Trauma Therapy
Traumatic experiences can happen to anyone, and their impact can last a lifetime.
Any traumatic experience – from assault, bullying, a sudden accident, a serious medical diagnosis, experiencing combat, the sudden loss of a loved one, experiencing bigotry, battling addiction, and more – can negatively affect your emotions, behavior, relationships, and overall quality of life.
How is Trauma Defined?
Trauma is an emotional response to a deeply distressing or disturbing experience. A traumatic event takes a person out of their “window of tolerance,” which is an emotional space wherein we feel safe. Trauma is not the experience itself, but the impact that it has on a person.
It can cause depression, anxiety, feelings of guilt and shame, panic attacks, and behavioral challenges. When coping with the aftermath of a traumatic event, it is easy to feel isolated.
The good news is: you are not alone.
There are three types of psychological trauma that a person can experience: acute trauma, chronic trauma, and complex trauma.
Acute Trauma occurs after a singular traumatic incident, such as a car accident or being the victim of a crime.
Chronic trauma occurs as a result of prolonged and repetitive traumatic incidents, such as abuse, combat, or imprisonment.
Complex trauma occurs after exposure to multiple and various traumatic incidents which are often invasive and of an interpersonal nature, such as bigoted microaggressions or other insults to one’s sense of identity.
When a traumatic event takes a person too far out of their window of tolerance, they may develop Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Those who have experienced chronic or complex trauma may develop Complex Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or C-PTSD.
What are some Signs of Trauma?
- Depression, sadness, or social isolation
- Feeling the need to be hyper-aware or alert in case of danger
- An exaggerated startle response, on edge
- Increased irritability, sudden anger attacks
- Feelings of shame, guilt, or intense worry
- A sense of numbness in life
- Nightmares or flashbacks that relive the traumatic event
- Avoiding situations that may be reminders of the event
- Difficulty functioning in daily life
- Substance use and dependence
There are two types of evidence
based trauma therapy modalities that our clinicians offer at Kaafi Counseling:
EMDR therapy can also be used to address a wide range of challenges that include but are not limited to:
- Anxiety, panic attacks, and phobias
- Grief and loss
- Pain
- Performance anxiety
- PTSD and other trauma and stress-related issues
- Sleep disturbance
Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) is an evidence-based treatment approach shown to help children, adolescents, and their parents (or other caregivers) overcome trauma-related difficulties, including child maltreatment.
How We Help?
At Kaafi Counseling, we offer trauma-informed therapy that can help you come to terms with adverse experiences in your history. Our highly qualified clinicians are trauma-informed and trauma-certified professionals. They are available for you to provide a safe space to process childhood, intergenerational, and/or recent traumatic experiences and explore tools that will help you cope, integrate, and move past the trauma.
Both EMDR Therapy and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy have been proven time and time again to be effective in alleviating the challenges posed by trauma.
If you are looking to heal from the things that hurt you, look no further. Call us today to book your appointment, and begin your journey of overcoming your trauma.