Learn How To Heal From Trauma With Therapy

Healing from trauma involves working with a licensed therapist to address the symptoms and harmful side effects on your day-to-day life. Therapy for trauma varies depending on your needs, including the type of trauma suffered and the severity of your symptoms. Here are a few tips to help you learn how to heal from trauma with therapy:

Get an Official Diagnosis

Professionals design therapy for trauma around the type of trauma you’ve experienced and the symptoms you face. You may suffer trauma from abuse, neglect, accidents, domestic violence, being in combat, or the death of a loved one. Near-death experiences, imprisonment, and divorce are all causes of emotional and psychological trauma. The trauma can manifest in various behavioral, emotional, and psychological effects, from shock, denial, and confusion to anxiety, guilt, and depression. You may also suffer insomnia or nightmares, fatigue, a racing heartbeat, and other physical symptoms.

If you experience the symptoms of trauma, get an official diagnosis from a licensed therapist. You may have suffered post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health issues like panic, anxiety, depression, and personality disorders. Each type of disorder has unique needs and treatment approaches. If the suspected trauma is PTSD, your therapist can use a clinician-administered scale to evaluate the frequency and intensity of symptoms. Other tests include structured clinical interviews and verbal or written evaluations to assess your mental health, thoughts, behaviors, and emotions. An official diagnosis allows the therapist to develop a personalized treatment plan for your unique needs.

Choose a Therapy

Licensed therapists determine the right therapy for your trauma following diagnosis. The therapy chosen depends on your age, trauma, symptoms, preferences, and co-occurring medical conditions. Therapies for trauma include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), and accelerated resolution therapy (ART). Therapists also use sand-tray therapy and trauma-play for children, brainspotting, somatic experiences, and solution-focused therapy. Trauma-focused CBT helps to change how you think to influence your feelings and behavior.

EMDR reframes traumatic memories using guided eye movements and bilateral stimulation. Accelerated resolution therapy resolves trauma-related distress by visualizing and rescripting the trauma to create more positive endings. Brainspotting uses focused eye positioning to access, process, and release trauma stored in the brain and body. Somatic experiences focus on mind-body connections to release stored trauma. Sand-tray and trauma-play therapies use sandboxes and creative play to help children express their emotions and process trauma non-verbally. Consult your therapist to choose the right therapy for your needs.

Follow Your Therapist’s Plan

Working with a trauma-informed therapist can help reduce the negative impact of trauma on your life. You must commit to treatment from start to finish because stopping midway can aggravate symptoms and lead to avoidance. If you’ve had self-harm thoughts or incidents, your therapist can use dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) to help you learn coping skills. DBT improves emotional regulation and allows you to cope with intense feelings and underlying mental health issues like depression.

Therapists also use acceptance and commitment therapies to help you learn how to cope without relying on substance abuse. Such therapies can be combined with solution-focused therapy to eliminate guilt and shame. Follow your therapist’s instructions and contact them for professional intervention whenever you feel distressed. If you have co-occurring conditions that require medication, have your healthcare professional prescribe helpful drugs. Treatment plans are designed to help you self-regulate and gradually overcome the trauma. Committing to the plan allows your therapist to assess your improvement and make necessary adjustments to achieve set goals.

Get Therapy for Trauma Today

Trauma can make it difficult to live a normal life and lead to various undesirable mental and physical health conditions. If you’ve suffered any form of trauma, speaking to a professional can help. Contact a licensed therapist today to find out more about therapy for trauma.

References

1. National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). A comprehensive guide outlining evidence-based therapies (e.g., CBT, EMDR) and diagnostic criteria, supporting sections on diagnosis and treatment approaches.

2. American Psychological Association (APA)–Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. Provides evidence-based recommendations for trauma therapies, validating trauma-focused CBT and EMDR as gold-standard interventions.

3. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)– Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services. A key resource for trauma-focused interventions, emphasizing individualized care and therapist-guided treatment plans.

4. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, National Center for PTSD– PTSD Treatment Basics. Details research-backed therapies like prolonged exposure, cognitive processing therapy, and EMDR, reinforcing the credibility of trauma-specific modalities.

5. World Health Organization (WHO)– Guidelines for the Management of Conditions Specifically Related to Stress. Recommends trauma-focused CBT and EMDR as first-line treatments globally, aligning with the article’s emphasis on structured, evidence-based care.