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What is Trauma Therapy?

Updated: Dec 2, 2022


Trauma therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps people manage stress, fear, anxiety, and other negative emotions that can result from traumatic experiences. These types of experiences can include physical or sexual assault, natural disasters such as earthquakes or fires, car accidents, kidnapping, hostage situations, war zones or concentration camps — any situation in which someone experiences an event or series of events that are so frightening or upsetting they cause long-lasting stress and uneasiness. People who have experienced trauma may experience symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, anxiety, or depression. Trauma therapy is one of the different treatment options for those who have experienced these types of events. While there are different ways to categorize the various types of trauma therapy available today, most fall under one of two general categories: cognitive-based and interpersonal-based therapies.

What is cognitive-based therapy for trauma?


Cognitive-based therapy focuses on changing the way people think and feel in order to reduce symptoms, such as anxiety and fear, that often result from trauma. It may help people who are experiencing feelings of guilt or shame, or who are having trouble sleeping or concentrating because of their symptoms. In trauma therapy, a clinician will help a person explore their thoughts and feelings about their experiences, consider different ways of thinking about the trauma, and identify what they would like to change about their reactions and feelings. Examples of cognitive-based therapies include talk therapy, imaginal exposure therapy, imagery rescripting, mentalization-based therapy, and narrative therapy.

What is interpersonal-based therapy for trauma?


Interpersonal-based therapies help people focus on their current relationships and how they might be influenced by the trauma they have experienced. They often involve couples therapy and help couples learn new ways of communicating, resolving conflicts, and supporting each other. This type of therapy may be helpful for people who have experienced trauma in the past and are now in a healthy relationship. Interpersonal-based therapies focus on improving communication skills and building trust and intimacy in relationships. Examples of interpersonal-based trauma therapies include couples therapy, family therapy, and group therapy.

What is EMDR therapy?


Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy is a brief therapy that focuses on resolving the emotional and psychological impact of a traumatic event. It is designed to be used in combination with other forms of therapy for trauma, including cognitive behavioral therapy and psychodynamic therapy. EMDR therapy involves focusing on the traumatic event and recalling the feelings that go along with it while following visual or other types of stimuli with your eyes. EMDR therapy has been found to be effective for many people with trauma-related problems, although more research is needed to determine how often it should be used, who it is most effective for, and how long the benefits last.

What is psychodynamic therapy?


Psychodynamic therapy focuses on exploring the person’s past experiences and relationships to understand how they may have contributed to their current symptoms. It aims to help the person gain insight into their past and current experiences and change their negative thinking and behaviors. This type of therapy may be helpful for people who have had a difficult or challenging childhood and are now having difficulty managing their emotions and relationships as adults. Psychodynamic therapy can be helpful for people who have trouble expressing their feelings, have low self-esteem, or have difficulty forming and maintaining healthy relationships.

What is expressive therapy?


Expressive therapy, also called creative therapy, uses art and other creative activities to help people explore their feelings about traumatic events. Expressive therapy may be helpful for people who are having a challenging time talking about their experiences or who are having trouble expressing their emotions. Examples of expressive therapies include art therapy, dance therapy, music therapy, and journaling.

What is group therapy?


Group therapy is often used to help people who have experienced trauma explore the impact of their experiences and learn ways to cope with the symptoms they are experiencing. This type of trauma therapy often involves meeting regularly with a group of people who are experiencing similar issues. People in a group therapy session can learn from one another and support each other as they work through their issues and progress through their trauma therapy.

Conclusion


There are many types of trauma therapy that can be helpful for people who are experiencing the stress and anxiety that can result from a traumatic experience. While there is no one “right” type of therapy, diverse types of therapies have been found to be effective for people who are dealing with the stress and anxiety that can result from a traumatic experience. People can find a trauma therapist who is right for them by exploring their options and discussing their interests and needs with the different types of therapists they meet with.

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