After a painful experience, the body can still react. When loud noises occur, your heart will race. Trouble sleeping. Pulling yourself away from those you love. These reactions aren’t character flaws they’re how trauma is stored on the nervous. has been designed to help address them.
This guide describes what trauma is, the different methods used by therapists, and when you should seek out support. Everything in this guide reflects what licensed clinicians of The Psyched Group do with their clients in Massachusetts and Rhode Island.
What is trauma Therapy?
Trauma Therapy is a mental health therapy that focuses on helping your brain and body to process difficult experiences. It is not just about talking about what happened. It also focuses how memory is stored as well as how it impacts daily functioning.
A traumatic incident doesn’t necessarily have to be physical in order to leave a mark. Divorce can cause the same reaction in the nervous system as a car wreck or an assault. What is important in a clinical setting is not how large the event was, but rather the impact it had at the time. Also, whether the individual received the necessary support to cope with the trauma.
In general, licensed therapists begin by building safety and establishing trust before they ask a client about painful memories. This pace matters. The pace of the session is important. A skilled therapist will assess the client’s progress and adapt their plan session by lesson.
Why Does Trauma Happen – and Why Doesn’t it Just Fade?
Trauma can occur when an incident overwhelms the ability of a person to cope. As a result, the nervous system “gets stuck” in protecting the individual from a threat no longer present. The nervous system can become “stuck” trying to protect a person from a threat that is no longer present.
During a stressful event, the amygdala (the brain’s threat detection center) can override a part of the cerebral cortex responsible for logic. Consequently, memories are not filed away as being “in the distant past.” It is still emotionally relevant, so flashbacks and intrusive memories can feel like it’s happening now.
The same is true for trauma. Willpower alone does not usually resolve the problem. PTSD treatments are structured, evidence based and do not rely on “moving-on” but rather on structured, proven methods.
What are the symptoms associated with unresolved traumas?
Unresolved traumatic events often show up as a combination or emotional, physical and behavioral symptoms. Common patterns include:
- Sudden waves anger, anxiety or sadness that seem disconnected from the current moment
- Avoiding conversations, places, and people associated with the memories
- Sleep problems or nightmares? Or feeling constantly on edge?
- A difficulty in trusting or forming relationships with others
- Numbness or feeling disconnected from your own life
- No clear cause for physical symptoms such as headaches and stomach pain or muscle tension
Many people suffer from these symptoms without knowing the cause. This disconnect can happen to anyone, and is one of many reasons why trauma may go untreated.
Who are the victims of trauma?
Trauma can strike anyone, regardless of how “put together someone” appears to be. It can be caused by a single incident like an assault or accident as well as long-term stress from childhood neglect, unsafe housing or an unsafe romantic relationship.
Veterans, healthcare workers, and first responders are more likely to be exposed to trauma as a result of their job. Families dealing with medical crises, teens facing bullying, adults carrying childhood experiences that they never spoke of, etc., all face trauma exposure. Trauma doesn’t have to be an extreme event. It can grow over time through repeated, smaller incidents of feeling unsafe and unsupported.
How are Trauma treated?
Most traumas are treated with a combination talk-based, body-based, and other approaches. These therapies are chosen according to the client’s particular symptoms, his/her history, and their comfort level. There isn’t a universal protocol. An effective therapist customizes the treatment to the person rather than using a standard template.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) uses guided bilateral stimulation or other bilateral stimuli while the client briefly recalls a traumatic memory. This process is often used to help the brain “unstick”, so the memory can be filed back as something in the distant past.
CBT is a trauma-focused version of Cognitive Behavioral therapy that helps clients identify the distorted thoughts formed in response to trauma, such as, “It’s my own fault” or, “I have no trust in anyone.” They can then replace them with more accurate but less punishing beliefs.
Somatics and mindfulness-based methods target the body’s response to stress, teaching clients how they can notice and regulate their physical sensations.
Many therapists will blend more than one of these methods. They may adjust the mix as their treatment progresses. This is standard in therapy. Flexible plans often produce better results than rigid ones.
What Happens In A Trauma Therapy Session
In a typical session of trauma therapy, you will start by checking your stress levels for the day and assessing the week. Next, you will move into the structured work based on your treatment plan. Early sessions typically focus on stabilization (building coping and safety skills) before any processing of the trauma memory takes place.
