Traumatic experiences can be excruciating—in the moment it occurs and for years to come. Trauma refers to any deeply distressing or disturbing experience, such as the death of a family member, physical injury, emotional abuse, and natural disasters. If you experience a traumatic event, you’ll likely encounter difficult emotions like sadness, anger, fear, and confusion. And you might even go on to develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), especially if you don’t properly confront your trauma and get the proper support in the days that follow.
“Healing doesn’t mean the pain never existed. It means the damage no longer controls our lives.” –Shah Rukh Khan
Trauma has a way of sticking with us. Why? Because it physically changes our brains. After you encounter a traumatic event, you will experience states of hyperarousal. In other words, your brain is on high alert for danger, especially in the form of what you’ve recently experienced. So, for example, if you were injured in a car accident, you’ll likely feel on edge in the car for a while. And you might scare easily when you hear loud noises. This hypervigilance is but one mere effect of trauma and symptom of PTSD.
Fortunately, if you are experiencing hypervigilance or otherwise suffering after a traumatic experience, there are professionals who can help. Trauma and PTSD therapists specialize in providing treatment for trauma victims. If you are in the Brookline, MA area, consider scheduling a trauma therapy appointment at Thriveworks. You can reach our office at (617) 934-1974. We have both in-person counseling and online counseling opportunities available.
Trauma Treatment: Why Do I Need Help?
It’s vital to your health and wellbeing that you receive help after experiencing a traumatic event. You will need to talk through your experience, your emotions, your pain to begin the recovery process. We know that this can sound scary and intimidating, but doing so will allow you to move forward from your trauma toward a happy, fulfilled life again. While talking with your loved ones about how you feel can be helpful, often the best person to talk to is a mental health professional. “PTSD occurs after a traumatic event where your physical health or safety felt at risk,” explains Corey Bisceglia-Kane, a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker at our Brookline office. “This can include assaults, natural disasters, car accidents, or ongoing abuse or oppression. The major symptoms of PTSD include hypervigilance, replaying the traumatic event in your mind or having flashbacks, disrupted sleep, and impaired functioning both in personal and professional settings as a result of the trauma.”
The mental health professionals at Thriveworks Counseling in Brookline—which in this case would be a trauma therapist or PTSD therapist—can provide you with unbiased, nonjudgmental help. They also have skills, training, and experience specific to helping people process their traumas. This means that they can equip you with essential tools for healing. Not to mention, they will support you throughout the journey. Unfortunately, trauma isn’t often easily resolved; it takes time and hard work. But with the right help and tools, you can do it.
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy is a form of treatment that involves working with a counselor to process and overcome psychological trauma. As we mentioned earlier, a traumatic event is one that causes significant distress. Trauma therapy can help you work through the aftermath of any traumatic event, and it might involve different therapeutic techniques. “A big part of trauma is not feeling safe so the goal of therapy can be to process the trauma and restore one’s sense of safety in the world,” says Bisceglia-Kane. “Therapy can also help someone develop strategies to manage PTSD symptoms as they arise. These often include grounding exercises, breathwork, and meditation.” There are several main goals of trauma therapy, which are true from one individual to the next:
An individual might also have their own personal goals, based on their specific trauma as well as their current health status. In any case, a trauma therapist at Thriveworks Brookline, MA will be happy to meet you and help you accomplish the right goals in trauma therapy. Nobody deserves to be shackled to their traumatic experiences. We want to help you heal.
Schedule Trauma Therapy at Thriveworks Counseling in Brookline
If you’ve encountered a traumatic experience—be it the loss of a loved one, a physical or mental injury, a near-death encounter—be sure to get the necessary assistance and support. Thriveworks Brookline has trauma therapy services readily available. Our trauma therapists and PTSD therapists would be happy to meet with you in a traditional in-person therapy setting or in online counseling. Either way, we’ll help you work through your trauma and live a happier, more successful life.
To schedule an appointment at Thriveworks in Brookline, call (617) 934-1974. A scheduling specialist will walk you through the quick, simple scheduling process and help you book your session.
