Trauma Therapy in Aventura, Florida.
What is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma Therapy is the art of healing from past trauma in a way that emotionally charged feeling do not interfere with current daily functioning. Trauma therapy goes to a deeper level of the person to heal the core beliefs, emotions, and stories formed from past experiences and integrate a new way of being.
Who is Trauma Therapy For?
Traditionally, trauma therapy was studied and used exclusively for individuals who had experienced PTSD or “Big T” traumas like war veterans, car accidents, natural disaster victims, and the like.
In more recent times, research with the American Psychological Association (APA) and The Veterans Administration (VA) has expanded the use of trauma therapy to address other parts of the human experience. The latest research and neuroscience show the impact of less obvious “trauma” including complex trauma stemming from a person’s upbringing. Early childhood emotional wounds from a parent or caregiver who was unavailable or unable to properly communicate love and care during childhood. These more subtle “trauma” can impact a person’s ability to feel cared for and negatively impact self-esteem later on into adulthood.
Trauma therapy is now being applied to many mental health conditions including anxiety, depression, phobias, self-esteem, relationship issues, personality disorders, and all forms of trauma-informed healing. We believe that many mental health conditions are trauma in disguise and if we heal the underlying trauma, the diagnosis or mental health condition will be healed in the process.
The Big 3 of Trauma Healing Modalities - EMDR, IFS, and Somatic Therapies
With the modern age of brain imaging, we can now study the impact of various trauma therapies of the brain and body. The big three therapies now being used to treat trauma at the brain/body level are EMDR (Eye movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) Therapy, IFS ( Internal Family Systems) Therapy, and Somatic (Body-Focused) Therapy. Each of these therapies provide a different angle to work with and heal trauma.
EMDR Therapy is a brain focused psychotherapy helping client process through difficult emotions, core beliefs, and experiences. In EMDR, we activate the right (emotional) and left (logical) sides of the brain at the same time. This allows the brain the reconsolidate old memories so they are no longer upsetting.
IFS Therapy is a trauma therapy that addresses the different parts of ourselves. IFS helps clients access the parts of themselves and work through inner conflicts and burdens they have from their past. In IFS, we can get to know our inner world and process through the blocks inside ourselves.
Somatic Therapy is a body-based psychotherapy that help client reconnect to their body sensations and the emotions stored from earlier experiences. In Somatic therapy, we work to process out the body’s stuck emotions, beliefs, and stories held in the subconscious. Somatic therapy works with body posture and sensations to helps clients move their body and release the stored trauma.
The Healing Work of Trauma Therapy
Throughout the course of trauma therapy we can help people emotionally heal the “younger” parts of themselves. By connecting to the person’s innate ability to self-heal we can help individuals give their “inner-child” the love and care it needed. Part of this work also includes helping people connect with positive uplifting feelings of love, joy, and connection - to themselves, their purpose, and others in their life. These feelings may have been lost with the trauma or other difficult life experiences.
Trauma therapy helps people attune emotionally and really “feel connected” at the body and emotional level. By building themselves up from the inside out, they can feel courageous to address more difficult feelings and allow their body true healing. The inspiration found in the process helps to find new meaning from our experiences and move forward in a healthy way. The past exists in the past and the present is an opportunity for increased love, joy, and connection to others.
Healing is a done in an compassionate, but direct way. We move forward and give ourselves permission to feel all the feelings whether it be of joy, sadness, love, frustration etc. and allow them to be released in the process. It is specifically in the work of proper trauma therapy that we are able to do this.
Finding Specialized Care
When searching for a therapist to treat past trauma it is important to confirm that the therapist specializes in trauma therapy. Trauma therapy can bring up difficult feelings and may be triggering at times. It is therefore highly recommended that you work with a trauma specialist with this form of treatment for the best healing and care possible.