What is Trauma?

Traumatic experiences vary and may include sexual assault, accidents, abuse, and other catastrophic events. It is possible to develop symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) after such occurrences. PTSD can have a profound impact on how we view ourselves, others, and our sense of safety.

The symptoms of PTSD can be distressing. These may include (but are not limited to) having flashbacks, experiencing nightmares and trouble sleeping, and feeling on edge and jumpy. It’s also possible to encounter ongoing feelings of fear, sadness, guilt, or shame.

How is Trauma Treated?

Help for Wellness uses evidenced-based treatment to address PTSD, including Cognitive Processing Therapy, or CPT, Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR). These treatments help people reduce the intensity of and heal their PTSD symptoms.  

CPT and PE are a forms of cognitive-behavioral therapy that are specifically helpful for PTSD.  EMDR involves using bilateral stimulation (any stimulus to both sides of the body) to desensitize and reprocess traumatic experience. 

These therapies create new neural pathways associated with the memories that reduce symptoms and allow people to move forward with the healing process.