What Can Cause Trauma?
Many situations cause trauma, but below is a list of some of the experiences that are often associated with the distressing trauma symptoms:
- Being bullied or harassed
- Being manipulated and lied to over and again
- Being physically and/or assaulted
- Getting into an accident or unsafe situation
- Sexual molestation or assault
- Witnessing and/or hearing dangerous events, including situations happening to those you love
- Growing up in a neglectful or abusive environment
- Growing up with an impaired or incarcerated caregiver
Fortunately the importance of being a trauma-informed provider is more recognized as professionals seek training to be trauma-informed. However, there is a difference between being a trauma-informed provider and being a therapist who provides trauma-specific services.
The Difference between Trauma-Informed and Trauma-Specific Services
Thanks to a great deal of pioneering work in the field of trauma, traumatic stress, and childhood trauma, we are learning more about how to address these trauma-related issues to help people heal from the events of the past. There are two main types of trauma treatment:
- Trauma-informed treatment, which incorporates knowledge of trauma even though the treatment focuses on substance use, mental health disorders, or other issues.
- Trauma-specific treatment, which is specifically designed to address trauma.
Why See a Trauma-Specific Treatment Provider?
Trauma can have a powerful impact on the brain and body, and trauma reactions can be pervasive in individuals’ everyday lives. When our ability to cope with a situation is overwhelmed, we experience trauma, which is a normal human response. People struggling with trauma often experience sleeplessness, anxiety, panic-attacks, flashbacks, inability to rest, and more. The body and brain scans for danger and continues to warn you in an effort to protect yourself. This process involves heightened emotions and physical responses, and it occurs even in situations that do not warrant it. These experiences can be very distressing and negatively impact all aspects of daily life, including our ability to work or be in school, our relationships with family and friends, and much more. It can also impact our overall physical health.
Our Approach to Trauma Treatment:
Our therapists and support staff work from a trauma-informed perspective in all that we do, and we provide trauma-specific services. All of our therapists are equipped to work with a client’s experience of trauma directly – by exploring and processing the traumatic experiences – and indirectly – by working from a trauma-informed perspective to address a client’s goals and priorities. In addition, many of our therapists have received advanced training to use trauma-informed evidence-based interventions.
Trauma-Informed Evidence-Based Interventions Offered by our Providers:
This is not an exhaustive list, but these are some of the most effective interventions to help individuals heal from traumatic experiences:
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) Skills & Strategies
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) Skills & Strategies
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
- Mindfulness-Based Skills & Strategies
- Psychological First Aid (PFA)
- Structured Psychotherapy for Adolescents Responding to Chronic Stress (SPARCS)
- Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
- Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Skills & Strategies
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
EMDR is an evidence-based psychotherapy that enables people to heal from the symptoms and emotional distress that are the result of disturbing life experiences. It involves the brain and body in therapy processing with bilateral stimulation to process emotions and experiences. EMDR therapy shows that the mind can in fact heal from psychological trauma as the brain’s information processing system naturally moves toward mental health. Trained clinicians help clients activate their natural healing processes using the detailed protocols and procedures in EMDR therapy.
Numerous evidence-based therapies can provide relief and effective solutions. Contact us today to start exploring the right options for you.
