Understanding Trauma and How It Tells You That It’s Time For Therapy
Trauma is a deeply distressing experience that can leave lasting psychological and emotional wounds. The American Psychological Association (APA) offers many resources on understanding trauma for further research. But the truth is, you're here to understand what to do about your trauma and we can certainly help you there.
Many people associate trauma with major, painful life experiences, such as war, rape or natural disasters, and those are all legitimate traumatic events. But, traumatic responses and the feeling of being traumatized can also happen with many seemingly "smaller" events.
Microaggressions, childhood experiences, bullying, infidelity, crushing breakups... they can all leave you feeling like your emotions are on a knife edge. Little things "set you off" and your nervous system is jumbled, reactive and you're genuinely "not yourself."
Knowing and legitimizing your feelings is important. It's the first step forward. Recognizing how trauma has affected you and is now manifesting in your life is how you begin to heal and recover.
If you know you're ready for help now, read the rest of this article, but take a step. We offer virtual counseling using insurance and you can get help today. OK back to the details.
What Is Trauma and PTSD?
Trauma is an emotional response to a distressing or life-threatening event. While it’s natural to feel fear, sadness, or shock immediately after a traumatic experience, some people may struggle to recover from these feelings over time. When symptoms persist, this can develop into post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), a serious condition that affects emotional and psychological well-being. Read more about PTSD from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).
PTSD can arise months or even years after a traumatic event. Individuals with PTSD often experience heightened emotional reactivity, intrusive memories, and a constant sense of danger. The disorder disrupts daily life, making it difficult to concentrate, maintain relationships, and feel at ease.
What Can Cause Trauma?
Trauma is often linked to experiences of fear, distress, or a perceived threat to safety. Common causes include:
Accidents (e.g., car crashes)
Natural disasters (e.g., hurricanes, earthquakes)
Violence (e.g., physical assault, robbery)
Abuse (e.g., emotional, physical, or sexual abuse)
Loss or sudden change (e.g., death of a loved one, serious illness)
It’s important to remember that trauma is subjective. An event that one person finds traumatic might not have the same effect on someone else. Factors such as past experiences, resilience, and support systems play a significant role in how trauma affects individuals. No one is the same and judging your response to trauma against what you've seen in the movies, with your friends or loved ones is only setting you back. If you feel it, it counts.
Recognizing the Symptoms
Trauma affects both the mind and body. It's not just in your head or in your emotions. Most traumatic reactions present a wide range of symptoms that can disrupt daily life. According to the Mayo Clinic’s website, some of the key signs that trauma may be impacting your well-being include:
Intrusive thoughts or memories related to the traumatic event.
Avoidance of places, people, or activities that trigger reminders of the trauma.
Negative changes in mood or thought patterns, such as persistent sadness, hopelessness, or feelings of guilt and shame.
Hypervigilance or heightened anxiety, making you feel constantly on edge.
Flashbacks or vivid nightmares that relive the traumatic experience.
Physical symptoms, including headaches, nausea, or gastrointestinal issues.
Difficulty focusing or making decisions.
Changes in behavior, such as increased aggression, withdrawal, or self-destructive actions.
If you notice these symptoms interfering with your life or your ability to live your life fully, this is the sign that counseling can help.
How Therapy Can Help You Heal from Trauma
Therapy offers a safe space to process traumatic experiences. Telling your story is just part of the journey. Underneath what happened is the deeper set of details around how it affected you. The meaning you gave to someone's behavior is an important piece of the puzzle. For example, if you have in your thoughts that a rejection was because you are unlovable, that meaning you gave it is bigger than just what happened.
Understanding the impact of your trauma is critical so you dismantle anything that is untrue. Believing you are unlovable or not worthy of love will carry through your life. And you want to end the belief in falsehoods as soon as you can so you live the life you're meant to, not the one trauma gave you.
Trauma doesn't just affect your feelings, but your body as well. Have you ever heard of "trigger reactions?" This is when you instantaneously react to something without thought. When you have trauma in your backstory, you're more likely to respond to the fear of it happening again with vigor. Your body has memories and knows what to avoid.
Imagine part of your trauma involved a car accident. In that case, it's not uncommon for loud noises that screech to get your heart racing. And this is an obvious example.
Imagine something far less obvious causing your anxiety to race or your mind to go blank out of fear. These trauma reactions are harder to address and usually benefit from trauma counseling for healing to really occur.
Ideally, trauma-focused therapies are designed to address both emotional and physiological responses by helping you regain a sense of control and stability over your reactions and your life.
We Offer Several Evidence-Based Treatments for Trauma
Over the past 20 years, we have explored a lot of treatment options. The ones our counselors use that we have found to be the most effective include:
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): CBT is the grandfather of all therapy skills and it helps you learn how to reframe your negative thoughts about your trauma and replace those thoughts with healthier ones. It will also help you examine patterns in your behavior so you start to see how your traumatic reactions affect your life on a day to day basis. It's very powerful to learn this about yourself and empowers you to make changes that align with your highest values and goals for your life. You can read more about CBT for trauma on the APA’s resource page.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): EMDR is a super skill for therapists because it's less dependent on talking and more focused on learning how your brain is reprocessing traumatic memories. EMDR uses guided eye movements to help teach your brain new ways to manage your traumatic memory which reduces their emotional intensity over time.
Somatic Processing: This type of trauma therapy helps you focus on releasing trauma stored in the body through gentle physical awareness and movement.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Explores how past experiences and unconscious thoughts shape your present behavior and emotions.
Mindfulness-Based Interventions: Teach techniques like meditation and deep breathing to promote emotional regulation and stress reduction.
Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT): This powerful set of techniques combines mindfulness, emotional regulation, and your own abilities to help you manage intense emotions and self-destructive behaviors.
In counseling sessions, therapists at TVC can use one or several of these skills to help you work through your trauma. Typically, after you become a client, a personalized treatment plan is created for you so each treatment modality can be used as it makes the most sense for your personal situation. It's personalized and individual for every client.
The Danger of Ignoring Your Trauma Symptoms
Many people mistakenly believe that if they ignore their trauma symptoms, the distress will eventually fade on its own. But that's just not the case. Trauma that lies in the back of your mind is like a sleeping tiger. Over time it can awaken and intensify, manifesting in physical, emotional, and behavioral issues that affect your life in deep and powerful ways. Suppressing these symptoms can lead to chronic anxiety, depression, and strained relationships, making everyday life increasingly difficult.
It’s important to acknowledge your experiences and seek help rather than pushing your pain aside. You don’t have to endure this alone. Therapy provides tools and support to help you confront and heal from trauma in a compassionate and effective way.
We are here to make this process as accessible as possible. We accept most insurance plans, which allows you to get the help you need without financial strain. Visit our services page to learn more about coverage options and starting therapy.
Why Choose Our Online Virtual Counselors?
Specialized Expertise: Our therapists aren’t generalists. They specialize in different areas of mental health, ensuring you get the tailored support you need.
Convenience: No commuting, no waiting rooms. Receive therapy from the comfort of your home, office, or wherever you feel safe and relaxed.
Flexibility: Our virtual platform can adapt to your schedule. You decide when you want to have your session.
Confidentiality: Just like traditional face-to-face therapy, our online sessions are private and confidential.
If you’re seeking an online, virtual counseling in New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, Virginia or Florida, please reach out for a complimentary consultant today.
