Trauma-Informed Therapist Near Me

 

If you search online for a ‘trauma-informed therapist near me’, numerous options will appear. That might make it difficult for you to understand which therapist would be the best for you and why. Working with a trauma-informed therapist is incredibly important for your mental and emotional health. So we’ve decided to share all important pieces of information about understanding this type of therapy and finding the right person to guide you to your recovery. 

 

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

The consequences of a person’s trauma on their behavior, mental health, and treatment capacity are all vital elements of trauma-informed therapy. Trauma-informed therapists take precautions to prevent unintentionally triggering or re-traumatizing their clients because they are aware of their trauma history.

The term “trauma-informed” refers to the idea that trauma is frequently present in our lives and that it is essential to include it in therapy for successful results. Trauma-informed therapy is a practice that recognizes and treats the impact traumatic events may have on a person’s mental, emotional, and physical health. 

Trauma-informed practitioners work in several domains, including mental health clinics, schools, social service organizations, and healthcare facilities. Their purpose is to provide trauma survivors with a secure and affirming environment for their unique needs and obstacles.

Trauma-informed therapists strive to build a patient’s sense of safety and trust before going deeper into the trauma. By respecting their clients’ voices and choices about what they are looking to get from their treatment, trauma-informed therapists aim to empower their clients. 

 

Understanding Trauma

In trauma-informed therapy, you will learn to understand your traumatic experience and the impact it had on your life. There are many different definitions of trauma, and there is no one right way for someone to experience trauma or to react to it. People will be affected differently by the same incident, and not everyone who goes through a traumatic experience will suffer from trauma in the future.

A defined list of events that can be considered traumatic doesn’t exist. It matters more how you respond to them. After all, trauma is a personal experience. Nobody else can understand how you feel about your personal experiences or whether they have traumatized you. Similar events may occur to you, yet they may affect you differently or for longer.

That said, trauma-informed therapists have shared events that are more common to be considered traumas among their patients:

• Road accident
• Terrorism
• Domestic violence
• Sexual abuse
• Emotional abuse
• Bullying
• Natural disaster
• War
• Serious illness
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Neglect
• Unexpected death of a friend or a family member

 

Of course, many other events are not on this list yet can be traumatic for a person. More than the event itself, the emotional reaction is what helps therapists define whether an event can be considered traumatic. If, as a result of a certain event, you feel frightened, humiliated, rejected, unsafe, abandoned, powerless, trapped, or unsupported in any way, this might be a sign of trauma. 

 

How Trauma-Informed Therapy Works 

The main focus of trauma-informed therapy is how previous traumatic events affect relationships and life experiences. Your therapist will help you understand the impact of trauma on your feelings, actions, and thought processes throughout treatment. Trauma-informed therapy has a more comprehensive approach, considering the underlying causes of your present behaviors rather than only concentrating on the ones you’re attempting to change with therapy.

Even if a person doesn’t think they have experienced trauma in their life, trauma-informed therapy can help them safely identify traumatic events. Trauma can arise from a variety of stressful circumstances, some of which are more obvious than others. 

Many people will not even understand they have been traumatized by certain events, others might develop unhealthy coping techniques. In both cases, trauma-informed therapy can be quite beneficial to learn how to cope with your trauma history in a way that truly works best for you. As you start creating a safe environment with your therapist, you will become more aware of your trauma and the impact it had on you. This way, you will be able to learn new techniques that help you deal with it better. 

 

Seeking a Trauma-Informed Therapist

Finding a trauma-informed therapist might be challenging. Adopting a trauma-informed approach differs from the numerous approaches that exist in the field of psychology. Pay attention to how your potential therapist explains their treatment philosophy while making your first contact with them. 

Giving both physical and mental safety is a priority to establish a healing-friendly environment for clients who have experienced a traumatic event. Once you start talking to them, consider if they are truly helping you understand how you are dealing with your trauma and what alternatives are available to you. 

If you feel uncomfortable talking to your therapist even after several sessions, ask yourself if it’s something about them that’s not allowing you to feel safe and share your thoughts and emotions with them. You can even share how you feel with them and see if their response will change your mind. If they don’t provide you with the answer that relaxes you and ensures you’re in the right place, a good idea would be to look for a new trauma-informed therapist. 

 

In Final Words

Trauma treatment can last months or even years, so be ready to dedicate yourself fully to the process and anticipate that therapy may not always be easy. You might need some time to open up to your therapist and to trust them, yet it’s an incredibly beneficial process for those who have experienced any type of trauma. 

Keep in mind that sometimes, recalling and discussing upsetting experiences from your past might have an impact on your mental state and overall well-being. With the right therapist, you should feel safe enough to go through these experiences, and they should be there for you every step of the way. Dealing with trauma is not easy, yet it is the only way to truly recover from it and stop allowing it to control your life.

 

About Life Coaching and Therapy

Life Coaching and Therapy (LCAT) is a therapy and coaching practice that transforms our clients lives through our flexible. Multi-technique approach and pleasure-skills training provided by systematically-trained and licensed therapists!

Get to know our founder and owner, Amanda Pasciucco, (a.k.a. The Sex Healer) PhD, Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist (LMFT), and an AASECT Certified Sex Therapist (CST) that has developed innovative therapy programs and therapy videos that get results.

Our team of compassionate, licensed therapists and certified sex therapists help all clients who visit us for a variety of personal, relationship, intimacy and sex problems.

LCAT provides on-site appointments, as well as video chat and text therapy programs.

Learn more about how LCAT can help improve your life at What We Do.