As the sessions progress, the therapist may use EMDR to gently revisit memories, guided imagery exercises or cognitive restructuring. The pace is always set by the client. Therapists monitor emotional intensity throughout this work. If it becomes overwhelming, they can pause and adjust.
Clients are usually encouraged to leave sessions feeling more grounded than they did when they arrived. Clients are encouraged to practice specific tools between sessions. For example, they may use breathing techniques or journal prompts.
Can Therapy Help Trauma Recovery
Yes. Studies have consistently shown that trauma therapies, particularly EMDR therapy and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), are effective in reducing PTSD symptoms. Recovery doesn’t mean forgetting about the trauma it is more like letting the memory stop controlling daily life.
Rarely is progress a straight-line. Some weeks you feel real progress and others like nothing changed. It is normal to feel this way. It does not mean that treatment isn’t effective. A licensed professional can track progress over a period of time and adjust the treatment plan when it doesn’t seem to be working.
What happens if a trauma is left untreated?
When trauma symptoms go untreated, they can persist or even worsen, and often affect areas beyond the original experience. Avoidance can cause relationships to suffer, as emotional numbness makes it harder to get close. Sleep problems, stress and lack of concentration can cause work performance to suffer.
Untreated Trauma is strongly linked with other mental health conditions including anxiety disorders, depression, and drug use as people attempt to manage their symptoms on their own. This does not mean that all people with unresolved issues will eventually develop these disorders. However, the risks increase the longer symptoms remain unaddressed.
When should someone seek trauma treatment?
Contacting a professional in mental health is a good idea if your trauma-related symptom persists for longer than a week, is interfering at work or with relationships, or gets worse instead of getting better. Don’t wait until the crisis is over to seek treatment.
There are several signs that you should seek support.
- Avoiding certain people, places, and situations because you are reminded of an unpleasant event
- Most of the times, you feel emotionally numb.
- Sleep, concentration and mood problems affect your daily functioning
- You’ve begun to depend on alcohol or food as a coping mechanism.
- People who love you have commented on your changes since the event
Early contact can reduce the time it takes to get better. The first step is to consult with a trauma therapist. This consultation does not require any commitment.
Finding Trauma Therapy Massachusetts
The Psyched Group has therapists in Massachusetts and Rhode Island who are trained to provide trauma-informed services. These therapists also offer online sessions. Clients often use our list of therapists in order to compare specialties before scheduling the first conversation.
The barriers of cost and availability are often the biggest obstacles to getting started with therapy. Trauma treatment has become more affordable for those juggling work and parenting as well as tight budgets. If you’ve put off therapy due to the logistics involved, it is worth talking with a professional about your options before deciding against treatment.
If you are ready to start, you can reach out to our team and ask questions, or schedule a free consultation. There’s no pressure, and you won’t be committing to any specific treatment plan.
Related Reading
- How Trauma is Manifested in Daily Life
- EMDR Treatment for Trauma: Does It Work for You
- Healing Trauma with EMDR Therapy
- Treatment of Trauma in Massachusetts
- ADHD and PTSD: How to Tell them apart
- Choose the Right Therapist Near you
FAQ
What’s the difference?
PTSD, or post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), is a condition that develops when trauma symptoms persist beyond a month. Not everyone who suffers trauma develops PTSD. Many people will recover over time with the help of short-term or long-term therapy.
How quickly does trauma treatment work?
Although there’s no exact timeline, many clients feel symptom relief from EMDR therapy or trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy within 8-20 sessions depending on the intensity of the trauma. Single-incident trauma responds much faster than repeated or childhood experiences that may require more work.
Will EMDR make me feel scared or painful?
EMDR might be intense emotionally in the moment as the client is recalling a traumatic event. But therapists keep the pace slow and use grounding techniques so that clients don’t feel overwhelmed. After a number of sessions clients often report feeling lighter.
Will trauma therapy help if a trauma occurred a long while ago?
Definitely. In order to deal with traumas that have occurred in childhood or decades before, many people use EMDR therapy, CBT, or somatic therapies. This is due to the fact that the nervous tissue can hold on for as long as it wants. The age of a trauma doesn’t matter as much as how it is affecting a person’s current thoughts, relationships and body.
Does a formal PTSD psychiatric diagnosis have to be made before I can begin trauma therapy?
NO. A diagnosis is not required to benefit. Many people enter therapy because they feel that their mood, relationship, or daily functioning has been affected by their past. A licensed therapist is qualified to determine whether or not a formal diagnostic label applies. However, treatment doesn’t require a diagnosis.