Personalizing Trauma Therapy

What do you think of when you hear the words ‘trauma therapy?’

Many of those who have never sought out this kind of service don't really know what to think about it. They have a vague idea that people with horrific trauma will get some one-on-one counseling to get at least part of the way out of the woods and try to live a normal life.

That doesn't really address the multifaceted realities of trauma therapy.

First of all, there are many different kinds of trauma. Trauma therapy services are not just for troops who have seen death overseas, or people who have been tragically abused as children. There are those needs, of course, but there are also many other kinds of trauma that impact people personally – and every person is different.

That's why trauma therapy has to be a personalized journey. It has to take into account the full context of the patient's life experience and address issues effectively. It has to be a “thinking practice” – not just a technical slog through journals and generic best practices. We’re talking about people!

Different Therapy Modalities

Trauma therapists also have a lot of tools in their therapy toolkit.

Again, people unfamiliar with the service will think about ‘just sitting down and talking to people,’ but we also have many other ways to treat existing trauma.

For example, Joe Langheim uses holotropic and rebirthing breathwork as a way to reorient trauma experience. Cognitive behavior therapy works for some people, and meditative therapy can also be helpful. Joe Langheim also offers reiki, shamanic healing and other models to engage individual patients in different ways, to meet each one of them where he or she is, and start from there.

New researched therapy models can do things that conventional talk therapy sometimes can't. Part of the experience is allowing the patient to reimagine their context and empower themselves to work through personal biases and memory impact that can have a negative effect on their lives.

A Philosophy of Care

At the outset and throughout trauma therapy, it's extremely important to have a therapist who does personalize the experience, and one who does not judge patients based on arbitrary factors.

It might seem intuitive that empathy is paramount for therapists, but too many of us have seen professionals who may be certified and experienced, but do not bring this empathy to the table. That can be disastrous for trauma patients, because they are so much in need of empathy in a vulnerable time.

Come to Joe Langheim Counseling to take care of your troubles. Find out more about our office online and get connected to real care that is going to make a difference for you.