You can seek therapy for trauma after being diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Trauma-informed therapy allows you to reduce the harmful side effects of traumatic events on your everyday life. Therapists use various treatments, including trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, eye movement desensitization, accelerated resolution therapy, and more. Here are a few factors that determine which therapy is right for PTSD:
Severity of Symptoms
Therapists select therapy for trauma based on the severity and nature of your symptoms. A clinician-administered PTSD scale evaluates the frequency and intensity of your symptoms. Structured clinical interviews assess mental health issues, and verbal or written tests assess your thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. If you experience intense flashbacks, avoidance, or hyperarousal, the therapist can recommend trauma-informed treatments like TF-CBT.
Trauma-focused CBT reframes negative thought patterns related to trauma. The therapy focuses on trauma-related challenges like nightmares, intrusive thoughts, and emotional dysregulation and teaches you coping and resilience skills. Trauma-focused CBT variations include cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure. Such therapies help to identify, understand, and change unhelpful beliefs.
Type of Trauma
PTSD may stem from single-event trauma or complex trauma caused by ongoing abuse. The different types of traumas require varying approaches. Single-event traumas can improve with trauma-focused CBT and accelerated resolution therapy. Complex trauma treatment may involve eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) before trauma processing.
Accelerated resolution therapy is a short-term treatment that uses visualization techniques to resolve trauma-related distress. The therapy involves visualizing the traumatic event and rescripting or rewriting it to end more positively. EMDR is a structured therapy that focuses on eye movements and bilateral stimulation to help you process and reframe traumatic memories. The therapy can help reduce the emotional intensity of such memories, giving you more control over thoughts and feelings.
Individual Preferences
Therapists can select PTSD treatment based on your individual goals and preferences. The shared decision-making helps you choose a treatment plan you’re comfortable with. You can choose structured, goal-oriented approaches like CBT or alternatives like somatic therapies and other body-focused treatments. CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, focuses on changing your thoughts to alter feelings and behavior.
Somatic therapies explore the connection between your mind and body to release trauma. The therapy helps to regulate your nervous system and restore a sense of safety during stressful moments. Your therapist uses various techniques, including resourcing, tracking, containment, titration, and pendulation, to help you process and understand the trauma. The experience allows you to focus on internal sensations linked to trauma so you can manage them better.
Co-occurring Health Issues
PTSD therapists assess co-occurring health conditions, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or substance abuse, when developing treatment plans. Such issues require integrated treatment plans to address PTSD and other health conditions. Your therapist may recommend dialectical behavior therapy to improve emotional regulation and relationships with others.
Dialectical behavior therapy is a type of cognitive behavioral therapy used to teach coping skills and emotional regulation. The therapy allows you to cope with the stress of PTSD symptoms and underlying medical conditions like depression. Your therapist can also recommend acceptance and commitment therapy for substance abuse recovery or solution-based therapy to reduce guilt. Other therapies used depend on the underlying health issues.
Get Therapy for Trauma Today
Trauma can have adverse effects on your mental health, emotions, and well-being. Seeking treatment early allows you to reduce negative symptoms and regain control over your thoughts, feelings, and behavior. Contact a therapist today to learn more about your treatment options.
