If you have made it to this page, we would like to recognize and encourage you since we understand that it was probably a challenge to seek help when having experienced traumatic event(s). We believe that you are brave to have taken this first step and hope that as you read through this page, you can find comfort in realizing that we can work together to help you in your journey of processing and healing from traumatic experiences. We also hope that as you come to the end of this page, you will take another to start this journey of healing.

Traumatic events do not discriminate and impact more people than what we might expect (55 to 90 out of every 100 people in the US have experienced some type of traumatic event in their lifetime (Kilpatrick, 2017, Breslau et al., 1998)).

Research suggests that most of us will experience some type of traumatic event in our lives. Fortunately, most people will recover from such event(s) with support of others. There are many factors that contribute to people recovering without the need for help from a therapist, just as there are many factors that can contribute to someone struggling to recover from a traumatic event(s), none of which has to do with a person’s capability or strength.

Typically, when people who have experienced traumatic event(s), they experience symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that impact their daily lives for several weeks after the event. It is when these symptoms continue for more than a month that it might be time to consider reaching out to a clinician who specializes in trauma psychology.

PTSD has been described as a natural response to an unnatural event where the brain continues to think there is danger, even when there no longer is. People can experience a wide range of distressing symptoms after a traumatic event, including the following: irritability, hostility, hypervigilance, self-destructive behavior, intrusive thought, flashbacks, fear, anxiety, guilt, shame, tension, difficulty sleeping, nightmares, isolation, emotional detachment, mistrust, and loss of interest in activities.

Traumatic events typically fit into two main categories: interpersonal traumatic events and non-human/natural traumatic events. Both can take place at any point in a person’s life and can either be a single event or multiple events. People can respond to such traumatic experiences in different ways and the impact these events have on a person’s psychological functioning will depend on different factors, which can be helpful to explore together with your therapist at your own pace.

What to expect

We believe that every person is unique and, as clinicians, we tailor our approach and skills to your needs. We have comprehensive experience in different evidence-based modalities (e.g., Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure, and TF-CBT), which are explained in more detail further down the page.

As important as these modalities are, creating a space where you feel understood, validated, empowered, and most importantly believed, are at the foundation of our work together. We work collaboratively with you to determine the best approach to their unique life experiences and needs. We understand the importance of helping you build your coping skills so that you can effectively share and process your experiences to be able to move forward in your lives.

The first session might feel more like an interview so that we can get to know you. We recognize that you might not be ready to share all aspects of your story in the first session and we will be respectful of your boundaries until you feel ready and willing to go deeper into your experiences and emotions.

We follow Judith Herman’s “Three Phase Model of Treatment (1992)” which includes: (1) Safety and Stability (emotion regulation and coping skills), (2) Trauma Processing (evidence-based treatments), (3) Reconnection (establishing trusting relationships, resuming work, planning).

Phase One:

We will first take time to learn about you and build a therapeutic relationship as we start to journey through the work together. We have found that depending on the type of traumatic experiences an individual experienced, it is helpful for patients to first learn grounding and coping skills that will help them to better regulate their emotions and cope with the symptoms of PTSD or Complex PTSD (C-PTSD). The duration of phase one is determined by you as the patient and the therapist with whom you are working. Once you agree that it would be helpful to move to Phase two, the two of you will decide which evidence-based model is best suited for you needs.

Phase two - Evidence Based

Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Used often to treat symptoms of PTSD, prolonged exposure therapy aims to conquer your avoidance of your traumatic experiences. Patients benefit when they realize that they do not have to be controlled by past traumatic memories and the painful emotions that tend to accompany those thoughts. Once you have developed healthy coping/grounding skills, your therapist will gently move you towards remembering the traumatic event(s) you endured. Therapists and patients will then engage in exposures to patients fears in a controlled and safe environment, which helps decrease the intensity of such fears. Exposure can be both imaginal or real depending on the nature of the trauma and what is agreed upon between therapist and patient. Exposure to traumatic memories is gradual and agreed upon by therapist and patient. Patients begin to understand their fears, causes, and that they can decrease the impact these memories have on their daily functioning. Over time, and with the right guidance, their fears decrease.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT), like prolonged exposure therapy, is an evidence-based treatment for trauma. Thus, studies have shown that this treatment modality has effectively and successfully treated patients that have experienced traumatic events and struggled with PTSD symptoms. It is also used to address other symptoms that can accompany trauma, such as issues with trust, intimacy, power and control, and safety.

Through research and experience, we see an added benefit of you as the patient working on assignments outside of sessions which will be discussed during treatment and has been found to help speed up the trauma recovery process. CPT focuses on bringing into the open the thoughts and feelings that patients have about the events that led to the trauma.

Then, we explore other ways to think about the traumatic event. As we work together, we learn to help you move towards what you have feared and held you captive to free yourself from the past that has held on to you. A patient learns how traumatic experiences alter their own thought patterns and their beliefs. It can show how those thoughts affect their feelings and behaviors about other matters too. Patients come to better understand the traumatic events in their life and move towards integration.

Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (Children)

Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) was created by Alison Hendricks, Judith A. Cohen, Anthony P Mannarino, and Esther Deblinger. The workbook is intended to provide a helpful framework for use with children ages six to twelve who have experienced one or more traumatic events. TF-CBT is usually completed within 12-20 weeks, depending on age, attention span, and readiness of each child and family.

We understand that everyone has different needs and may take more or less time to complete certain activities. Homework is utilized and has been shown to increase the effectiveness of the treatment. It is encouraged throughout the treatment to assist with practicing newly learned skills and encouraging healthy habits.

We use flexibility in our therapy sessions and often will implement other resources, games, activities, play, audio relaxation, etc. to best meet individual needs. Additionally, some children may require other types of therapy before, during, or after TF-CBT. Parents are a crucial part of TF-CBT, a combination of child, parent and joint sessions are utilized.

Therapists work with children and parents to assist with learning and implementing skills, as well as empathy and understanding from parents to understand their child’s experience. The therapeutic relationship is of ultimate importance. Establishing rapport and trust takes time and we make sure to get to know each individual child’s and family’s (strengths, weaknesses, interests, etc.).

Phase Three

Now that you have your grounding and coping skills, the traumatic event(s) are no longer causing symptoms of PTSD or C-PTSD, it is time to help you integrate what has happened to you into the life that you want to be living. Sometimes people having continued with their daily lives without major disruptions and this phase can be relatively short. Others might have had their worlds turned upside down and need help to get back on track with their goals and aspirations. Again, you and your therapist will work collaboratively together to achieve your goals in life. This can be life giving, because patients realize the work they have done and the potential they have once again. As clinician’s we are excited to be a part of the whole journey and to see you succeed in what you what in life.

Getting Help

Our clinicians at Weston Family Psychology would be honored to sit down with you to hear your story and start a journey of healing, so you can feel more empowered and start living a life that you feel is worth living. You can get in touch with us here.