Trauma Work

Trauma work in therapy involves helping individuals process and heal from the emotional, psychological, and physical wounds caused by traumatic experiences. Trauma can stem from a variety of situations, such as abuse, accidents, natural disasters, loss, or violence, and can have a significant impact on an individual’s mental and emotional well-being.

Here at Therapy for the Healing Hero, we specialize in trauma work by creating a safe, supportive environment where you can confront and make sense of your trauma. The process often involves several key components:

Safety and Stabilization: Before addressing the trauma directly, we work to establish emotional and physical safety. This includes developing coping skills to manage distressing emotions, learning grounding techniques, and ensuring that you feel supported and secure in the therapeutic space.

Understanding the Trauma: This involves exploring how trauma has impacted your thoughts, emotions, behaviors, and relationships. The goal is to reduce shame or self-blame and make sense of the trauma in a way that promotes healing for you.

Processing the Trauma: Once you are ready, we will guide you through the process of re-experiencing or discussing the trauma in a controlled, supportive manner. This can involve techniques such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and Brainspotting to process and integrate your trauma in a healthier way.

Integration and Healing: The ultimate goal is to help you reclaim your life and integrate the traumatic experience into a more cohesive narrative. This means moving beyond being defined by the trauma and finding ways to rebuild self-esteem, trust, and a sense of control.

Resilience and Growth: Trauma work also focuses on helping you build resilience and post-traumatic growth. We will help you explore new ways of coping with life's challenges and also help you discover strengths that you posses, but may not have recognized before.