Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Pflugerville, TX

Dwight: My go-to approach for helping people with PTSD/trauma therapy is control theory. I find the best benefit in control theory because it teaches clients to only focus on choices that are within their control, which helps them move forward from past traumas.

Matthew: My go-to approach for helping people in PTSD/trauma therapy is EMDR. I find the best benefit in EMDR because it is evidence-based and there has been significant research done to support the idea that it can help individuals find relief from traumatic experiences. This approach gives individuals the space to process and desensitize painful emotions, while also allowing them to naturally find new ways of thinking that are more healthy and adaptive.

Dwight: I teach the following tools in PTSD/trauma therapy: Identifying current choices they make and how they either promote or prevent emotional growth to help the client move forward from a traumatic event.

Matthew: EMDR is different from a lot of other tool-based forms of therapy. My go-to approach for therapy is tool-based and focuses on consciously shifting one's thoughts and emotional state. EMDR is a little different. It is more free-flowing and can lack some of the structure of therapies such as cognitive behavioral therapy or dialectical behavioral therapy. When engaging in EMDR, there are still parameters, but they are a lot wider. In addition, the change in emotion and thinking occurs organically and isn't something that is taught or trained. There is a slight mystique to EMDR that demonstrates that the mind can naturally heal itself given the right environment and opportunity.

Dwight: I know a client is making meaningful progress in PTSD/trauma therapy when they focus more on present choices than their past choices.

Matthew: I know a client is making meaningful progress in trauma therapy when their scores improve. I engage in measurement-based care, and EMDR has its own built-in measurement. At the end of every session, we will check the SUDS, or subjective units of disturbance. There is likely to be a natural decrease in this score, and processing will continue until the score reaches neutral or a 0/10.

Dwight: Clients can supplement their time in PTSD/trauma therapy by working on increasing mindfulness training.

Matthew: Clients can supplement their time in PTSD/trauma therapy by writing down memories, thoughts, and dreams related to the trauma that may come up after each session. This material can then be addressed in the next session. In addition, there are several visualization tools taught to help clients regulate their emotions and maintain boundaries around the traumatic experience so that it doesn't overwhelm their daily lives. These can and should be practiced as well.

Dwight: To prepare for their first PTSD/trauma therapy session, someone can write a summary of their past trauma and ways it affected their functioning to share with the clinician and help them avoid having to retell their story of trauma.

Matthew: To prepare for your first PTSD/trauma therapy session, you can make sure you have somewhere private where you can focus and hopefully not be disturbed. In addition, do your research on types of therapy. There are as many modalities of therapy as flavors of ice cream. You don't want one bad experience to ruin the entire experience. Make sure you find an approach and a professional you trust to assist you and a space where you have room to express yourself and work to achieve your goals.