Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Cleveland, OH

My go-to approach for helping people with PTSD/trauma is beginning with providing a safe environment for them to share their story. I provide psychoeducation on their reaction to what has happened, as oftentimes clients feel like they are crazy for having their reactions to traumatic events. I provide coping skills from cognitive behavioral therapy and from cognitive processing therapy. I find the best benefit in these approaches because they help heal the heart and mind from the trauma that has happened. Narrative therapy is another one I have used and that involves the client writing down what happened and using grounding techniques to help them regulate their emotions while reliving the trauma and making it something that has little impact on them.

I teach the following tools to help with trauma:

• Thought stopping: This involves redirecting thoughts to something else such as a game of naming 20 candy bars or naming the 50 states.
• Breathing exercises that help with regulating the heart rate and breathing to a slower pace.
• Identifying everything in your surroundings without judging it as good or bad.
• Snapping a rubber band.
• Listening to a guided meditation on a place that brings calm or a place you would want to visit.

I know a client is making meaningful progress in PTSD/trauma therapy when they rate the impact of their trauma lower than a 5 or 6 out of 10, they display not being bothered by thinking about the trauma, and are no longer dealing with flashbacks or nightmares.

Clients can supplement their time in therapy with the CPT app, using their coping skills regularly, and doing any and all homework assigned to help treat the trauma. Reading books that provide education.

To prepare for their first therapy session, someone can think about and write down aspects of their trauma. It will be helpful for me to understand what has happened to them and how it impacts them.