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Treatment Approaches

PTSD Trauma Therapy

Have you experienced a traumatic event? Are you struggling to come to terms with what you’ve seen? Are you constantly reliving the moment in flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts?

Perhaps you’re bereft from the sudden loss of a loved one. Or you’ve waited your whole life to become a parent only to suffer a miscarriage. Maybe you’re a first responder, repeatedly exposed to haunting scenes. 

Tragedy is a natural part of life and, sadly, unavoidable. Things happen that don’t make sense and are hard to process, leaving us with troublesome reactions, thoughts, and feelings. For some, the distressing symptoms will subside with time. However, for some, an unsettling experience can linger with us from the moment it happens and continue to affect us in startling and uncomfortable ways.

If you find it challenging to function due to one or more horrific events you’ve observed or experienced, you may have Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). 

 

Know that you’re not alone. We see you, and we’re here to help. 

Click here to connect with one of our experienced and compassionate therapists and begin your PTSD healing journey today.

Once considered a soldier’s affliction, sometimes called shell shock or battle fatigue, PTSD is no longer only applicable to those who’ve seen combat action. It can happen to anyone for any distressing or traumatic reason. You can even get PTSD from simply learning about a trauma happening to a loved one. Many factors can influence whether you develop it, including the type of trauma, duration, and even brain biology before the trauma occurred.

Having PTSD doesn’t mean you’re weak or can’t handle hard things. In fact, your survival is a testament to your strength. Knowing you need support is an act of courage. Even the bravest among us needs a helping hand sometimes.

Understanding PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after you’ve experienced a traumatic event or recurring instances of trauma, such as domestic abuse, sexual abuse, car crash or other accident, major health problems, miscarriage, death or other loss, military combat, natural disaster, terrorist attack, bullying/harassment, or assault. 

PTSD occurs when an upsetting experience feels like “too much” to deal with or process. So your brain compartmentalizes, and instead of the memory getting processed and becoming part of the past, it remains an open wound. The wound is like a psychological “sore spot,” and when something comes along that hits the sore spot – a reminder or “trigger” –  this can lead to an overreaction possibly including fear, anxiety, anger, discouragement, etc.

The symptoms can vary from person to person and may include the following:  

  • Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive thoughts related to the event(s)
  • Avoiding places, situations, or reminders of the trauma
  • Feeling detached from others
  • Trouble sleeping or concentrating on tasks
  • Feeling irritable or angry
  • Having trouble controlling emotions
  • Feeling jumpy or on edge

Feeling scared, confused, or upset is normal after a traumatic experience. However, if these feelings persist and interfere with your daily life, it may be time to seek out PTSD trauma therapy.

 

Begin healing with PTSD Trauma Therapy

You might feel disconnected, numb, and like you’ll never be whole again. We’re here to tell you that there is hope for recovery. You don’t have to live with PTSD. There are effective treatments available that can help you process what happened to you. 

Our compassionate, trauma-informed therapists use research-supported treatment methods to help you recover from PTSD so you can begin to feel safe again. Our published research found that after a one-week intensive with us, participants’ post-traumatic symptoms reduced by about two-thirds, and their presenting problems reduced by about half.

Our research-supported treatment model is individualized and may include: 

  • EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing) – EMDR involves concentrating on aspects of the upsetting memory while following the therapist’s moving finger with your eyes; this is repeated until the memory is no longer distressing. EMDR has been found to be the most efficient of the well-established trauma resolution methods. 

  • PC (Progressive Counting) – PC, developed by our founder, Dr. Ricky Greenwald, involves watching a “movie” of the upsetting memory in your mind while the therapist counts aloud. In all three comparison studies, PC was found to be as effective, efficient, and well-tolerated as EMDR. 

  • Flash – The Flash technique is a relatively new method that enables clients to resolve traumatic memories while focusing on positive imagery. Preliminary research has found Flash to be non-distressing, safe, rapid, and effective.

 

Are you ready to feel joy, connection and safety again? 

You don’t have to face recovery alone. Inquire about PTSD trauma therapy today if you’re eager to reclaim your life and live it on your own terms once more.

Contact Us

for more information, a free phone consultation, or to schedule a therapy retreat.

Where to Next?

The institute provides therapy, training, consultation, information, and resources for those who work with trauma-exposed children, adolescents, and adults. Where would you like to go next?