TRAUMA

What is trauma therapy?

Trauma therapy is just that – a form of talk therapy aimed at treating the emotional and mental health consequences of trauma. In clinical terms, a traumatic event is one in which a person’s life was threatened, or they witnessed another person’s life being threatened. Experiencing the death of another person can also trigger trauma-related problems for vulnerable individuals. It is unclear how and why people react to trauma differently. A combination of genetics, temperament, and repeated exposure to traumatic events can all play a role.

Some people can move on from a traumatic event and not experience adverse reactions to it for years after the fact. Others may be more susceptible to psychological wounds. If a person can cope with a severe threat, they are not traumatized. When someone has issues coping after the danger has passed, they are suffering from trauma. Women are more likely than men to experience trauma-related psychological wounds. Up to 20% of combat veterans will struggle with the symptoms of PTSD and psychological trauma.

Trauma therapy refers to specific types of therapy geared toward treating the effects of trauma. Also called trauma-informed care, it’s more of an umbrella term that calls upon mental health clinicians and other professionals to be mindful of a person’s life experiences when providing treatment. Trauma-informed approaches provide guidelines for giving the best care possible to patients with trauma histories, which includes screening patients for trauma, training professionals in the best approaches for treating trauma and working with other organizations. These organizations can include schools and workplaces to ensure they are equipped to utilize guidelines from trauma-informed care. Trauma therapies, such as eye movement desensitization and reprocessing, fall under the umbrella of trauma-informed therapy.