Information Wellness Blog

Trauma therapy options vary, depending on the specifics of each case and individual needs. Selecting the therapy approach best suited for you depends on your symptoms, background and desired goals.

Somatic therapies focus on the connection between body and mind. These treatments address physical pain, anxiety and emotional regulation – helping individuals regain a sense of control over their lives.

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Prolonged exposure therapy is one of the most extensively researched and effective cognitive behavioral therapy treatments for trauma. This technique works to break down unhealthy coping strategies like avoidance while decreasing symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder. Prolonged exposure may prove particularly useful for individuals experiencing complex trauma from war zones or human trafficking situations.

Exposure therapies aim to gradually desensitize individuals to traumatic memories and situations in a safe setting over a period of time. This process helps break down the power of trauma cues on people and make them more accepting of them; furthermore, it allows the brain to stop reacting so strongly when exposed to triggers that could impede one’s sense of control over life.

Psychotherapist Edna Foa first developed PE therapy in the 1980s, and it has become one of the go-to treatments for PTSD worldwide. Based on associative learning theory – in which our brains learn to associate certain stimuli such as smells or sounds with each other – PE therapy works when these stimuli reappear again, setting off alarm bells in our bodies and prompting fear, anxiety, or panic responses from us.

Studies show that PE’s effectiveness can be enhanced when coupled with relaxation techniques such as deep breathing. While engaging in this type of treatment can be challenging for some as it may bring up painful emotions or memories, therapists are skilled in providing support and comfort during these moments.

There are various variations of exposure-focused therapy, and therapists can add culturally sensitive adaptations to the standard PE format. This may involve investigating and discussing how factors such as race/ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation and class can impact a person’s experience of trauma and its subsequent symptoms.

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic experiencing (SE), is an approach to therapy which emphasizes the body as the site of emotional experiences. SE enables people to recognize and build tolerance for physical sensations associated with trauma, thus turning disregulation into regulation. A somatic therapist typically utilizes techniques combining mindfulness with body awareness techniques in order to help you tune into bodily sensations and emotions more directly.

Like other therapies, SE practitioners may include psychologists, licensed professional counselors, social workers, marriage and family therapists or marriage and family therapists with additional specialized training in somatic experiencing. Some somatic therapists may even specialize in body work and other mind-body practices in addition to somatic experiencing therapy.

This therapeutic approach is grounded in the idea that when faced with emotionally or physically taxing events, your nervous system responds with what’s known as the fight, flight or freeze response. Unfortunately, during traumatic incidents the immobility phase doesn’t complete, leaving an unwanted charge in your nervous system that still perceives threats; failing to release this charge leads to dysregulation and dissociation within the body.

This method works by gradually releasing (or “titrating”) compressed fight-or-flight energy bit by bit, to help your body return to a more peaceful state of being. A therapist provides interoceptive feedback and guidance during this process.

Recent research revealed that SE was effective at alleviating PTSD symptoms; however, further investigation needs to be undertaken in order to understand its specific impact. A 15-session protocol was employed as part of this study with each session being psychoeducational in nature in terms of discussing traumatizing events and symptoms associated with them.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a structured talk treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). CPT teaches people to challenge unhelpful beliefs they hold about their trauma – beliefs about safety, trust, control, self-esteem or intimacy for example. CPT has been found effective across numerous studies; individuals or groups can participate. CPT may include writing down details of trauma.

CPT allows you to identify specific stuck points – those thoughts or beliefs which hold you back from moving forward – before working together with your therapist to find more accurate beliefs that can replace these stagnant thoughts or beliefs. CPT typically takes 12 sessions and has proven particularly successful for individuals who have experienced various traumas like childhood sexual abuse, military sexual assault, physical violence or natural disasters.

CPT can be especially helpful for individuals who find it hard to talk openly about their experiences or find other methods for processing and coping difficult. When used together with other forms of therapy, CPT often leads to significant symptom reduction; however, certain trauma symptoms such as dissociation must first be stabilized before commencing CPT.

Radial Therapists can help answer any of your questions about alternative trauma therapies and guide you in finding one that’s tailored just to you. Plus, our free online tool makes comparing benefits across treatments easier – click here now to start!

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is a widely recommended form of treatment for trauma. This therapy works to overcome memories and feelings associated with trauma while improving regulation of emotions, ultimately creating healthy coping mechanisms and regaining the sense of safety and self-worth that has been compromised in such events. Some therapists combine trauma-focused CBT with other treatment approaches such as mindfulness meditation or art therapy or even EMDR for maximum effect; medications also play a significant role in trauma treatment by alleviating its intensity.

Trauma has an extreme negative impact on mental health and can lead to conditions like posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), depression, anxiety and substance abuse. Additionally, its symptoms can interfere with relationships and daily functioning – as memories or reminders from the event trigger fears, guilt and powerlessness feelings which often manifest themselves as difficulty concentrating, sleep problems or any number of other difficulties.

Childhood trauma may have lasting repercussions that impact relationships and work life as adults. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) is a specialized form of cognitive-behavioral therapy designed to assist children and adolescents cope with the effects of trauma.

The TF-CBT model integrates psychoeducation, relaxation and coping skills training, trauma-specific exposure techniques and family therapy into an approach centered around family involvement that may also involve caregivers. Its goals are to assist children or teens in processing trauma experiences more effectively while developing coherent narratives of trauma experiences. It offers a family-centric solution that also involves caregivers.

Cognitive restructuring techniques used in trauma-focused cognitive Behavioral Therapy are particularly powerful in helping children and adolescents alter unhelpful beliefs such as that they were at fault for the trauma or that they are helpless against it. Cognitive restructuring may help survivors move beyond feelings of hopelessness or blame toward a more positive perspective on life.

EMDR

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, commonly referred to as EMDR, is an alternative trauma therapy which addresses physical and emotional reactions associated with traumatic memories. Studies conducted on multiple trauma victims by Kaiser Permanente demonstrated its success at alleviating symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). After six 50-minute sessions using EMDR therapy, all single trauma victims no longer had symptoms. It can also help treat personality disorders as well as stress-induced or medically unexplained physical ailments.

Your loved one will participate in an EMDR session by recalling an upsetting memory, along with any associated thoughts or emotions, then paying attention to a series of back-and-forth movements, sensations or sounds (for instance a moving finger between their hands or an alternating tap or tone from their therapist), which help stimulate both sides of their brain in order to reprocessing this disturbing memory.

Your loved one may experience discomfort as they revisit a painful memory, but this usually quickly dissipates, giving way to new insights, connections and positive emotions. Over time they should find this new information less distressful when recalling said memory and have less of an effect on present-day life or beliefs about themselves.

EMDR therapy is an efficient and cost-effective solution that fits easily into busy lives, such as your loved one’s. Plus, its ease and cost effectiveness outshone other forms of psychotherapy requiring journaling or homework between sessions. Furthermore, EMDR can be especially useful in moving past key negative experiences like the loss of a parent or being involved in an automobile accident without meeting diagnostic criteria for specific diagnoses such as these.