Trauma therapy, also known as PTSD therapy, assists those who have been exposed to a traumatic event. Trauma therapists focus on helping their clients cope with the harmful effects of trauma, and how to move forward with their life.
Unwanted side effects of trauma might include feeling fearful or on edge around other people. Trauma therapists use cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and other methods to help their clients cope with their specific side effects, and to correct one’s unhelpful thoughts and behaviors.
Unfortunately, traumatic experiences can have a negative impact on an individual’s relationships with friends and family members, their performance at work, and other important areas of life. Trauma-informed therapy recognizes this widespread impact and helps individuals move forward with their life.
While trauma therapists may differ in their approach to therapy, they are focused on helping their clients heal. This means analyzing a client’s particular presentation, exposure to trauma, and specific goals for therapy. Once they conduct their analysis, they can then tailor treatment to best help an individual. Sometimes it takes more than one type of therapy to heal from trauma.
Types of therapy used to treat trauma and PTSD include but are not limited to:
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
TF-CBT is essentially cognitive behavioral therapy tailored for people who have had traumatic experiences. This is a form of talk therapy that helps clients confront and manage their thoughts related to the trauma.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
The main goal of EMDR is to remove the blockage that is preventing the client from moving forward. EMDR therapies involves a process of visualizing distressing events while stimulating back-and-forth eye movements or similar stimulus. The goals of EMDR therapy are to give people the tools to deal with past, present, and future trauma, and to focus on the positive. Those who receive EMDR therapy are hoping to receive a reduction in physiological arousal and in traumatic memories. Those suffering from anxiety, depression, PTSD, and panic disorders benefit the most from this type of therapy.
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART)
Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) is an emerging, efficient therapy for PTSD/trauma and other psychiatric conditions. It is derived from Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR).The key concepts of ART include memory reconsolidation and smooth-pursuit eye-movements. Together, these techniques help patients deal with issues like trauma, anxiety, depression, or sleep problems. There is evidence that smooth pursuit eye movement, over a period of time, relates to a relaxation response in the brain. The goal of ART therapy is that the client will experience decreased or eliminated symptoms associated with the problem or disorder that they came to therapy to treat.
