What Is Trauma Counseling?
After experiencing an unforgettable event, participating in trauma therapy is essential. Trauma therapy is a form of talk therapy that helps people learn how to navigate their past experiences positively. Without attending therapy, a person can experience severe emotional and physical responses that can harm their lives. In addition, people who have witnessed or experienced a traumatic event and do not participate in counseling often find negative ways of navigating their emotions. This can include alcohol or drug use disorder, anxiety, depression, isolation, and not being able to participate in daily activities.
Our Greater Boston Behavioral Health therapists have undergone intensive training to understand trauma. They utilize specific strategies to guide people who have experienced trauma to learn how to overcome these events to live full, productive lives.
Using cognitive-behavioral therapy, we focus on our clients, emotions, thoughts, and behaviors. This practice allows us to support our clients in shifting their thoughts concerning traumatic events and their aftermath.
Why Do People Need Trauma Therapy?
Any event that causes a shift in a person’s psychological or emotional functioning is a reason to participate in a trauma therapy program. Here are some reasons to reach out for trauma therapy:
- Assault or abuse
- Accidents
- Bullying
- Childhood abuse or neglect
- Combat trauma
- Communal violence
- Domestic violence
- Grief
- Injuries
- Natural disasters
- Witnessing a traumatic event
Everyone exposed to a dangerous event or abusive situation will develop trauma. However, some people will experience trauma symptoms for several weeks, while others will feel the long-term effects of a situation.
Our trauma therapy program helps clients address their trauma while finding positive ways to manage their symptoms.
What Are the Symptoms of Traumatic Experiences?
When a traumatic situation impacts someone, their reaction may vary based on their behaviors, other mental health disorders, exposure to other traumatic events, and the type of event.
Responses can be psychological and physical. Therefore, someone exposed to trauma may feel anger, fear, shame, confusion, and hopelessness. Flashbacks, nightmares, and emotional outbursts might also be present in someone’s life. In contrast, a physical response to trauma can include headaches, sleepiness, sweating, and uneasiness.
How Can Trauma-Informed Care Support Emotional Well-Being?
In a trauma therapy program, therapists focus on building a safe space with peer support that is filled with trust and empowerment and developing each person’s voice. They also consider cultural nuances, gender-related issues, and the role that history plays in shaping trauma.
In trauma-informed care, our clients learn that recovery and resilience will help them manage their responses to past traumatic events. Therefore, during trauma therapy, clients must:
- Be respected by therapists and peers
- Be encouraged to become driven to recover from their experiences
- Learn the relationship between trauma and anxiety, depression, substance use disorders, and eating disorders
- Discover ways of working within their community or with other survivors.
This approach to treatment can lead to lasting positive outcomes.
Find Relief with a Trauma Therapy Program at Greater Boston Behavioral Health
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