PTSD (or Posttraumatic Stress Disorder) is a mental health disorder resulting from exposure to traumatic events. But not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. A trauma therapist can diagnose you with PTSD but you must meet diagnostic criteria, which includes intrusive or recurrent thoughts or images of the events, avoidance of reminders, changes in mood and physical reactions. The symptoms must also persist for more than a month after the traumatic event and interfere with daily functioning. Trauma therapy can be beneficial for reducing distress and increasing the ability to cope - whether you are experiencing PTSD or not. 

Your past will always be something that happened to you, but it doesn’t have to make you feel the same way. Healing from trauma means you are able to think about painful events but not feel distressed. Your triggers should not be as intense and you may begin to view your experiences with more clarity and insight. When your body and mind have healed you can start making meaning of your experiences and integrating that knowledge into the present version of yourself. A qualified trauma therapist can help support you through this process and work with you on developing healthy coping mechanisms. 

There is no medication that cures or heals trauma, but you can medicate some of the more painful symptoms. Trauma can lead to anxiety, depression and mood disturbance. Talk to your PCP or psychiatrist about whether or not medication can be helpful for the symptoms you are experiencing. 

Healing from trauma requires a combination of establishing trust and safety and exposure and desensitization to the experience or memory. Our trauma therapists use a combination of therapies, including DBT, mindfulness practices, and EMDR, in order to provide stabilization and healing of past traumas. 

We will work together to assess whether or not trauma therapy is a good fit for you and spend some time discussing your goals, current symptoms, and history. If there are no issues of immediate concern, we can start working on creating and strengthening resources you can use to calm and ground yourself during session and in everyday life. Building healthy and effective coping mechanisms is essential in preparing for more intensive trauma therapy. When you feel confident in your ability to use your resources and change your state, we will assess whether or not EMDR (or other exposure based therapies) might be a good fit. From there we can continue to build your skills while working on reprocessing past traumatic events.