SPECIALTY
Trauma Therapy
Trauma isn't just what happened to you. It's what your nervous system learned from it. A trauma-informed therapist understands that your reactions make sense given your experience, and uses specialized approaches to help your brain and body process what talk therapy alone can't reach.
Apply to be listed→UNDERSTANDING
What is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy is a specialized form of treatment that goes beyond traditional talk therapy to address how traumatic experiences get stored in the brain and body. When you experience something overwhelming, your nervous system can get stuck in a survival response, leaving you hypervigilant, emotionally numb, or reactive in ways that don't match your current reality.
Evidence-based trauma therapies include EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), and Somatic Experiencing. Each approach works differently, but they share a common goal: helping your brain reprocess traumatic memories so they stop triggering the same intense emotional and physical responses.
Complex trauma, the kind that comes from repeated or prolonged experiences like childhood abuse, domestic violence, or systemic oppression, requires a different approach than single-incident trauma like a car accident or assault. A skilled trauma therapist understands this distinction and adjusts their approach accordingly.
Trauma therapy requires building safety first. A good trauma therapist won't push you into reliving painful experiences before you're ready. They'll help you build the internal resources and coping skills you need to process traumatic material without becoming overwhelmed. The pace is yours.
RECOGNIZE THE SIGNS
Signs trauma therapy could help
- Flashbacks or intrusive memories that pull you back into a past experience
- Hypervigilance, constantly scanning for danger even in safe environments
- Difficulty trusting people, even when they've given you no reason to distrust them
- Emotional numbing or feeling disconnected from your own emotions and body
- Nightmares or sleep disruption related to past experiences
- Being easily startled by loud sounds, unexpected touch, or sudden movements
- Avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of past trauma
CHOOSING A THERAPIST
What to look for in a trauma therapist
- Specific trauma training in evidence-based modalities like EMDR, CPT, Somatic Experiencing, or Prolonged Exposure
- Understanding of the difference between complex trauma and single-incident trauma, and the ability to adjust treatment accordingly
- Experience with your specific type of trauma, whether that's childhood abuse, sexual assault, combat, accidents, or systemic trauma
- A phased approach that prioritizes stabilization and safety before processing traumatic material
FAQ
Common questions
What's the difference between PTSD and complex trauma?
PTSD typically develops after a single traumatic event or a discrete series of events. Complex trauma (sometimes called C-PTSD) results from prolonged, repeated traumatic experiences, often in childhood or in situations where escape wasn't possible. Complex trauma affects not just your stress responses but also your sense of identity, your ability to regulate emotions, and your patterns in relationships. Both are treatable, but they often require different approaches.
How long does trauma therapy take?
It depends on the type and complexity of your trauma. Single-incident trauma can often be treated effectively in 8 to 16 sessions of EMDR or CPT. Complex trauma typically takes longer, often 6 to 18 months or more, because there are more layers to address. Your therapist should discuss realistic expectations during your first few sessions.
Is it normal to feel worse before feeling better in trauma therapy?
It can happen, especially early in treatment when you're beginning to process material you may have been avoiding. A skilled trauma therapist monitors this closely and adjusts the pace to keep you within a window of tolerance. You should always feel safe enough to tell your therapist if things feel like too much. Processing trauma isn't about retraumatization. It's about controlled, supported reprocessing.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or text HOME to 741741 (Crisis Text Line). In an emergency call 911.
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