Do I Need Trauma Therapy?

Today our culture is seeing more and more content around the theme of trauma. Advocacy efforts by leaders in different fields have generated more mainstream attention promoting broader social awareness of the effects of trauma on a person’s mental, emotional, social, physical, and relational health. Perhaps you’ve been experiencing struggles in one of these areas mentioned and are wondering,  “Do I have trauma? And do I need trauma therapy?”

What is trauma?

Many of us have a general understanding that trauma can occur as a result of painful events such as a natural disaster, the sudden loss of a loved one, or witnessing or experiencing violence or abuse. But the type of experience itself isn’t sufficient to determine whether or not you may be dealing with trauma, because the level of impact an experience can have can vary from person to person. Trauma isn’t determined by the events themselves but rather by the emotional impact that these experiences leave inside of us. 

Trauma occurs when deeply distressing circumstances overwhelm a person’s ability to cope, leaving us with a deep emotional wound and impacting our sense of safety and security as these experiences and memories become “stuck” in the brain when unprocessed. Due to the body’s natural protective and defense mechanisms, one may develop avoidance of reminders of these experiences. It may not be until a difficult life circumstance arises that we find our previous ways of coping with emotional pain begin to break down, potentially manifesting as anxiety, depression, relationship breakdowns, addiction, or a number of other challenges. 

Some common causes of trauma include but are not limited to:

• Childhood abuse (physical and emotional neglect, physical or sexual abuse, verbal abuse)
• Bullying
• Physical and sexual assault 
• Witnessing or experiencing violence
• Sudden loss
• Natural disasters 
• Physical injuries involving threat of death (car accidents, medical illnesses or injuries, etc.)
• Discrimination based on race, gender, sexuality, etc. 

How Trauma Affects the Nervous System

It’s helpful to think of the effects of trauma through the lens of our nervous system. Extensive research has been done to help us better understand the role of the nervous system when trauma occurs and it allows us to better understand the adaptations our minds and bodies make when we experience deep pain and threat. At a neurobiological level, trauma impacts our nervous system and can exaggerate our threat detection both in a physical and emotional sense. The body’s natural ways of responding to danger are fight, flight, freeze or fawn. When situations occur in life, even perhaps years later, our body remembers the past and responds internally as if the threat is happening in the present. This is what’s happening in the body when we describe feeling “triggered.” It’s important to note that triggers can be physical (i.e. certain sounds, touch, smells, people, etc.) or emotional (i.e. feelings of fear, disappointment, sadness, shame, etc.) in nature. 

We may not always be consciously aware of what the trigger reminds us of, but our body is in fact aware and trying to protect us from a repeated experience of pain, hurt, or danger. What we may be experiencing as intense anxiety is our brain and body trying to protect us in the only way it knows how. You be experiencing effects of trauma if:

• You experience ongoing mental and emotional struggles such as anxiety and depression that have not improved with other forms of therapy
• You struggle to regulate your emotions 
• You find yourself defaulting to ways of coping with emotional pain and stress that are unhelpful, unhealthy or potentially even harmful 
• You experience “triggers” that elicit emotional distress leaving you feeling emotionally flooded
• You tend to avoid people, places, or situations that remind you of painful past experiences
• You find yourself feeling detached and emotionally disconnected from others 
• You experience flashbacks or persistent nightmares about past event (s)
• You experience persistent and prominent feelings of shame and guilt

What can you do for trauma?

While the effects of trauma can indeed be significant, there is hope for change and healing! Therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing), IFS (Internal Family Systems), ART (Accelerated Resolution Therapy) and TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) can help us reconnect with our body to create a sense of safety and help us transform our inner landscape to reflect safety, empowerment, and connection with self and others. Trauma therapy often consists of a combination of: learning about trauma and the impacts on one’s life, exploring triggers, learning coping mechanisms to better manage effects of trauma, learning emotional regulation and facilitating new skills (somatic, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral) to better handle emotional challenges, and processing traumatic experiences to understand the body’s natural responses in order to increase self-empowerment, self-compassion, and self-esteem. 

What trauma therapy is NOT

Many people may assume trauma therapy will require one to retell all of the disturbing events in detail to a therapist, and that that is the only way to find a path forward. This likely sounds terrifying and unappealing! I’m here to tell you that is NOT the case, and that trauma therapy can be effective without having to recall every event in detail. Therapies like EMDR, IFS, ART, and TF-CBT are designed to work with your nervous system’s exaggerated responses to be able to develop new pathways of establishing connection and safety within your mind and body. While at times therapy may feel uncomfortable, a therapist specializing in trauma is trained to help you establish tools to utilize when discomfort arises to be able to tolerate the discomfort while simultaneously feeling safe. A sensitive therapist will not push you to begin trauma processing before you’re ready, and it is a collaborative process between client and therapist to determine when that level of readiness is present. 

So…do I need trauma therapy? 

The decision to engage in trauma therapy is a very personal decision and one that each person comes to in their own way and their own time. Due to the sensitive and avoidant nature of trauma, it’s normal to feel apprehensive about beginning therapy to address trauma. Rest assured, therapists who work with people with trauma understand this sensitive nature and will not pressure you to address trauma before you’re ready. Even if you have known trauma history but find yourself saying “I’m not ready to begin trauma therapy,” therapy can still be a helpful resource to develop tools and skills for managing the effects of trauma that may be interfering with your life even if you are not ready to uproot the initial trauma. 

If you are interested in learning more about if trauma therapy could be helpful for you or how long trauma therapy takes, our team is here to help answer your questions and find a trauma therapist who could be a good fit for you!