The road to recovery from a trauma is not always the same for everyone. Everyone has their own individuals needs as well as individual treatment needed. Trauma comes in various shapes and forms to include the following top traumas: sexual assault, child maltreatment, domestic violence, war related, medical, traumatic loss, and natural disasters (TeachTrauma). SAMHSA notes in Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services that treatment starts with the following considerations:
Empathy vs. Sympathy: Putting yourself in the shoes of another vs. solely expressing sorrow for another. Empathy creates safety in a counselor/client healthy relationship to begin the healing work. It is the foundation upon which YOU can begin to work on the trauma work you need to do.
Recounting the Trauma: It is important to note that trauma work may look different from one person to the next. It all depends on where you are in the trauma recovery and what are your presenting symptoms or areas that you need improvement in. It is important to access where you are, what you are wanting to improve, and what phases in the trauma work you need more work in. At times it is not just about sharing your trauma but about seeing how or what is affecting you in the present moment. Many techniques and exercises exist to begin to explore what areas of the trauma you need to continue working on to overcome the burden you continue to carry to date.
Psycho-education: Therapy is not just about sharing your story but about being informed about the essence of what trauma is, how trauma work on the body, and what trauma recovery entails. This shifts the blame you might place on yourself for continuing to experience the trauma and may give you scientific data about how trauma works. The more informed you are the more aware you will be of various aspects of how the trauma you have works and how to overcome it. It’s like going to a library. Surely you know that you will find books but unless you are informed about the way the library system works you might take longer than needed to find a desired book that you are looking for. The same concept applies to trauma work. Sure you know there is trauma and want to overcome it but unless you first are informed about it can you begin to make significant positive lasting changes in YOUR life.
Affects of the Trauma: In analyzing how the trauma is affecting you can you begin to choose what treatment approaches are best suited for you. This requires making a personal inventory of yourself and how trauma affects the various aspects of your life.
Strengths Based Approach: The road to overcome trauma and to be more adaptive is to always remember to seek to find and validate YOUR personal strengths. This can be done by making a list of positive affirmations for yourself that you can use as you are exploring your trauma work. These statements are heartfelt statements that will always guide you to give yourself HOPE and EMPOWERMENT through your healing journey.
Positive Affirmations:
I deserve to receive all the love and support I need.
My courage is stronger than my fear.
I trust in my ability to make the right decision for me.
Each day, I am creating a more meaningful life.
I am safe in this moment.
I am changing in positive ways. I am making peace with my past and accepting myself.
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