Childhood trauma can affect people in various ways. Fortunately, different therapy options include specific techniques to address and process painful memories, allowing healing on a deeper level. Liz Chelak can help you take the first step towards healing by eliminating disturbing emotions and experiences from your life. She recommends the most effective treatments and therapies that not only restore and strengthen your emotional well-being, but enable you to move forward toward a happier, healthier future.
Begin personalized therapy, online or in-person, in West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton, FL.
Dealing with trauma can be a challenge. It is because it not only affects how people interact with each other but also impacts their understanding of their own self. If it is left untreated or not addressed timely, trauma can lead to anxiety, self-harm, substance abuse, personality disorder, and even PTSD, which can disrupt an individual’s life. Getting the right help and treatment for trauma is crucial for healing and resuming normal routine.
Understanding Childhood Trauma
Trauma is a type of intense psychological distress resulting from a disturbing or even life-threatening event or series of events. A child can experience trauma in many ways. These include physical or sexual abuse, neglect, war-related experiences, experiencing natural disasters, and other major life sufferings.
Traumatic events can have long-term effects on mental health and overall well-being.
Symptoms may include:
- Anxiety
- Depression
- Intrusive memories
- Difficulty concentrating
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Sleep disturbances
- Emotional numbness
Children who experience trauma feel helplessness or fear and may develop unhealthy coping mechanisms such as substance abuse or self-harm to manage their pain and distress. Seeking professional guidance is an essential step in healing from traumatic events, and you must reach out for necessary assistance when needed. Childhood trauma can be cured with psychotherapy, which can address symptoms such as phobias and panic attacks, as well as medications to manage depression and anxiety. Everyone can recover from trauma with the right support.
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy is a type of mental health treatment specifically designed to help people who have experienced trauma. It can be used for all kinds of traumatic experiences, from childhood abuse to being in a car accident.
During trauma therapy, patients are encouraged to process the experience in a way that enables them to gain a new understanding of how living with the trauma has impacted their lives. Trauma therapy avoids re-traumatizing a person who has already been through an unpleasant experience. It focuses on giving them a chance to cope with their difficulties and live a more fulfilling life.
Potential benefits of trauma therapy:
- Reduces or improves trauma-related symptoms
- Improves personal growth
- Better management of the nervous system, e.g. heart palpitations, shaking, etc.
- Refocus of the present over the past
- Help in overcomes addictions
- Eliminates or reduces self-harm
- Recognition of generational trauma
- Implements healthier coping skills
- Improves self-worth and self-esteem
Trauma-focused therapy works with patients to help them understand their trauma and address their symptoms and problems in healthier ways.
Read on to learn about the various types of therapy for trauma experienced in childhood and how each treatment can help you manage and overcome the effects of this trauma on your mental health.
Cognitive Processing Therapy
It incorporates both psychoeducation about trauma and coping skills to help an individual develop skills needed for coping with the impact of trauma. It helps them change their trauma-related beliefs and reduce the emotional impact of their traumatic experiences.
The therapist explains how trauma can affect the mind and body, both during and after the event. They use cognitive restructuring, which enables you to identify, evaluate, challenge, and change rigid, harmful thoughts related to trauma. As you learn new ways to think about trauma, it can
change your thoughts and, eventually, how you feel.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is another type of CBT that has been specifically designed to address trauma in children and adolescents and involves parents or caregivers for healing.
This therapy focuses on educating children and teens about trauma and helps them learn relaxation and coping skills to manage their symptoms better. It focuses on gradual exposure to trauma reminders for both the parents and the child and encourages them to share and process their trauma story so they can integrate it into their life history.
Under the therapist’s guidance, parents and children can use the skills they have learned in other sessions to overcome the negative feelings and emotions these reminders may trigger. With greater parental support, this therapy can have more positive outcomes for the child.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
This is a structured therapy in which children are asked to focus on their trauma while at the same time they experience other stimulations such as eye movements, sounds, or tapping. EMDR therapy works by reducing the impact of your traumatic memories as you recall and relive those sensitive experiences in a safe, therapeutic environment. Doing so reduces the level of emotional distress associated with the trauma.
As an individual recalls the traumatic experience feeling safe in the present, it helps their mind and body understand that the trauma is over. EMDR is different from other trauma-focused therapies as it does not involve prolonged exposure to distressing memories, detailed descriptions of the trauma, or challenging unhelpful beliefs. Processing a specific memory or event can typically occur within one to three sessions.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
It is a type of exposure therapy that guides an individual about approaching memories, feelings, and situations gradually that are related to trauma. It is based on the principle that by confronting specific challenges, it is possible to lessen the intensity of issues occurring due to the trauma or PTSD if it is present.
People who have experienced trauma usually avoid recalling it to protect themselves from overwhelming pain and fear. However, this avoidance can prevent healing and recovery. PE therapy slowly exposes the patients to trauma triggers in a safe way so they can face their fears.
Over time, it reduces their symptoms and promotes healing. The therapist teaches relaxation and grounding techniques to use when exposed to their trauma triggers so they can understand that these memories are no longer dangerous and do not need to be avoided.
For more information about our counselors or to schedule an appointment for your therapy, call our office by number:
(561) 363-7994Play Therapy
Play therapy is considered significant in handling difficulties, such as trauma in childhood. It is often used with children and adolescents, but in certain situations, it is also offered for adults. It can help an individual process trauma in a non-intimidating way by incorporating toys, art supplies, puppets, or other positive activities.
The therapeutic power of play can help patients deal with psychological difficulties they may be experiencing and express themselves in their own way. Therapists can better understand their inner world as children express their thoughts, feelings, and problems.
Art & Music Therapy
Art and music therapy utilize an individual’s creativity and active art-making to access and express their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Engaging in art and music is considered to be inherently healing and provides comfort as it helps patients develop a connection with their therapist.
A professional therapist can assist people of all ages learn alternative ways to give voice to their experiences and enable them to improve self-esteem, self-awareness, and cognitive and sensory-motor functioning. Art and music are particularly beneficial for non-verbal individuals or those who face difficulty in identifying and expressing their emotions.
How Does Therapy Help in Healing Trauma?
Therapy can help you process a traumatic event. It enables you to develop a new perspective on the traumatic experience and reduce the intensity of trauma-related emotions such as shame and guilt. With the right therapy, you can better understand trauma and learn ways to deal with it.
Although the memories stay, therapy empowers you to take control of your emotions and manage your symptoms and life better. Therapy can also help children find more effective ways to express themselves and cope with trauma.
Remember, the type of trauma therapy that works best for each person is based on individual factors and preferences. You may have to try multiple modalities before you find which kind of therapy suits you. Your therapist will most likely start with therapy that align with your comfort level and resonates with how you want to start your healing journey.
Begin personalized therapy, online or in-person, in West Palm Beach, and Boca Raton, FL.
If you believe your child or teen is experiencing trauma, contact a mental health professional for advice and support. There are several types of therapies to guide and heal children who have been through trauma. Mental healthcare professionals can guide the children and their caregivers in searching for the most effective option that guides them through the recovery process and makes coping with trauma easy.
Opening up about childhood trauma can be tough and even frightening at times, but having the right support to deal with its effects can make things better and prevent further complications. While seeking mental health treatment, especially for something that occurred years ago, is challenging, healing is possible under the guidance of a licensed therapist. Liz Chelak focuses on helping you process past experiences, face your fears, and reduce emotional pain. Her trauma-based approach gives you a chance to learn coping skills and strategies to return to a normal, happy life.