Trauma Counseling

Trauma counseling is a step forward for anyone who has been affected by any type of traumatic event. When a devastating accident, severe illness or natural disaster turns your world upside down you often have no idea where to go for help. In fact you may not even realize that this help is available.

A counselor who specializes in this field will help you address those feelings of pain, regret, denial and anger that you may have. While many people believe trauma counseling is only for the people who have been injured physically there are many other occasions where this type of therapy is useful.

Someone who causes a severe accident to occur can also benefit from sessions with a trauma counselor. The families of a trauma victim can also use this counseling to help them understand their own feelings and emotions that may range from guilt to anger.

In addition to those patients who have suffered physical trauma there is the emotional burden that must be considered. Emotional trauma has few outward signs and many people are adept at stifling the pain and hurt. While physical injuries can be observed as the healing process takes place, emotional trauma must be discovered and identified before it can be treated.

Signs of Trauma

Some of the common signs and symptoms may include any (or all) of these conditions:

• Physical injuries
• Fears
• Sleep Disturbances
• Pain- both real and imagined
• Nightmares
• Nervous Tics
• Relationship Issues
• Sexual Dysfunction
• Depression
• Withdrawal from usual daily routine
• Absences from work or school
• Denial
• Loss of appetite
• Guilt
• Anger
• Inability to focus

Trauma is an Individual Experience

Each person will experience trauma in a unique way. Whether the traumatic event is purely emotional or a combination of physical/emotional injuries no two people will experience the same degree of pain and shock.
It is important to allow individuals to voice their feelings about what has occurred. These feelings and emotions need to be validated. It can be difficult to open the lines of communication with someone who has suffered from a devastating traumatic event. Many people build emotional walls and try to protect themselves from any further pain.

Trauma Counseling

Counselors can help you find your way out of the emotional minefield created by traumatic occurrences. These professionals are trained to help their clients face the reality of the situation and then address those painful emotional issues.

Outlook

It takes weeks and months for most patients to recover from emotional traumas. The physical healing will be completed in many instances well in advance of the emotional recovery and healing. The good news is that even long-suppressed emotional trauma can be resolved. This will allow a person to begin the steps toward full recovery and a normal life.

 

Helpful Resources

• New Post-Trauma Structured Support Group!
• Trauma and Emotion Focused Therapy Two-Day Workshop