Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is a popular form of trauma counseling that focuses on recognizing and changing problematic thought patterns in order to modify behavior. This type of therapy typically requires weekly appointments and practice of skills outside of sessions. Long-term exposure therapy (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are also commonly used trauma counseling techniques. PE is designed to help a person confront their fears and anxieties, while CPT helps a person to process their traumatic experiences.
Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is an effective treatment for children and adolescents who have experienced trauma. This type of therapy involves both the child and a trusted caregiver or adult, and typically lasts between 8 and 25 sessions. TF-CBT helps to improve a variety of trauma-related outcomes, such as anxiety, depression, and behavioral problems. It also helps the caregiver or trusted adult to ease their distress over the child's traumatic event and learn effective parenting skills.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is another type of trauma counseling that doesn't require a person to explain their trauma in detail. Instead, the person will make eye movements or touch with their eyes while focusing on an image related to the trauma. EMDR therapy helps a person to “unwind” so their brain can go through its natural healing process, and it can often be completed in far fewer sessions than other talk therapies. The 5-4-3-2-1 method is a simple anxiety management technique that can be used to control your mind, ward off any negative thoughts, and return to the present moment.
This technique involves focusing on five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. Expressive arts therapy is a unique form of therapeutic intervention created by Cathy A. Malchiodi that combines neurodevelopmental research and the sensory qualities of the arts as a method of intervention in childhood trauma. Psychotherapy is another type of trauma therapy that involves talking about problems, trauma, memory, and thoughts with a mental health professional in order to help with a wide range of mental illnesses and emotional difficulties.
Trauma-focused psychotherapy is a sensitive approach that helps build trust between the patient and doctor for open communication. Jungian therapy is another subset of psychotherapy that focuses on individuation - recognizing one's own uniqueness and living authentically - rather than processing trauma. When working with communities affected by trauma, counselors should focus on building solutions with their clients rather than bringing their own concepts of healing. Trauma healing and processing may be different for everyone depending on individual experiences and how they have dealt with trauma until now.
Exchange should be encouraged in classes rather than large assemblies so counselors can more easily identify those who might need additional support.
