Trauma Therapy
Is Trauma Impacting Your Ability To Thrive?
Are you or your child having a hard time maintaining your relationships?
Do you experience symptoms of anxiety and depression—including restlessness, agitation, and low self-esteem?
Are physical pains with no known origin preventing you from feeling present and relaxed?
You may be confused by the combination of symptoms you’ve developed. Sure, you sometimes feel anxious and depressed—we all do—but this is different. You might feel stuck and held back by something. But instead of being present and fully aware of your emotions, you may be preoccupied with the physical pain and discomfort you experience on a daily basis.
It’s Possible You’ve Internalized Stress Following A Difficult Experience
Perhaps you survived a shocking, unexpected, or painful experience. You may have endured sexual, physical, or emotional abuse as a child, grew up with verbally abusive parents, or recently survived an attack, accident, or serious illness/injury. On the other hand, you may be the parent of a young child who has been traumatized—whether due to early separation (as in the case of adoption or foster care) or known child abuse—now noticing lingering emotional and physical effects impacting their well-being.
Not all trauma is catastrophic, though. Such occurrences as divorce, the death of a loved one, and other common life stressors can be traumatizing. Even though you’ve had time to adjust to new circumstances or feel like you “should” be over the loss by now, you may feel as though you’re stuck in a cycle of grief.
Relationships are often where unresolved trauma shows up. You or your child may be detached, disconnected, or withdrawn. You might have a hard time trusting others or feel too ashamed of your trauma to discuss it with your support systems. Unable to be present with those around you, you may wonder if you’re carrying emotional baggage from past experiences into your romantic, familial, platonic, and professional relationships.
Trauma is a difficult phenomenon to understand, and it’s often very confusing for those experiencing it. But therapy is a valuable opportunity to trace your symptoms back to their core so that you can process trauma at the source.
Unresolved Grief And Trauma Can Lead To Long-Term Mental Health Obstacles
We often characterize grief as being associated with death and trauma as being associated with catastrophe, but these issues are much more widespread than we think. Grief is the loss of anything, while trauma is defined as any distressing or disturbing experience. All of us are affected by grief and trauma at some point in our lives, but many of us don’t accurately recognize symptoms of PTSD and thus don’t seek trauma treatment when we need it.
Unfortunately, trauma is often cyclical, following a generational pattern. For those of us who grew up in families where abuse was prevalent or addiction was present, we run the risk of internalizing trauma and repeating the cycle. And in communities where mental health is stigmatized or there is a lack of access—particularly in historically marginalized populations—many are not aware that empathetic, effective trauma counseling exists.
Going to therapy does not indicate weakness or incompetence. By addressing your mental health in a meaningful way with a therapist, you can overcome your trauma as you learn to manage the pain of grief and sadness.
Individualized Therapy Can Help You Heal From Trauma
Oftentimes, trauma manifests as a shameful secret or heavy emotional burden that can weigh you down for several months or even years. At Balance Counseling Center, we are committed to providing our clients with a safe, open atmosphere where they can open up and share whatever it is that’s been burdening them. In some cases, this can involve clients opening up about the things they haven’t even been able to admit to themselves yet.
Our Approach
We know that each of our clients is a unique individual, so much of the therapeutic process is about meeting our clients where they are in their journey and tailoring the counseling experience to align with their goals for trauma treatment. Whether you’re an adult struggling with unresolved trauma or the parent of a child or teen who exhibits symptoms of PTSD, we will customize therapy sessions to address your needs.
Your first intake session will help your therapist better understand presenting trauma symptoms and concerns so that a collaborative treatment plan can be created. If you’re the parent of a minor, you’ll be asked to attend the intake to discuss options for your child.
From there, the therapeutic process will be very client-driven, focusing on treatment goals and symptom reduction. For clients of all ages—specifically children and teens—we are highly likely to use Play Therapy and sand tray therapy in an effort to explore and express emotions creatively. In addition, the highly effective and gentle method of Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) will be used to target and neutralize distressing memories.
While the impulse might be to avoid negative feelings and emotions, it’s important to work through them—not around them—if you want to resolve your trauma. Therapy provides you with a calm, neutral environment and an experienced clinician who can help you safely process your trauma.
Committing to this process will give you the strength and resources you need to meaningfully address your psychological pain and heal. At Balance Counseling Center, we are invested in your long-term success and well-being.
Maybe You Have Survived A Trauma But Aren’t Sure If Counseling Can Help You…
Nothing will help me feel better about my trauma—including counseling.
Trauma has a way of instilling negative patterns and beliefs in us. As such, it is hard to see beyond our trauma and into a future that feels peaceful, hopeful, and calm. And we often develop the belief that we are weak or unstable for needing help.
Yet, meaningful PTSD and trauma treatment exists, and in fact, EMDR is considered a gold standard of trauma therapy. If other methods or interventions have not worked for you in the past, we encourage you to try at least a few sessions with a therapist at Balance Counseling. We are confident that our approach to trauma therapy can help where others have fallen short.
I am too ashamed about my trauma to discuss it; I worry a therapist will judge me.
It takes real strength and courage to discuss a difficult experience and work towards healing. If you’re feeling the shame of a traumatic experience, you will be treated with kindness, compassion, and encouragement at Balance Counseling—not judgment. We are trained, professional counselors familiar with a wide array of traumas, and we are here to support you on your healing journey.
In addition, it’s important to note that the counseling experience is entirely confidential. What you discuss in therapy will never be shared without your consent.
I don’t have time for trauma treatment.
We’ve witnessed many potential clients avoid seeking therapy for a number of reasons, and oftentimes they find the excuse of not having enough time because they don’t want to face the pain of their trauma.
If you don’t think you have time in your schedule to devote to counseling, consider how much time you will save in the long run by addressing your trauma in a lasting way. By fostering peace and healing in your life, you will open up more opportunities for yourself to live according to your goals and values instead of being driven by your traumatic experiences.
We’re Here To Help You Find Balance
If you or your child feel stuck inside an emotionally painful and distressing experience, therapy can help you understand and heal your trauma.
For more information about how we can help, please contact us.
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