What is Trauma Therapy Really Like?

If you’ve been through something overwhelming—like abuse, an accident, or a deeply painful experience—you may be wondering what trauma therapy is really like, and if it could help you feel like yourself again. Trauma therapy is a safe, supportive space where healing begins. It’s designed to gently help you process the past, build skills to manage stress, and reconnect with a sense of safety and empowerment. I know it can feel scary or uncertain to take that first step, but you won’t have to do it alone. I will walk alongside you, offering compassion, guidance, and tools that support your healing—every step of the way.

At Thrive Well Therapy, in the first sessions we take care to help you build skills that will support your ability to process what happened to you.

1. RESOURCING

Resourcing is what therapists call providing you with the skills you'll need as therapy progresses. These are skills you can use in and out of therapy - and will take with you long after you're done in our offices! Life long skills you'll learn include:

• Education about the central nervous system, how stress affects the body and how stress in the body affects your mental state and ability to manage your emotions.

• Grounding techniques will be taught to help you stay connected to the present moment and your surroundings when you feel overwhelmed by distressing thoughts or memories. Examples include deep breathing exercises, focusing on sensory experiences (like touching objects or feeling the ground beneath their feet), or using mindfulness techniques.

• Weekly relaxation skills to guide you into a stress-free state before, during, and after therapy sessions. These may include progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, or visualization exercises.

• Coping strategies will be explored that you can use when you encounter triggers or stressful situations. This may involve identifying healthy coping mechanisms, such as journaling, engaging in creative activities, or practicing self-care activities like exercise or spending time in nature.

• You'll learn emotional regulation techniques to manage intense emotions and prevent them from becoming overwhelming. This might involve learning to identify and label emotions, practicing emotional expression in a safe and healthy way, and developing strategies for self-soothing during times of distress.

• Safe space visualization may be used to guide you in creating and accessing a mental safe space where you can retreat to in times of distress. This safe space can provide a sense of comfort, security, and relaxation during difficult moments.

• Internal resources will be explored as you identify internal strengths and resources you can draw upon for support and resilience. This might involve exploring positive memories, identifying personal strengths and qualities, or tapping into a sense of spirituality or inner wisdom.

• Building up social support is another resource we can explore as we build or strengthen your support networks by identifying sources of social support, practicing assertive communication skills, and developing strategies for reaching out to others for help when needed.

Overall, resourcing skills empower you to develop greater resilience, self-awareness, and self-regulation, enhancing your ability to cope with and recover from traumatic experiences.

2. PRACTICING

Practicing your skills in the real world really runs congruent with learning them. But we feel the need to point out that we are patient and will camp out here as long as it takes you to begin to master your new found skills. There is no rush as you'll need to know them before the final steps!

During this time we will be exploring your values and goals in life. When you cross a boundary that violates your values (or allow someone else to cross one) this is an indicator that you were in emotional distress (aka NOT a relaxed mind state) at the time. We'll process together what steps were made and what can be learned so next time you make a decision that makes you proud. And believe it or not, you will start honoring your inner values more consistently and it will feel good!

3. PROCESSING TRAUMA

You made it this far. Now with the skills built up and your values set we start talking about whatever aspect or part of the trauma you wish to discuss. Some clients who complete the resourcing portion of our therapy have reported greater peace and contentment without even feeling the need to process and talk about their trauma in therapy. If this is you then all that's left is confirming that you feel competent with your new skills and completing therapy sessions!

If we decide together that the need is still there to process your trauma further then we go through a series of different exercises where you tell your story multiple different ways in a relaxed state. As you'll learn in the resourcing portion, we can train our bodies to communicate to our brains that we are safe. When we tell our story in a safe setting we take the power right out of the traumatic events. YOU are in the drivers seat and are no longer controlled by fear. Hard to imagine? Hit me up for a free consultation and let's talk!

Q. WHAT KIND OF THERAPIES DO YOU USE FOR TRAUMA THERAPY?

A. I use different kinds of therapies based on client need, preference, and where we are in the healing journey. Everyone is unique and your healing journey is no different. Modalities I am trained in or frequently use elements of are:

• Forward Facing Trauma Therapy

• Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

• Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT)

• Motivational Interviewing

• Mindfulness

• Meditation

• Narrative Therapy

• Somatic Experiencing

Q. WHO IS THIS TYPE OF TRAUMA THERAPY NOT GOOD FOR?

A. Trauma therapy is not for everyone. Some reasons it might not be for you are:

1. Recent trauma: If the traumatic event occurred very recently, you may need time to stabilize and process the immediate aftermath before engaging in therapy.

2. Severe mental health conditions: In cases where you are experiencing severe mental health symptoms that require immediate stabilization or intensive psychiatric care, trauma therapy may need to be postponed until symptoms are more manageable.

3. Substance use disorders: If you are actively struggling with substance abuse or dependence, addressing these issues may need to take precedence over trauma therapy. In some cases, you may benefit from integrated treatment approaches that address both trauma and substance use concurrently.

4. Unsafe living situations: If you are currently in an unsafe or unstable living situation (such as experiencing ongoing abuse or violence), trauma therapy may not be effective until their immediate safety needs are addressed.

5. Lack of readiness or motivation: If you are not ready or motivated to engage in therapy, you may not benefit from trauma therapy at this time. It's important for you to be willing and able to actively participate in the therapeutic process for therapy to be effective.

6. Intellectual or developmental disabilities: People with severe intellectual or developmental disabilities may have difficulty engaging in traditional talk therapy approaches. In these cases, alternative therapeutic modalities or adaptations may be more appropriate.
   

Schedule a free 20 minute phone consultation to discuss if trauma therapy is right for you!