What is Trauma?
The American Psychological Association defines trauma as the response to a deeply distressing or disturbing event that overwhelms an individual’s ability to cope, causes feelings of helplessness, diminishes their sense of self and their ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences.
If you’re not sure if you have trauma, but you think you might need help, we’re here for you.
Types of Trauma
Acute Trauma
Acute trauma mainly results from a single distressing event, such as an accident, rape, assault, or natural disaster.
Chronic Trauma
Chronic trauma happens when a person is exposed to multiple, long-term, and/or prolonged distressing, traumatic events over an extended period. Examples of chronic trauma are: a long-term serious illness, sexual abuse, domestic violence, bullying, and exposure to extreme situations, such as a war, repeated exposure to disturbing/difficult situations in Health Care or First Responder settings.
Complex Trauma
Complex trauma results from exposure to multiple traumatic events or experiences. These events usually result from negative experiences within our primary attachment relationships. This is commonly seen in individuals who have been victims of childhood abuse, neglect, domestic violence, family disputes, or other repetitive situations.
Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma
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Intensive Therapy
Intensive therapy is therapy sessions conducted over 1-5 days. Intensives provide targeted support so you can address your trauma in a more focused way.
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Psychotherapy
Traditional psychotherapy can incorporate evidence-based trauma treatments, such as EMDR and Neurofeedback.
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Neurofeedback
Neurofeedback helps the brain and body move into a more regulated state, so it’s easier to work through traumatic experiences.
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EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is an extensively researched, effective model of psychotherapy that’s proven to help people recover from trauma and mental health concerns.