give attention to these traumas because we see them as common or something that everyone experiences. Examples of small “t” traumas include infidelity, divorce, and financial difficulties. While one small “t” trauma might not cause significant distress to a person, multiple small “t” traumas can add up and affect a person’s daily functioning if not processed in a healthy way.
Capital “T” Trauma can be best described as threatened death, as well as actual or threatened sexual violence. Examples of capital “T” Traumas include natural disasters, motor vehicle accidents, and sexual assault. People are much more likely to engage in avoidance behaviors following the experience of a capital “T” trauma. However, just because someone experiences trauma does not mean they will develop PTSD. Similarly, just because someone does not develop PTSD does not mean that the experience was not trauma or that the experience does not have an effect on the person’s daily functioning.
Trauma is any event in your life that is deeply distressing or upsetting for any individual. Because it is so specific to the individual, there is a wide range of events. Trauma can affect the entire body, both emotionally, mentally, and physically.
When experiencing the effects of trauma, it is important to make sure you are processing it in a healthy way. If you are struggling, getting the help of a therapist is important. At Sanctuary Counseling, we are here to help you process that trauma and find healthy ways to cope with stressful situations.
Is Therapy for Trauma Beneficial?
It is very important to get therapy for trauma. Trauma, when it is not processed in a healthy way, can have negative effects on our lives. It can affect many different areas in our lives without us even knowing it. How a situation affects a person is dependent on a variety of factors, such as past experiences, perceptions, expectations, ability to cope, and distress tolerance. Trauma-informed therapy can be life-changing.
Sometimes we can go a long period of time before coming to the realization that certain events had more of an impact on our lives than we originally thought. Maybe we didn’t have the ability to deal with the trauma at the time because we had other responsibilities such as taking care of others who were also impacted or maybe there were toxic behaviors that were normalized in our families growing up. Trauma counseling can help us have new language and insight into how trauma has affected many different aspects of our lives and free us from the emotional weight we have been burdened with.
The benefits of therapy for trauma are endless. Most people experience trauma, but there is a world in which you don’t have to carry the weight of it all the time. Processing that trauma is possible. You are allowed to have a fulfilling life. Working with a trauma therapist can allow people to process past traumas, reduce trauma symptoms, shift their focus to the present, improve their daily functioning, gain coping skills to deal with future stressful situations, and establish a healthy and more adaptive meaning of the experience.
“Anything that’s human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionable can be more manageable. When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary. The people we trust with that important talk can help us know that we are not alone.”
– Fred Rogers
The Most Effective Therapy Techniques for Trauma.
Trauma therapy is best when done by a trauma-informed therapist. Many therapists offer trauma counseling, and it is important to have someone who knows how to use different types of therapy to best suit your needs. It is done in a safe, welcoming environment where you are able to talk through trauma with no judgment, only support. Trauma therapy can include psychotherapy, art therapy, and many other modalities of therapy.
Finding a Therapist for Trauma-informed Therapy
Trauma counseling is about feeling safe and comfortable with your therapist. At Sanctuary Counseling, we provide a warm, inviting place that allows you to relax. We want you to feel at home, just as we do. Even when we use telesessions, our therapists work to create a bond between you that makes you feel safe. We want you to feel that Sanctuary is your therapeutic home.
This therapeutic home is a place where, even if a client takes a temporary break from therapy, they can come back to at any point and talk to someone who knows their story.
If you’re in the Douglassville or Audubon areas of Pennsylvania, we have two locations that can serve as your therapeutic home. As always, we are happy to say that we are able to serve a much larger area, as all of our sessions may be done via teletherapy.
Trauma can be a struggle, but it does not have to be a lifelong struggle. We are here to help guide you through the entire experience. Please take the first step in your journey to contact us, we do not want you to suffer alone.
You are welcome here.