What is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy is a type of treatment that is designed to help individuals who have experienced a traumatic event in their lives. This type of therapy can be incredibly beneficial to help understand and manage emotions, to develop healthy relationships, and to regain control of your life after experiencing traumatic events.
If you are currently struggling with trauma or would like to learn more about how to manage your mental well-being, you can seek help from one of our psychologists experienced in trauma treatment, or find other professional Melbourne psychologists on the APS.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is a psychological response to a distressing or life-threatening event. It can cause a wide range of emotional, physical, and psychological symptoms, such as fear, anxiety, depression, and / or flashbacks etc. Trauma can result from a wide range of events, such as natural disasters, physical / emotional / sexual assault, war, or accidents. It can also result from long-term exposure to stressful or abusive situations. Trauma is a common experience, but with the appropriate support and treatment, individuals can heal and manage their mental health after experiencing it.
Benefits Of Trauma Therapy
Trauma therapy can help people make sense of their experiences, understand their emotions, and develop healthy coping skills. Trauma psychologists can also help people manage symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and feelings of hopelessness or helplessness. Additionally, counselling for trauma can improve a person's relationships and overall quality of life. It can help people feel more in control of their lives and more able to handle difficult situations.
Possible Techniques Used In Trauma Therapy
One of the key components of trauma therapy is the development of a safe and supportive environment. This means that the psychologist will work to create a space where the individual can feel comfortable and at ease. There are many different types of trauma-focused techniques that can be used to help people who have experienced trauma. Some common types of trauma-focused treatments include:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT): This type of therapy helps people understand and change their thoughts and behaviours in order to improve their mental health. It can be used to help people overcome anxiety, depression, and other mental health challenges that can result from trauma.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): CPT seeks to identify specific thoughts and beliefs about the self and the world related to trauma. It aims to help us move away from the avoidance based strategies that tend to get us stuck to the trauma
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): This type of therapy uses eye movements, sounds, or tapping to help people process and heal from traumatic events. It can be used to help people overcome symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and feelings of guilt or shame.
Narrative therapy: this involves discussing the traumatic event and exploring the individual's feelings and thoughts about it.
Mindfulness: This type of therapy involves being present in the moment and paying attention to one's thoughts and feelings without judging them. This can be powerful tool as it can help us learn to let go of the past and to focus on the present.
Counselling for trauma is a powerful tool that can help individuals who have experienced traumatic event(s) to heal and manage these events more adaptively by understanding and making sense of these experiences. It provides a safe and supportive environment where individuals can process their experiences and develop adaptive coping mechanisms that will enable them to live fulfilling and meaningful lives.
If you would like to learn more about trauma and treatment for trauma, feel free to get in touch and have a chat with our Client Support Team at Inner Easter Psychology.