Trauma therapy is a kind of psychotherapy or mental health counseling designed to eliminate symptoms of posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD. There are several types of trauma focused therapy, and some work better than others. Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy are by far the best, as measured by multiple clinical research studies. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy and psychodynamic psychotherapy are also effective but have less research support, which may only be because they have not been studied as much as other therapies. Supportive counseling, coping skills training, listening therapy are not effective at treating PTSD.
Trauma therapy is helpful to people who want to get rid of the following experiences:
- intrusive trauma-related memories
- nightmares or distressing dreams
- flashbacks, or suddenly feeling or acting as if the stressful event is happening again
- physical and emotional distress when reminded of a traumatic event
- difficulty remembering important aspects of the trauma
- frequent negative thoughts and emotions
- feeling guilty, ashamed, or embarrassed about something that wasn’t one’s fault
- loss of interest in pleasurable activities
- feeling emotionally detached from the people around oneself
- difficulty feeling happy or satisfied; or difficulty feeling love for others
- increased irritability
- reckless behavior or acting in potentially dangerous ways
- always feeling keyed up or on edge
- being easily startled
- difficulty concentrating
- difficulty sleeping
Trauma isn’t just for soldiers. Traumatic stress can happen to anyone after a very stressful event, such as threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence. It can even happen if one of those events befalls a loved one, or if you hear about those types of events over and over at your job. We can even experience some of the symptoms above after a very stressful, but not necessarily traumatic event.
Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure Therapy and Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy are time-limited therapies, usually no more than 20 sessions, meeting 1-2 times per week.
Trauma therapy may include an exposure element, in which you think directly about the stressful event in order to let any trapped emotions about the event finally run their course. Most trauma therapies include cognitive restructuring, or thought-changing, in which you learn to change thinking patterns that may have been disrupted by the trauma. Thinking patterns commonly disrupted by trauma include themes of trust, safety, power/control, esteem, and intimacy, and can severely effect our experiences of others and the world in general.
Trauma therapy is rarely as difficult as some fear. The most challenging part of trauma therapy is attending sessions and completing any homework assignments. The normal human brain has evolved to avoid all pain – physical, emotional, or even anticipated pain. Usually that avoidance serves us well, but not when it comes to trauma and PTSD. To cure PTSD, we have to approach and think about the stressful event in order to overcome it. Trauma therapies cure PTSD for about 70% of people, and there are no serious risks or side effects.
Clinical psychologists (Psy.D or Ph.D) are most familiar with evidence-based trauma therapies, but several master’s level therapists are experts in their use as well.
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