What Does Psychotherapy Trauma Treatment in Scottsdale Help With?
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The effects of living through a traumatic childhood, repeated traumas as an adult, or even a single traumatic experience can impact a person for the rest of their life. Being a trauma survivor can feel isolating, but the reality is that more than half of all adults in the U.S. have experienced some trauma at least once. The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs estimates that 60% of men and 50% of women are trauma survivors.1

Living in the aftermath of trauma can affect your mental and physical health and quality of life. Maintaining healthy relationships, keeping steady employment, or fulfilling daily responsibilities like caring for your children may be difficult.

Fortunately, trauma-focused treatments are effective. Psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale provides the tools and support needed to heal from trauma and minimize the symptoms that are affecting your well-being.

What Is Trauma?

The word “trauma” often refers to a distressing event, such as a natural disaster. However, technically, trauma describes the emotional response to a distressing event, not the event itself. Our individual responses explain why two people can survive the same natural disaster, and one of them becomes deeply traumatized while the other recovers quickly with no lingering emotional scars.

Each individual’s personal coping strategies influence how well they can process a disturbing event. Children who grew up in households without healthy communication and emotional stability may have a more difficult time processing extreme stress because they were not taught how to handle difficult emotions in a healthy way. However, anyone exposed to distressing events can develop trauma.

There are many different types of potentially traumatic events, including:

  • Bullying
  • Domestic violence
  • Child abuse or neglect
  • Rape and other forms of sexual assault
  • Violence in the community
  • Physical abuse
  • Sexual abuse
  • Substance use
  • Medical trauma
  • War and refugee trauma
  • Accidents
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Intergenerational trauma

Trauma can be both acute and chronic. Almost anyone who experiences a highly stressful event will have a short-lived (acute) emotional response. Chronic trauma is more likely to occur among people who have experienced repeated distressing events over a long span, such as military personnel who develop PTSD after being in a combat zone.

Symptoms of Trauma

The symptoms of trauma vary and can include any combination of:2

  • Changes in behavior or attitude
  • Fearfulness
  • Inability to focus
  • Extreme changes in a person’s worldview
  • Difficulty with daily function
  • Anger and angry outbursts
  • Violent behavior
  • Depression
  • Avoiding the people or places where the traumatic event occurred
  • Mood swings
  • Dissociation
  • Intrusive memories
  • Feeling hypervigilant and hyper-alert
  • Feelings of guilt or shame
  • Self-blame
  • Social withdrawal, isolation
  • Being “checked out” or emotionally numb
  • Self-harm
  • Suicidal thoughts

People struggling to heal from traumatic events may also experience physical symptoms. They may feel constantly fatigued or frequently complain of muscle and body aches. Increased heart rate, blood pressure, and insomnia are trauma symptoms that can lead to more serious health issues.

If you or someone you know is showing trauma symptoms, encourage them to seek psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale.

How Does Trauma-Informed Therapy Help with Trauma Disorders?

Trauma therapy is a specific field of psychotherapy developed to help people regain balance in their mental and physical health. The exact type of psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale that may be recommended depends on the individual’s needs and the type of trauma disorder they have been diagnosed with.

Trauma disorders include:

  • Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
  • Acute stress disorder (ASD)
  • Secondhand trauma
  • Disinhibited social engagement disorder (DSED)
  • Adjustment disorders
  • Reactive attachment disorder (RAD)
  • Unspecified trauma-related disorders

Experiencing trauma changes the way the brain and nervous system respond to stimuli. However, you can reverse those changes to your brain and nervous system with the right treatments. The brain’s natural neuroplasticity (ability to rewire) means trauma-related brain changes can heal. Psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale applies different methods of treatment to aid brain healing.

What Types of Trauma Therapy Are Available?

Psychotherapy is considered to be the primary treatment for trauma.3  Psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale typically combines various therapies to address symptoms quickly and provide a strong foundation for long-term healing. Several therapeutic approaches have been shown to help reduce the symptoms of trauma, including:

Treatment plans may also include medications to assist with sleep or to regulate mood. Certain lifestyle choices may also be encouraged. Spending time with trusted friends, daily meditation, and other stress-relieving activities may be recommended as part of an overall program.

Could You Benefit from Psychotherapy Trauma Treatment in Scottsdale?

If you are a trauma survivor experiencing lingering trauma symptoms or feel isolated and confused because of trauma, you don’t have to cope with it alone. The compassionate team at Healing Foundations Center understands how difficult it can be to address past trauma. We offer specialized types of trauma therapy to help you start feeling better and living the joy-filled life you are meant to have.

Call or contact Healing Foundation Center to learn more about how psychotherapy trauma treatment in Scottsdale can help free you from the emotional, physical, and psychological bonds of trauma.

 

Sources:

[1] https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand/common/common_adults.asp

[2] https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-trauma-5212104

[3] https://healingfoundationscenter.com/services/trauma/