Providing counseling to adults for trauma and PTSD in Dallas and across the state of Texas.
Trauma
Trauma is the lasting emotional response that can result following a distressing or life-threatening event. Our brains and bodies have natural processes designed to protect us from additional harm following the distressing event, but sometimes these reactions can cause difficulties in our daily lives. These challenges may include anxiety, depression, anger, lessened sense of safety or security, or difficulties in relationships. Stress management, healthy coping skills, and social support help our natural trauma processing. In some instances, trauma can result in PTSD.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
PTSD is a mental health condition that is caused by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Signs of PTSD may start soon after the event or present themselves months or even years later.
Symptoms of PTSD include:
- Flashbacks
- Intrusive thoughts
- Mentally reliving the event
- Emotional distress including anxiety, depression, and anger or irritability
- Dissociation
- Physical reactions to memories of the event
- Loss of interest in things you previously enjoyed
- Hypervigilance
- Isolation
- Disturbances in sleep, including nightmares
Fortunately, PTSD can be treated, and quality of life can be improved.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma-informed therapy acknowledges the impact of trauma in a client’s life and its role in shaping coping mechanisms. A trauma-informed therapist can assist a client in understanding trauma’s impact on thinking patterns, beliefs, emotions, and behavior. Unlike traditional therapeutic approaches, trauma-informed therapy integrates trauma awareness into all aspects of treatment, with particular emphasis on creating safety for the client.
In trauma-informed therapy, trauma recovery occurs in three main stages.
- Establishment of Safety:
Trauma can destroy a person’s sense of safety, causing them to feel unsafe in their bodies, in relationships with others, and in the world. In this first stage, it is important to reestablish safety and stability. A trauma-informed therapist can assist a client in identifying areas of their life where safety and stabilization need to occur. The therapist will assist clients in learning techniques and strategies that facilitate safety and emotional regulation.
- Remembrance and Mourning:
In the second stage of trauma recovery, the therapist and client will work make sense of what happened. The point of this stage is not to re-live the trauma, but to process the events and the emotions related to it. Once the client is ready, they can begin to grieve the impacts trauma has had on their life.
- Reconnection and Integration:
In the final stage of trauma recovery, the client can recognize the impact of the trauma, but is no longer defined by it. The therapist and client work to make meaning of the event and work to cultivate a new sense of self. In this stage, the client may begin to regain a sense of purpose in life, hope for the future, and reconnect with or establish a strong support system.
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an evidence-based treatment that has been proven to be effective in treating trauma and PTSD. Learn more about EMDR here.
