Choosing between couples therapy and individual therapy is a deeply personal decision that depends on your unique circumstances and goals. Both forms of therapy offer valuable benefits, and in some cases, a combination of both may be the most effective approach. The key is to assess your needs honestly and communicate openly with your partner (if applicable) about the best path forward. Remember, seeking therapy is a positive step toward healing, growth, and a healthier future, whether you do it together or individually.

Navigating through tough times, and trauma specifically, can be overwhelming, but you're not alone on this journey.

Trauma-informed therapy is a great way to not only heal from your past, but create a bright future through unlocking your body and brains innate wisdom and potential. Let's dive into some ways trauma-informed therapy can offer support and healing!

12 Trauma Informed Therapy Techniques for Women

1) Psychoeducation: Understanding the Impact of Trauma

Ever wonder why you react the way you do? Psychoeducation is like your guidebook to understanding how trauma impacts your brain, memory, and overall well-being. It's all about making sense of your reactions and giving yourself some well-deserved self-compassion.

2) Grounding Techniques: Anchoring in the Present Moment

Feeling overwhelmed? Grounding techniques are like your secret superhero moves for staying present during tough times. Whether it's deep breathing, mindfulness, or some sensory magic, these tools create a safe space and help you regain control.

3) EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Transforming Traumatic Memories

EMDR might sound like a tech acronym, but it's a game-changer. Imagine transforming those distressing memories through a structured process with eye movements. It's like hitting the reset button on the emotional charge tied to traumatic experiences.

4) Person-Centered (Rogerian) Therapy: Compassionate Therapeutic Relationship

Person-Centered Therapy is here to give you back your voice and agency. Developed by Carl Rogers, this approach is all about empathy, unconditional positive regard, and creating a safe space for you to explore at your own pace, building trust in your own intuition and innate wisdom.

5) Exploring Family History: Unraveling Generational Patterns

Your family history holds clues to patterns in your behavior. By exploring it, you get to the roots of certain behaviors, core beliefs, thought patterns, habits, and coping mechanisms. It's like opening up a treasure chest of understanding.

6) Schema Therapy: Addressing Core Beliefs

We all have deep-seated beliefs from childhood. Schema therapy helps identify and challenge those beliefs, paving the way for healing and personal growth.

7) Narrative Therapy & Verbal Processing

Ever thought about rewriting your life story? Narrative therapy does just that – emphasizing resilience and growth over victimhood. And verbal processing? It's your space to speak your truth and integrate your narrative.

8) Inner Child Work & Internal Family Systems: Nurturing the Inner Self

Meet your inner child! Our inner child often carries our heaviest burdens and deepest wounds. Inner Child Work and Internal Family Systems dive into the different aspects within you, shaped by past experiences. It's like giving a warm hug to that wounded inner child, fostering self-compassion and deep healing.

9) Art Therapy: Expressive Healing Through Creativity

Talking isn't the only way to express yourself. Art therapy taps into the wisdom of your right brain, using various mediums to explore and process emotions. It's like giving your right brain the spotlight for a change, in a culture that seems to only value the left brain!

10) Polyvagal Theory: Understanding the Nervous System

Your nervous system plays a huge role in how you experience the world. Polyvagal Theory dives into this, offering insights into how your body responds to stress and trauma. It's like understanding your body's unique language.

11) Healthy Habits & Self-Care Planning (i.e., Coping Skills)

We all need a toolbox of coping skills. Learning healthy habits, problem-solving, and emotional regulation equips you with practical tools to navigate stressors effectively. And let's not forget the importance of creating a self-care plan for ongoing well-being. Yoga and other types of exercise help you reconnect, releasing stored tension associated with trauma. It's like a reset button for your mind-body connection.

12) Communication & Boundaries: Building Healthy Connections

Trauma can make it really difficult to trust others or feel safe in relationships. Learning effective communication and setting boundaries is like having the keys to building and maintaining healthy connections, creating a safe space for yourself. 

Remember, these techniques are tools in your toolbox – you get to choose what feels right for you. It's a journey, and we're here to support you every step of the way. By combining various techniques, we can tailor our approach to meet the unique needs of each client, fostering empowerment, resilience, and personal growth on your healing journey.

The thought of getting started with therapy for the first time can be very intimidating.

You may be worried that your problems are either too small or too big. You may fear therapy is all about blaming others. Or, worse… you may fear your therapist may secretly judge you and blame you for everything!

Are you expected to cry the whole time? Does it look bad if you cry too much? The good news is that there is actually no right way to do therapy and the most important thing is that you just be yourself! Your licensed therapist is trained to help you do that and then help you move forward with your life. If you can’t be your most authentic self in therapy, then you won’t go as far!

