Trauma Therapy and Counselling for PTSD: Practical Reactions to Trauma
Traumatic experiences often leave people feeling disoriented, uneasy, or unsure about their thoughts and emotions. In the days and weeks following an event, these feelings can feel overwhelming. It’s important to recognise that these reactions are a natural response to distressing events. Trauma can stem from various sources, including childhood abuse or neglect, natural disasters, violent crime, and combat experiences.
On This Page
- Trauma Therapy and Counselling for PTSD: Practical Reactions to Trauma
- Understanding Reactions Over Time
- Trauma Therapy
- What Therapy Involves
- Using Therapy to Understand and Release Difficult Memories
- Reconnecting with Your Life
- What is trauma?
- The Physiological Responses to Trauma
- Understanding Physical Responses
- Some common Myths about Trauma
- Challenging Misunderstandings About Trauma
- PTSD Characteristics
- Self-Care and Rebuilding
- The Role of Professional Support
- A Sense of Renewal
- FAQs
Therapy can provide a space to explore these responses at your own pace. With understanding and support, you can begin to make sense of what has happened and regain a sense of steadiness in your life.
Understanding Reactions Over Time
Trauma affects each person differently. While some find themselves moving forward relatively quickly, others may notice that memories, feelings, or physical responses linger for weeks, months, or even longer. Therapy can be helpful when these experiences feel persistent, particularly if they interfere with daily life or relationships.
Through a therapeutic relationship, you can explore what feels most challenging for you and begin to find ways to feel more grounded. Everyone’s journey is unique, and healing often involves recognising the ways you’ve been impacted while discovering pathways forward.
Trauma Therapy
After any traumatic event, you could likely experience psychological, emotional, and physical symptoms related to psychological trauma.
Everybody responds in different ways depending nature of the traumatic event and other factors involved. However, psychological trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can harm well-being if not addressed. It is important that you reach out and get some help should you feel it necessary.
It is common that you might find it difficult to gather your thoughts and feelings around traumatic events, which is why Leone Centre psychotherapists and counsellors are experienced to help you work through your trauma and towards the healing and rebuilding of your life.
Every individual’s experience is different though the symptoms outlined below may help you identify how you might be particularly affected. These can help you decide on the best person or place to go for help.
If you need support for the trauma you have experienced at any point in your life, Leone Centre can help.
What Therapy Involves
Trauma-focused therapy offers a gentle way to work through distressing experiences. Through conversations with an experienced counsellor or psychotherapist, you can explore thoughts and emotions connected to the past in a safe and supportive environment. Research indicates that trauma-focused therapies are highly successful in treating PTSD, with studies showing significant reductions in challenges and improvements in quality of life for many individuals.
Approaches may include methods to help you reframe difficult experiences, regain a sense of calm, and explore new ways to think about what has happened. While this process can feel challenging at times, it also offers opportunities to rebuild your sense of self and create a renewed sense of purpose.
Using Therapy to Understand and Release Difficult Memories
Memories of traumatic events often feel intrusive or overwhelming. Therapy provides a way to work through these memories, helping you explore them in a manner that feels manageable. By carefully revisiting past experiences with the guidance of a therapist, you can begin to integrate these events into your life story, freeing yourself from their lingering hold.
Reconnecting with Your Life
Trauma can sometimes feel as though it separates us from the lives we once knew. Through therapy, it’s possible to rediscover what brings meaning and connection into your daily life. This might involve understanding what feels different, exploring what you value most, and building towards a sense of clarity and fulfilment.
What is trauma?
Trauma can be defined is an emotional or psychological response to an event or series of events that overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope or process the experience. Traumatic events can vary in nature and severity, including but not limited to accidents, abuse, violence, natural disasters, or witnessing a traumatic event.
Trauma is stored not only in the mind but also in the body. It is important to address the physiological and sensory aspects of trauma in addition to the psychological and emotional aspects. It occurs when an individual is unable to complete the instinctual responses that would have helped them to defend or protect themselves during the traumatic event. This incomplete or thwarted response can lead to the accumulation of excess energy in the nervous system, which can manifest as physical and psychological symptoms.
Ongoing symptoms of trauma affect our emotional well-being and physical health. Physical impacts of trauma and stress have the potential to cause illness and chronic disorders that impact the quality of our everyday life.
If you need support for the trauma that you have experienced in your life, counselling can help. We know that with the right support, you will be able to live a fulfilling life.
The Physiological Responses to Trauma
When confronted with trauma, the brain reacts in accordance with our primal survival instincts.
The “fight, flight, or freeze” response explains that the amygdala, responsible for emotional processing, perceives the traumatic event as a threat. This triggers a series of physiological reactions mediated by the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. Stress hormones like adrenaline are released, preparing the body for immediate action. Consequently, individuals may experience physiological responses such as heightened alertness, increased heart rate, and rapid breathing.
In Peter Levine’s book “Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma,” he explores trauma from a somatic perspective, emphasizing the role of the body in trauma and its healing. He introduces the concept of the “trauma vortex,” which represents the involuntary activation of the body’s survival responses in the face of overwhelming events.
Trauma occurs when a person is unable to complete the instinctual fight, flight, or freeze response during a life-threatening or overwhelming situation. This incomplete response leaves the energy of the experience trapped in the body, leading to various symptoms and long-term effects.
It is important to understand the body’s innate capacity to heal trauma. Most therapeutic approaches aim at renegotiating and resolving incomplete trauma responses.
