Trauma Counseling
You’ve googled the term “trauma” and aren’t sure if it applies to you. It all sounds so extreme but then again, you relate to a lot of what you’ve read. Or maybe there’s no doubt in your mind that you’ve been traumatized. You’ve known that for a while now – maybe even since childhood. Still, you’re not sure about going for “professional help.” Isn’t it supposed to eventually go away on its own?
The problem is that it’s not going away. Whether ‘it’ is an accident, a sexual assault, a work-related incident as a first responder, combat incidents as a veteran, or trauma as the result of years of cumulative emotional, physical or sexual abuse, ‘it’ keeps interfering with your ability to live your life to the fullest.
You pride yourself on being able to handle things and to feel in control. But that feeling of being in control or of feeling safe is eluding you lately. You’re trying to push memories away, but they keep coming back with full force no matter what you do. Maybe you’re more irritable than usual or feeling like isolating more. And maybe that’s causing problems in your work, family, or social life. And perhaps you’re even drinking more lately just to try to shut your brain off already.
You just want some peace of mind but have no idea how to get to that place.
Here’s how Integrity Psychological Services Helps Adults with Trauma:
Integrity Psychological Services specializes in the use of evidence-backed counseling solutions for trauma, such as EMDR and Prolonged Exposure. These are the gold-standard treatments for trauma and are shown in research studies to provide excellent outcomes in a relatively short period of time.
If you suspect that you may be dealing with the aftereffects of trauma and are noticing any of the following problems, it may benefit you to consult with a licensed mental health professional who specializes in trauma:
-
Feeling triggered by places, time of day, certain smells or noises.
-
Having dreams/nightmares about the event or having very vivid mental images.
-
You’re having trouble concentrating, sleeping, or are feeling jumpy “for no reason.”
-
You’re avoiding situations/people/places that remind you of the trauma.
-
You’re struggling with an inner dialogue that is full of guilt or shame (eg. “I should have fought harder.”)
-
You find yourself feeling more down or helpless or are crying more often.
-
You find that future plans don’t seem to matter anymore.
-
You struggle with thoughts that you are to blame.
-
You struggle with thoughts that the world is very dangerous.
-
You find it difficult to trust or to be sexually intimate with a loved one because it reminds you of the trauma.
-
You notice that you’re drinking more because of your traumatic experience.
We’re a caring, sensitive and non-judgy group of counselors, psychologists, and therapists. We will not think that you are “losing it.” In addition to educating you about the nature of trauma, we’ll also teach you how to be your own therapist so that you can effectively manage symptoms of trauma in your daily life.
Most of our clients report significant relief of symptoms and improvement within just one to three sessions (but a complete course of treatment is generally between 8 to 16 sessions.)
Call or send us an email today so that we can match you with one of our therapists who specializes in trauma-focused therapy. We can help!
For those of you who like to nerd out on research like we do, check out our Evidence for Evidence-Based Therapy page to see why EMDR and Prolonged Exposure are the “Gold Standard” treatments for trauma.
Need more information?
If you are having immediate thoughts of suicide, please go to your nearest emergency room or call RESOLVE CRISIS line, a 24/7 hour line at 1-888-796-8226