If you are a trauma survivor and have ever been curious about doing trauma therapy work, you have probably found yourself asking a few questions. I have clients ask all the time things like why does trauma therapy work, why is it important to do it, and what is it like? In this article, I will be sharing how I answer these questions when therapy clients ask.
Trauma work is a lot like resetting a broken nose. Something didn’t heal correctly after a traumatic experience, so we need to “reset” it to put it back where we want it to be. Trauma-informed therapy works by looking at those places in our brains that we usually avoid, and reorganizing these thoughts associated with the traumatic experience into the areas we want them. By looking at these thoughts and reorganizing them with a professional, you can start to reclaim control of your life.
Trauma-Focused Therapy Is Similar To Fixing A Broken Nose
My guess is the first question you are considering is, “Why do I need to do that?” Well, this is a question I have been asked many times, and here is the answer I usually give.
Have you (or someone you know) ever broken a bone and just tried to let it heal by its self? The most common one I can think of is a broken nose. It breaks, and the person never seeks treatment for it, and then it ends up healing crooked. In this metaphor, a broken nose is similar to a traumatic event that impacted us.
They aren’t a bad person for not seeking help with the broken nose. There were probably all kinds of COMPLETELY legitimate reasons they didn’t seek help. They may not have been able to afford it, they didn’t have time, or they just didn’t know it was broken. Regardless, that discomfort from the broken nose is similar to the mental health struggles that may come from unresolved traumatic stress.
Trauma Therapy Can Help By:
After that injury has had time to heal incorrectly, the only way to fix it is by resetting it or surgery. In this metaphor, the surgery or resetting is trauma work. Sure, you could probably go your entire life without “fixing” that broken nose, but my guess is that it is going to cause you a lot of discomfort. It would cause a lot of mental health issues for you if left unresolved.
Trauma treatment works because it “goes back in” and “resets” that nose, so it can reheal correctly. After it heals correctly, that nose won’t cause you anywhere near the same amount of distress. It won’t feel like it did before it was broken, but it will absolutely be better than it was when it was crooked.
Like getting that broken nose fixed, it is important to get help from a professional counselor. There are all kinds of different types of effective treatments for post-traumatic stress disorders like eye movement desensitization, exposure therapy, and many, many others. You can find a therapist for just about any trauma treatment you are looking for. I will talk more about this later in this article.
So that is the idea of how trauma treatment works and why it improves overall mental health. But what can you expect trauma treatment to feel like? It definitely is different than getting a broken nose straightened!
What Does Working on Trauma Like?
A common question is “What is trauma therapy work like?”. After many times of explaining it, this is the easiest way I have found to describe it. If you have read some of my stuff before, you will know that I love using metaphors to explain things. I even did it earlier in this article!
Trauma Work Can Be Like Reorganizing An Attic
We all have a place in our brains that we store stuff that we don’t exactly want to see all the time. This place is different for everyone, but the two most common places I hear are the brain’s attic or basement. Where is this place for you? Below the stairs? In a shed in the backyard?
As traumatic events happen to us, we almost rush to throw them in those deep dark attics, basements, or sheds, so we don’t have to look at them. Once those memories are in there, we close the door, lock it, and try to forget about it.
Sometimes We Need to Go Back And ReProcess Hard Things
Since we rushed to throw that stuff in those storage areas, things can start to look pretty messy in there. It’s not like our living room or front yard, very few people will ever step foot in those deep dark areas.
Sometimes, the stuff in our attics, basements, or sheds can start to overflow or begin to impact other rooms. These are described as intrusive thoughts or flashbacks associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. So how do we fix that? We need to organize and clean that room, right?
Well, I am not sure if you have ever tried to clean a room without being in it, but I am pretty sure it’s impossible. If you know how to, make sure you let me know. Stepping back into that room where you have stored a lot of hard memories or experiences can release some pretty intense emotions. In early treatment, you may see an increase in trauma symptoms. That is entirely normal!
Trauma work is the process of slowly building up to reentering that room and starting to sift through or reorganize some of that stuff. By withstanding that initial wave of hard emotions and continuing to sift through some of those past memories, you can begin the healing process.
Working With a Therapist Will Help You Reorganize That Room
It is important to work with a therapist you trust during this process because they will be able to help you find your way back out of that dark, cluttered room that you bravely reentered. That professional will help you build coping skills, which will help you deal with all those difficult trauma symptoms.
We all have a different amount of “stuff” (traumatic experiences) in our room. But one thing is for sure, the process of doing trauma work or decluttering your space will take time. You may find that you can only take one shoebox out at a time. There may be some days where just stepping foot inside that room is too much. With my clients, the therapy sessions meet them where they are at each day.
All of that is normal. The important part is that you stick with it and stay invested in the process. Some days will be more productive than others, but each day is progress. It takes time to build up the coping skills you need to help cope with your traumatic experiences.
How To Get Started With Trauma Therapy Work
Now that you know what trauma therapy work is and what it includes, it is up to you whether or not you actually get started. As you can imagine, no one can force you to do this work. The power is entirely in your hands. I did write an article here where I talk about ways we can identify if it is the right time to start trauma work.
If you are feeling like it is something you want to start, I am excited for you! That is a huge step forward in your journey.
Start by reaching out to a therapist in your area (or state if you plan on doing telehealth) and start to build that connection. Start looking around at different therapist’s bios on Psychology Today. That is where you can begin to see the type of people they are, and whether you think they will be a good match for you.
On their profiles, trauma therapists will likely say that they use CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy), EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), IFS (Internal Family Therapy), CPT (Cognitive Processing Therapy), TF-CBT (Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) or ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy). Don’t worry too much about these. Just know they are all forms of talk therapy that are helpful for processing trauma.
Once you find one of us that you feel is a good match, reach out and get that first session scheduled. For a lot of people, this is the hardest part of the entire process. Just remember that when things are hard, that is just your body letting you know it is important for you. You don’t need to fight this battle alone anymore. Remember, that first session does no have to be about you experienced trauma. It is you getting to know the counselor.
Final Thoughts
The idea of starting trauma work can be daunting for people. It can sound scary and overwhelming. By choosing to start trauma treatment work, you are making the decision to start taking some of the control back from your traumatic event.
Starting to work on your traumatic stress has a lot of things in common with fixing a nose that healed crooked. We would probably be able to survive without fixing it. But our lives can be made so much easier by enduring those tough emotions that come with “resetting” that nose.
If you are interested in starting trauma work, you will need a professional you like and trust in your corner. Take a look around at therapist’s bios in your area (or state), and get that first session scheduled. You’ve got this. If you live in Maine, I would be honored to be a part of your journey. Look forward to hearing from you!
Until next time,
