Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Durham, NC

DeJuan: My go-to approach for helping people in PTSD/trauma therapy is CBT and some exposure therapy.

Darryl: My approach to treating PTSD is a combination of teaching clients skills to address their symptoms and helping them think better about themselves, others, and their environment. Clients also learn ways to cope if any symptoms arise again. I treat other problems often related to traumatic experiences, such as depression, anxiety, or misuse of alcohol or drugs. The modality I perform is eye movement desensitization and reprocessing. Last, I teach strategies and psychoeducation so the client can self-advocate and recognize how to improve the quality of their lives.

DeJuan: My objective in treatment is to improve symptoms, teach skills, and improve self-esteem.

Darryl: I educate each client about their mental health diagnoses, bilateral stimulation, and self-calming techniques. I teach my clients how to develop the data they need to improve their mental health.

DeJuan: I know a client is making meaningful progress in therapy when the negative impact of trauma-related symptoms is not as intense as they were when treatment started.

Darryl: I know my clients are making meaningful progress with their PTSD symptoms when they report that the disturbance levels of their target symptomatic PTSD memory have ceased or been significantly reduced to a level that the client will manage by understanding the context of their PTSD.

DeJuan: Clients can supplement their time in PTSD/trauma therapy by implementing calming skills, such as deep breathing, relaxation, and calming self-talk.

Darryl: The client can supplement PTSD and other traumas by learning viable sleep routines and consuming an appropriate healthy diet. They can also increase personal exercise strategies, learn to manage their emotions, and encourage full medication compliance. I also encourage the client to learn self-guided relaxation techniques to practice daily.

DeJuan: To prepare for their first PTSD/trauma therapy session, someone can make a list of symptoms and their duration, try to recall key points of experiences, write down things they have stopped doing or avoid doing b/c of the trauma, and write down any questions they may have.

Darryl: I encourage each client, before starting their PTSD/trauma session, to document their target memories so we can process and later reprocess the memories that cause the impairment in the quality of their life.