Trauma Counseling

There is not one or two, or even three, trauma counseling techniques. Instead, there are dozens of techniques that a therapist or counselor utilizes in order to help a patient defeat their imagined negative beliefs, distorted thoughts, and buzzing emotions. All of the techniques aim to integrate the trauma into one’s life, so the person learns to live with it instead of running from it. A handful of techniques used in trauma counseling (which are also used in trauma therapy and are not restricted to only counseling) are described as follows:

1. Behavior therapy – a common form of behavior therapy is exposure therapy. This is essentially a harsh technique in which one is placed right in front of their fear. For example, if someone is deathly afraid of airplane crashes due to a related occurrence and has formed a traumatic memory, they are reminded of the instances which are bound to trigger their trauma. Of course, the actual event does not occur; merely thoughts and emotions are instigated. This results in the person seeking counseling to learn that the fear is simply in their minds and the emotions activated are negative and irrational. Eventually, the fear decreases, which in turn decreases the trauma – this has also been proven through research. There are different kinds of exposure therapy as well, namely, imaginal exposure (feared happening is only imagined as vividly as possible), systematic desensitization (exposure to increasing fear-inducing events, relaxation is also used in conjunction with this), and in vivo exposure (exposure within therapy).

2. Pharmacotherapy – this is when medications are used in order to manage traumatic reactions such as depression, hyperarousal, irritability, emotional reactivity, and other intrusive symptoms. It must be noted that these medications do not make the trauma disappear, it only helps to control the consequent reactions and behaviors that traumatic memory can foster. This technique works best when used alongside behavioral therapy.

3. Cognitive behavior therapy – short for CBT, this targets an individual’s irrational and negative thoughts and aims to replace them with skillful ones. In cognitive-behavioral therapy, the thoughts, aka cognitions as well as behaviors, are challenged and rectified using both cognitive and behavioral techniques. For example, individuals are taught breathing techniques (behavioral element) so that they can better manage their anxiety (cognitive element). Exposure therapy may also be used in CBT.

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4. Hypnotherapy – here, a professional hypnotherapist places an individual in hypnosis and then talks to them about the traumatic event. The workings behind this phenomenon are that hypnotherapists believe that it is in a hypnotic state that a person can truly come in contact with their fearful memories and traumatic past, which is a primary step in the healing process.  

5. Psychodynamic therapy – the aim of this is to find out the particular stage of life the trauma occurred because that is where the individual is “stuck in.” After its identification, the psychotherapist analyses which aspects of the traumatic event are impeding the person’s life, helping them come one step closer to reducing the impact of the trauma on their everyday dealings.

6. Certified rapid resolution therapy – short for RRT, is an approach in which negative emotions and behavioral effects of the traumatic experiences are replaced with positive healing behavioral changes by clearing out the problem from its roots. This method has provided a revolutionary impact on people suffering from PTSD and other trauma.