The prefrontal cortex holds a very important role in trauma recovery as it is responsible for integrating and making sense of experiences. By engaging the prefrontal cortex through mindfulness, grounding techniques, and somatic awareness, individuals can start regaining a sense of safety and coherence in their lives
Understanding Physical Responses
Trauma can impact the body in ways that feel confusing or unsettling. Physical sensations such as restlessness, tension, or difficulty sleeping are common experiences after a traumatic event. Therapy acknowledges the connection between the body and mind, helping you find ways to feel more at ease physically while working through emotional responses. Incorporating self-care practices can complement therapy and support your healing journey.
- Grounding Exercises: Grounding exercises can help manage anxiety by bringing your focus to the present moment. Examples include focusing on your senses, deep breathing exercises, and physical activity.
- Mindfulness Exercises: Mindfulness exercises can help you become more aware of your thoughts and emotions without judgment, promoting emotional regulation.
- Creating a Self-Care Plan: Develop a personalised self-care plan that includes activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and a sense of well-being.
Some common Myths about Trauma
Misconceptions around trauma and PTSD can contribute to misunderstandings and stigmatization. Recognizing these misconceptions fosters a greater need for empathy and understanding toward those who have undergone traumatic experiences:
Trauma is not limited to catastrophic events; any experience overwhelming an individual’s coping mechanisms can be traumatic.
This includes emotional abuse, bullying, or even sudden life changes, surgery, witnessing violence or distress, covid, being shamed or shouted at
Recovery from trauma is not a quick process; it varies significantly among individuals and requires time and support.
Not everyone exposed to trauma will develop PTSD; some may experience symptoms, but not all will develop the full disorder.
Discussing or reliving trauma is not always beneficial; poorly timed or inappropriate discussions can potentially retraumatize individuals.
Understanding the misconceptions surrounding trauma promotes empathy and understanding by reducing blame, acknowledging the complexity of the healing process, combating stigma, practicing sensitivity in discussions, and providing support and validation. It creates an environment where survivors feel seen, heard, and supported, ultimately facilitating their healing and recovery journey.
Challenging Misunderstandings About Trauma
Many people carry assumptions about what trauma is or how they “should” respond. Therapy provides a safe space to question these ideas and explore your own experiences without judgment. By recognising and letting go of unhelpful beliefs, you can begin to move towards self-acceptance and understanding.
PTSD Characteristics
- flashbacks
- nightmares
- physical sensations such as pain, shaking, feeling nauseous
- anxiety, panic and difficulty managing emotions
- feeling jumpy and easily startled
- overwhelming feelings of anger, sadness, guilt and shame
- hyper-vigilance, extreme alertness
- irritability and difficulty concentrating
- avoiding feelings or memories; using alcohol or drugs to avoid memories
- addictions
- difficulty sleeping
- being unable to remember details of what happened
- feeling emotionally and physically numb
Self-Care and Rebuilding
Alongside therapy, there are ways to nurture yourself that can support your healing journey. Simple acts such as spending time in nature, practising mindfulness, or reconnecting with meaningful activities can complement the work done in therapy. These steps, small as they may feel, can be part of a gradual process of renewal.
The Role of Professional Support
Sometimes trauma can feel isolating, but professional support can make a difference. Therapists trained in this area understand the challenges trauma presents and offer a steadying presence as you navigate your path forward. Whether through exploring your emotions, addressing physical reactions, or reflecting on the ways your life has changed, therapy offers a space for understanding, growth, and renewal. It is paramount to seek help from experienced mental health professionals specialising in trauma.
A Sense of Renewal
While trauma can feel overwhelming, many people find that through therapy, it’s possible to create new meaning in their lives. Exploring these experiences can lead to a deeper connection with yourself and a more aligned way of living. With support, healing is not just possible but attainable in a way that feels meaningful to you.
FAQs
What are some common reactions to trauma?
It is important to remember that reactions to trauma vary from person to person. Feelings of disorientation, unease, or uncertainty about thoughts and emotions are common in the aftermath of a traumatic experience. These feelings can be overwhelming in the initial days and weeks following the event. Some individuals may find themselves moving forward relatively quickly, while others may experience lingering memories, feelings, or physical responses for extended periods. Physical responses can include restlessness, tension, or difficulty sleeping. Therapy can provide a safe and supportive space to explore and understand these responses.
What types of therapy are used to address trauma?
Trauma-focused therapy offers a gentle approach to working through distressing experiences. It involves conversations with an experienced counsellor or psychotherapist in a safe environment to explore thoughts and emotions connected to the past. Specific therapeutic approaches utilised in trauma therapy include:
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT): This approach helps individuals identify and modify unhelpful thoughts and beliefs that are related to the trauma.
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): This method uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements, to process traumatic memories, ultimately working to reduce their emotional intensity.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (TF-CBT): This therapy combines trauma-sensitive principles with cognitive-behavioural practices to address the specific needs of children and adolescents who have experienced trauma.
What are some self-care practices that can support trauma healing?
Self-care practices can nurture and support your healing journey alongside therapy. Engaging in simple acts like spending time in nature, practising mindfulness, or reconnecting with meaningful activities can complement the work done in therapy. Some practical ways to care for yourself include:
- Grounding exercises: These exercises can manage anxiety by bringing your focus to the present moment, such as focusing on your senses, deep breathing exercises, and physical activity.
- Mindfulness exercises: These exercises increase awareness of your thoughts and emotions without judgment, promoting emotional regulation.
- Creating a self-care plan: A personalised plan that includes activities that bring you joy, relaxation, and a sense of well-being.