Most people will experience trauma in their lifetime. Trauma therapy can address all of these types of traumas. Such as a car accident, abuse or neglect, the sudden death of a loved one, a violent criminal act, exposure to the violence of war, childhood trauma, or a natural disaster.
Many people can recover from trauma over time with the love and support of family and friends and bounce back with resiliency. On the other hand, others may discover the effects of lasting trauma, which can cause a person to live with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or posttraumatic stress far after the event has passed.
In these circumstances, the support, guidance, and assistance of a trauma therapist are fundamental to healing from trauma.
Trauma Symptoms
Trauma symptoms can present in many different ways. They can be categorized into four different types of trauma symptoms according to the DSM-5.
Avoidance Symptoms
- Avoiding specific locations, sights, situations, and sounds that serve as reminders of the event
- Anxiety, depression, or numbness
- Guilt, shame, self-blame
- Withdrawing from others
Re-experiencing Symptoms
- Intrusive thoughts, nightmares, or flashbacks
- Visual images of the event
Hyperarousal Symptoms
- Anger, irritability, and hypervigilance
- Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
- Sleep disturbances
Negative Mood and Cognition Symptoms
- Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
- Difficulty remembering details of the distressing event
- Change in habits or behavior since the trauma
- Mood swings
Childhood Trauma
Childhood trauma is the events experienced by a child that causes fear. Many experiences can lead to trauma in childhood. For example, watching a loved one pass away, major car accidents, or natural disasters. As well as physical abuse, sexual abuse, bullying, parental/familial emotional neglect, emotional abuse, and more. All of which can be very traumatic for a child. Some individuals develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from a traumatic event. While others might develop complex PTSD. Childhood trauma makes a large impact on how you function in your life and the symptoms start showing in adolescence or early adulthood. This can look like risk-taking behavior, substance use/abuse, and broken relationships. It can also lead to difficulty expressing emotion, dissociation, anxiety, and depression.
Benefits of Trauma Therapy
At The Mindful Practice in the Jacksonville and Orlando area, we know there are many benefits to starting trauma therapy. Some of these include:
- Improved coping skills
- The ability to build trusting and fulfilling relationships
- Reducing your fear and anger
- Reducing irritability
- Letting go of shame and guilt
- Improving your sleep
- Improving communication
- An increasing sense of calm
Types of PTSD Treatment
Research has proven psychotherapy to be the most effective form of treatment for trauma. Most commonly, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT) and eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) are used in treating trauma.
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT). TF-CBT helps to manage trauma by replacing maladaptive thoughts. As well as behaviors with healthier alternatives called coping skills. As you begin to build these coping skills into your daily routine you will start to notice an alleviation of symptoms.
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR). EMDR helps anxiety at a neurobiological level by addressing the triggers of anxiety. It is an interactive therapy technique that is used to alleviate psychological stressors. You will be able to identify original triggers. Then change how you respond to them on a physiological and cognitive level. Finally leaving you with less anxiety in your life.
Trauma therapy helps you cope and live a meaningful life by helping you process the trauma, face your fears, and gain coping skills. If you or someone you know matches the trauma symptoms listed above, we are confident that our trauma therapists can help. We invite you to contact us today for a free consultation.
Start Trauma Therapy in Jacksonville and Winter Park, FL
The Mindful Practice in Winter Park and Jacksonville, FL is here to support you in addressing your trauma symptoms. We understand how hard it can be to confront the cause of your trauma. As well as identifying the effect trauma has had on your life. We are here for you whether you would prefer trauma therapy and PTSD treatment through telehealth or in-person. Living a meaningful life starts by following these steps:
- Contact us for your free consultation.
- Start meeting with a trauma therapist.
- Start living a life free of trauma symptoms and disorders.
What We Offer Besides Trauma Therapy in the Orlando and Jacksonville Area
Our Orlando and Jacksonville therapists offer more than trauma therapy and PTSD treatment. For individuals, we offer depression treatment and anxiety treatment. As well as post-bariatric surgery therapy, counseling for teens, life transition therapy, and grief counseling. Some of the techniques we use include EMDR and mindfulness-based therapy. All services are offered in person at our Jacksonville and Winter Park, FL-based offices and online throughout Florida.