Three Myths About Therapy

1) You have to have a serious mental illness

I hear friends and others say all the time that what they are going through “isn’t that bad,” when they are contemplating whether or not they should start therapy. One myth around therapy is that your life has to be falling apart for you to need some sort of help. Or, that you’ve had to experience a significant trauma or disaster to be worthy of getting help. This is not true! Whether your mental health symptoms are severe, or not, therapy is available to help you grow and change. If you keep getting stuck in the same patterns, (like avoiding conflict or “overreacting” to the same problem again and again), if you feel like your self-worth isn’t what it should be, or if you’re constantly turning to binging tv or having an extra glass of wine instead of doing something healthy for yourself, then therapy is a great option for you!

Therapy is now more strength based and has a heightened awareness of wellness, relationships, and optimal growth. This means that therapy isn’t dependent on a mental health diagnosis to get treatment (diagnoses can be helpful, but they may not be necessary!). It’s a brave step to get therapy even if you don’t feel like your life is falling apart. Starting therapy can feel scary- but, that’s what your therapist is there for! They can help you move through it!

2) Therapy is for getting great advice

The most common myth I’ve seen first-time therapy clients falling victim to is the idea that they should go to therapy to get great advice. Along with this belief, they expect their therapist to be doing all of the talking, leading, teaching, and advice giving. However, the reality is that you will and should be doing most of the talking and your therapist will help you understand yourself better so you can be empowered to make your own decisions for your life. Therapists are trained to actively listen to clients to help reflect what the client is experiencing. This process helps clients to better understand themselves, their needs, their goals, and their shortcomings. This requires the client to do a lot of the talking and sometimes leading in session as well.

The more the therapist understands you, the more they can provide insight, interventions, and education to help you move forward. Education and intervention isn’t typically the first step of therapy. Instead, the first few sessions usually have a lot to do with them getting to know you the best that they can so they can then work with you to help you move forward. The closest thing a client typically gets to “advice” is some psychoeducation around coping, communicating, and managing trauma and the nervous system. But, when it comes to advice on what you do with your life, it’s a lot more empowering, and the change is a lot more long lasting, when therapy helps you begin making those decisions yourself.

3) You have to find the “perfect fit”

It’s great news that therapy is becoming less stigmatized and more people are reaching out to start therapy. This means that more therapists are becoming available in big and small cities, alike. However, within this trend, a new myth around therapy has developed that encourages “shopping around” for your therapist to “find the perfect fit.” Unfortunately, the myth of the “perfect fit” sometimes keeps clients from being able to accept their therapist and open up in the therapy room. Then, they quit therapy early on, or go on an endless search to find this ideal match, and they never end up getting the benefits that come from therapy. Many therapists specialize in certain issues or with certain populations. This may help guide your search and help you find a “good fit”, but the idea that there is a “perfect fit” is a myth.

The therapeutic relationship is an integral part of every therapy session. This means that the therapist will use intentional skills to make you feel more comfortable and less judged. The therapeutic relationship helps provide a safe and secure connection that will support your optimal growth. Your therapist is a unique person! They need to be that person in order to successfully build the therapeutic relationship. The therapist that helps you achieve your goals might not be exactly what you imagined or expected, but you will be so glad that you gave them a chance.

If you are interested in learning more about how counseling or therapy can help you, schedule a free 20 min consultation with a licensed professional therapist by following the link below!

Embarking on the path to healing from trauma is a courageous step, and finding the right therapist is so important to this journey. As you consider potential trauma therapists, know that it’s ok to ask questions and gather information so that you can make a decision you feel good about! Here are 18 questions to consider asking your potential therapist.

1. What is your experience in treating trauma?

Understanding a therapist's experience with treating trauma. Inquire about their years of practice, specific training in trauma therapy, and any certifications related to trauma treatment.

Holistic psychodynamic counseling is a therapeutic approach that delves deep into the intricacies of the human mind and aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of an individual's emotional and psychological well-being. While this method has gained popularity for its effectiveness, it is not immune to misconceptions and myths. In this article, we'll debunk the five biggest myths of holistic psychodynamic counseling.

1. It's Only About Uncovering Childhood Trauma: One common myth is that psychodynamic counseling focuses solely on uncovering unresolved childhood issues. While this aspect is certainly a part of the process, psychodynamic counseling goes beyond childhood trauma. It aims to explore current patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving, recognizing that our past experiences can influence our present actions.

Therapy is a courageous endeavor and takes a lot of time, commitment, energy, and money! Get the most out of therapy by following these suggestions.

In The Therapy Room: 1) Don’t keep things to yourself. 2) Show your emotions. 3) Don’t expect your therapist to tell you what to do. 4) Have a topic ready. 5) Don’t focus on symptoms.

Outside The Therapy Room: continue reading…