Trauma is an emotional response to an event or experience that the individual perceives to be physically or emotionally harmful or life-threatening. It results in lasting adverse effects on the individual’s functioning. In the United States, 61 percent of men and 51 percent of women report exposure to at least one lifetime traumatic event. And, 90 percent of clients in public behavioral health care settings have experienced trauma.
Regardless of its source, trauma contains three common elements. Firstly, it was unexpected. Secondly, the person was unprepared. Thirdly, there was nothing the person could do to stop it from happening. Simply put, traumatic events are beyond a person’s control. It is not the event that determines whether something is traumatic to someone. Rather, it is the individual’s experience of the event and the meaning they attach to it.
How does trauma affect my mental health?
When you experience a traumatic event, you may have an immediate or delayed response with mental, emotional, and physical symptoms. Your symptoms may subside as time passes or you may have lasting psychological issues stemming from your trauma.
Post-traumatic stress disorder is one type of mental health condition that directly follows trauma. However, you may also develop other forms of anxiety, depression, eating disorders, or other mental health conditions.
How does The Counseling Center approach trauma therapy?
First and foremost, an understanding of trauma biology guides our treatment philosophy. The physiological changes that occur lead to a state of heightened autonomic arousal. Although reactions do range in severity, even the most acute responses are natural reactions to dysregulation. Therefore, they are not signs of psychopathology or mental illness.
Far too often, well-intentioned therapists encourage clients to process traumatic memories too early in the treatment process. This approach can result in additional trauma to the client. Therefore, many clients fail to continue treatment. In contrast, our approach starts with teaching clients how to regulate their autonomic nervous system. The emphasis is on finding activities that are meaningful to the client, rather than using a “cookie cutter approach”. We utilize a tested treatment methodology designed to increase resiliency and foster a sense of empowerment. This is accomplished by focusing on the client’s strengths. EMDR is the primary form of therapy used in trauma therapy at The Counseling Center.
Are your therapists trained in trauma therapy?
Yes! Jason Lynch, MS, LMHCA, LCACA, ADS, CCTP has completed specialized training in treating trauma, recognized by the International Association of Trauma Professionals (IATP), and is a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP).
What is EMDR?
EMDR therapy is an eight-phase treatment. During one part of the session, the therapist introduces eye movements (or other bilateral stimulation). Firstly, the clinician determines the memory to target. Secondly, he asks the client to hold different aspects of that event or thought in his mind. Thirdly, the client uses his eyes to track the therapist’s hand as it moves back and forth across his field of vision. For reasons believed to relate to the biological mechanisms involved in Rapid Eye Movement (REM) sleep, internal associations arise, and clients begin to process the memory and disturbing feelings associated with it.
Clients process painful memories on an emotional level using EMDR therapy. For instance, a rape victim shifts from feeling horror and self-disgust, to holding the firm belief that, “I survived it, and I am strong.” The insights clients gain in EMDR therapy result from the client’s accelerated intellectual and emotional processes.
Most clients conclude EMDR therapy feeling empowered by the very experiences that once served as barriers to living happy and fulfilling lives. In other words, their wounds have not just closed, they have transformed.
If you have a history of trauma, call The Counseling Center today at (317) 754-0808 or schedule an appointment online.