What Is Trauma Therapy and Who Can It Help?
Trauma can affect the way you think, feel, relate to others, and respond to everyday situations. Sometimes the connection between what happened in the past and what you're experiencing today is obvious. Other times, you may simply feel anxious, overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck without understanding why.
Trauma therapy can help you understand these patterns and work toward healing in a safe, supportive therapeutic relationship.
At Inner Healing Therapy and Consulting, we provide trauma therapy in Draper, Utah, for adults and teens experiencing the effects of trauma, PTSD, difficult life experiences, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, and other challenges that may be connected to past experiences.
What Is Trauma?
Trauma is not simply defined by what happened to you. Two people can experience the same event and be affected differently.
Trauma can result from experiences that overwhelm your ability to cope or leave you feeling unsafe, powerless, or deeply affected long after the experience has ended.
Traumatic experiences can include:
Abuse or neglect
Sexual assault or other forms of violence
Childhood trauma
Difficult or unstable family experiences
Loss or sudden life changes
Serious accidents or medical experiences
Natural disasters or other frightening events
Relationship experiences that have caused significant emotional harm
Repeated experiences of feeling unsafe, rejected, or powerless
Trauma can also develop from repeated or ongoing experiences, rather than one specific event.
You don't have to identify with the word "trauma" to seek support. Sometimes people come to therapy because they know something is affecting them but aren't sure what to call it.
How Can Trauma Affect You?
The effects of trauma can show up in many different areas of life.
You might experience:
Anxiety or feeling constantly on edge
Emotional overwhelm
Difficulty calming down after becoming upset
Intrusive memories or unwanted thoughts
Avoiding certain people, places, or situations
Difficulty trusting others
Relationship difficulties
Feeling disconnected from yourself or your emotions
Shame or persistent self-criticism
Difficulty setting boundaries
Sleep difficulties
Feeling numb or emotionally shut down
Difficulty concentrating
Strong reactions to situations that remind you of past experiences
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, and trauma-related difficulties can look different from person to person.
This is one reason trauma therapy should be individualized rather than one-size-fits-all.
Who Can Trauma Therapy Help?
Trauma therapy can be helpful for people who are experiencing ongoing emotional or relational difficulties connected to past experiences.
You may want to consider trauma therapy if:
You experienced childhood trauma
Experiences during childhood can continue to influence how you see yourself, relate to others, and respond to stress as an adult.
You may understand intellectually that something happened a long time ago, while still noticing that your emotional reactions seem connected to those experiences.
You experienced abuse, neglect, or assault
Abuse and other interpersonal trauma can affect your sense of safety, trust, boundaries, and relationships.
Therapy can provide a place to process these experiences at a pace that feels manageable.
You have experienced a frightening or overwhelming event
An accident, medical experience, loss, disaster, or other frightening event can sometimes leave you feeling different long after the event itself has ended.
You may find yourself avoiding reminders, feeling more anxious, or reacting strongly to situations that remind you of what happened.
You struggle with anxiety or emotional overwhelm
Not all anxiety is caused by trauma. However, for some people, current anxiety or emotional reactions are connected to unresolved experiences.
Understanding what may be contributing to your reactions can be an important part of therapy.
Your relationships are affected by past experiences
Trauma can influence how we respond to closeness, conflict, rejection, trust, and boundaries.
You may notice patterns in your relationships that you understand intellectually but have difficulty changing.
You feel stuck even though you understand what happened
One of the most frustrating experiences can be knowing where a pattern came from but still feeling unable to change your response.
Trauma therapy can help you work with both the understanding of what happened and the emotional responses that may still be connected to it.
What Happens in Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy doesn't mean that you have to immediately talk through every detail of what happened.
A trauma-informed therapist should consider your sense of safety, readiness, goals, and individual circumstances.
Early therapy may include:
Building a trusting therapeutic relationship
Understanding your current concerns
Identifying patterns and triggers
Developing coping and emotional regulation skills
Learning how trauma may be affecting your thoughts, emotions, body, and relationships
Determining which therapeutic approaches may be appropriate for you
As therapy progresses, treatment may involve processing difficult experiences and developing new ways of responding to thoughts, emotions, memories, and triggers.
The pace matters. Trauma therapy should be collaborative and individualized.
What Types of Therapy Are Used for Trauma?
There isn't one approach that is right for everyone.
Depending on your needs and goals, trauma therapy may incorporate approaches such as:
EMDR
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy approach that can be used to help people process distressing experiences and memories.
At Inner Healing Therapy and Consulting, EMDR is one of the approaches we use when it is appropriate for the client.
You can learn more about EMDR therapy in Draper, Utah.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) can help people understand connections between thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and develop more helpful ways of responding.
Mindfulness and emotional regulation strategies
Therapy may also include strategies designed to help you become more aware of your emotional responses and develop skills for managing distress.
The goal isn't to force one particular technique. Your therapist can work with you to determine what approaches make sense based on your concerns and goals.
Do I Need to Have PTSD to Go to Trauma Therapy?
No.
You don't need to have a PTSD diagnosis to seek therapy for the effects of difficult or traumatic experiences.
Some people seek trauma therapy because they recognize specific PTSD symptoms. Others may simply notice anxiety, relationship difficulties, emotional reactions, avoidance, or other patterns that they believe may be connected to their past.
A therapist can help you explore what you're experiencing and determine whether trauma-focused therapy may be appropriate.
If you're experiencing significant symptoms or are unsure what type of therapy you need, a professional evaluation can help clarify the next step.
What If I Don't Know Whether My Experiences “Count” as Trauma?
This is a common concern.
You don't need to decide for yourself whether your experience was “traumatic enough” before reaching out to a therapist.
You can simply describe what happened and how you're being affected today.
A therapist can help you explore the connection between your past experiences and current concerns without requiring you to use a particular label.
What Does Trauma Therapy Look Like at Inner Healing Therapy?
At Inner Healing Therapy and Consulting, our approach to trauma therapy is personalized to your history, needs, and goals.
We work with adults and teens experiencing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties, and other concerns.
Our therapists use trauma-informed approaches and may incorporate EMDR, CBT, mindfulness strategies, and other therapeutic approaches depending on the person and what they are working through.
We offer in-person trauma therapy in Draper, Utah, as well as online therapy throughout Utah.
We are also in-network with Select Health and EMI Health for eligible services.
When Should I Consider Trauma Therapy?
You don't have to wait until your symptoms become overwhelming to seek support.
It may be worth considering therapy if you notice that past experiences are continuing to affect your emotions, relationships, sense of safety, or daily life—or if you simply feel stuck and want help understanding why.
You also don't have to know exactly what kind of therapy you need before contacting us.
A conversation with a therapist can help you determine what you're experiencing and whether trauma therapy may be a good fit.
You Don't Have to Work Through It Alone
The effects of trauma can continue to influence your life long after an experience has ended. But recognizing those patterns can be an important first step toward change.
If you're looking for trauma therapy in Draper, Utah, Inner Healing Therapy and Consulting provides individualized, trauma-informed therapy for adults and teens.
We offer in-person therapy in Draper and online therapy throughout Utah.
If you're not sure where to start, that's okay. Schedule a free 15-minute consultation to talk about what you're experiencing and learn whether working together may be a good fit.
