Counseling for Trauma
What Defines Trauma?
According to the American Psychological Association, trauma is defined as, “Any disturbing experience that results in significant fear, helplessness, dissociation, confusion, or other disruptive feelings intense enough to have a long-lasting negative effect on a person’s attitudes, behavior, and other aspects of functioning”. There are different levels of trauma that may be experienced, and not all trauma causes Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Trauma can include experiences with one’s family or upbringing, such as experiences that caused the person to feel that they did not belong in the family or were not important. It is typically more common that people recognize trauma as “big events”, such as a natural disaster, war, or an assault. Regardless of the type of trauma that occurs, an individual can still develop a trauma-response to the memory of the event.
Trauma Symptoms
Symptoms of trauma can show up in different ways depending on the individual. For some, trauma symptoms may show up as anxiety, panic attacks, depression, shame, or guilt. It can be common for those with trauma to have intrusive thoughts or distressing memories that come up involuntarily. Other symptoms of trauma and PTSD include:
-Avoidance of people, places, or things.
-Nightmares or night terrors
-Irritability
-Risky Behaviors
-Sleep Disturbances
-Hypervigilance, feeling on-edge
-Easily Startled
-Low Self-Esteem
Trauma Therapy
Therapy for trauma can be an effective approach to lessen, and hopefully eliminate, the unwanted symptoms of trauma. Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a helpful type of therapy that works to reduce the symptoms of PTSD, lessen the discomfort and distress associated with traumatic memories, and make new meaning out of painful life events. In trauma therapy, a combination of EMDR and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) are used to alleviate the symptoms of trauma and improve one’s quality of life. There are ways to manage the unwanted symptoms of trauma and get relief from the distress it can cause in one’s life. Working with a professional counselor can give you the tools that you need to heal from the trauma. To learn more about how counseling for trauma can help, please feel free to Contact Me and we can set up 20-minute consultation to discuss any questions you may have.