What Is Done in Trauma Therapy?

Trauma is a distressing or disturbing past event that can affect your mental and emotional well-being. “Understanding what trauma therapy is” is the first step towards breaking free from those invisible chains. Trauma therapy is a specific type of counseling that aims to reduce the symptoms of conditions that result from extreme trauma. The right type of trauma therapy can help heal the psychological wounds that develop as a result of traumatic experiences.

At Anchored Therapy Centre, we focus on a safe and non-judgmental process where everyone can explore their history at their own pace. With proper evidence-based therapy for trauma, individuals can move from a constant state of panic and unrest to a calm and peaceful mind.

What is Trauma Therapy?

Trauma therapy is a part of mental health treatment that recognizes the deep impact of distressing events on the nervous system. While standard talk therapy focuses on current behaviors or thoughts, this therapy approach digs deeper into the physiological "stuck" points created by past traumatic experiences.

In a typical session, a therapist helps the client identify how their past is showing up in their present body sensations, such as a racing heart or sudden numbness. By addressing these physical cues alongside emotional ones, the therapy aims to desensitize the "alarm system" of the brain.

When to See a Trauma Therapist?

When trauma starts affecting your day-to-day life and normal functioning, it may be time to seek trauma therapy. A skilled trauma therapist may be beneficial if you are experiencing:

• Repeated flashbacks

• Insomnia

• Negative or extreme mood

• Frequent nightmares

• Avoidance behaviors

• Hypervigilance 

• Relationship and trust issues

Trauma doesn't discriminate by age. For younger individuals, teen therapy can provide a vital intervention to prevent long-term developmental hurdles

Principles of Trauma-Informed Care

Trauma-Informed Care is a framework that guides how trauma therapy should be delivered safely and respectfully. These are the key principles for trauma-informed care:

1. Safety

In trauma-informed care, safety means awareness of the physical, emotional, and interpersonal safety of every client, regardless of their ages, cultures, or races, and making sure that people feel physically and emotionally safe in the care setting and that their privacy and confidentiality are protected.

2. Transparency

In trauma-informed care, every process must be transparent. The goal must be to build and maintain trust with clients. In every trauma therapy process, the therapist should be honest, direct, and clear, with helpful explanations given about their practice policies, required paperwork, and expectations of treatment.

3. Peer Support

Peer support is very helpful in trauma-informed care, especially for individuals from marginalized communities. It involves connecting people with others who faced similar traumatic experiences. This shared understanding can provide comfort, reduce feelings of loneliness, and offer practical advice and support.

4.  Collaboration

Everyone has a role to play in the healing process. Collaboration emphasizes the importance of working as a team.  Minimizing power differences by sharing decision-making and responsibility creates a partnership that increases individuals’ commitment to their own care.

5.  Empowerment

Empowerment is very important to trauma-informed care. Honoring and building on people’s strengths, skills, and preferences provides the support they need to regain a sense of control in their recovery and goals.

Types of Trauma Therapy

Below are some of the proven and effective trauma therapy methods for adults and children. Each of these techniques involves some way of having the client face and work through the memory in a safe and non-judgmental environment.

1. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR is a type of therapy that uses guided eye movement to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories. This therapy is designed to help a person become less sensitive to traumatic memories by recalling and reliving the traumatic experience in a safe environment.  EMDR is especially helpful if you have distressing flashbacks or emotional numbness due to trauma.

2. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a form of therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns. In CBT, a therapist assists you in finding unhealthy and unhelpful beliefs due to your past traumatic experiences. You will learn coping skills to challenge and change the ways you're thinking and provide a more objective, compassionate, and informed perspective, which helps to change these harmful beliefs.

3. Somatic Therapy

Somatic therapy helps you start focusing on physical sensations caused by trauma, such as shaking or tension. In this type of therapy, clients are guided to become more aware of their bodily sensations and how these might be connected to their past traumatic experiences. Using methods like breathwork, meditation, and guided imagery, patients learn to release the trauma from their bodies.

4. Internal Family Systems (IFS)

This is a type of talk therapy that teaches you how to relate to all parts of yourself without judgment. It can help you deal with conflicting emotions and resolve internal conflict that stems from trauma. This form of trauma-focused therapy teaches you to nurture your authentic self. It can be especially powerful if you've undergone complex trauma or have developed a strong inner critic.

5. Prolonged Exposure Therapy 

Prolonged exposure therapy is a technique that allows the client to tell the story of their past traumatic memory in detail, including thoughts and emotions associated with that memory. The theory is that by preventing avoidance of the memory, the client has a chance to learn that it can no longer cause them harm, and desensitization occurs. This is one of the most effective and well-researched treatments for trauma.

Some of these approaches are particularly helpful for younger individuals, because if unresolved, the impact of trauma on teen mental health can be detrimental to their emotional well-being, self-identity, and relationships well into adulthood.

What to Expect During Trauma Therapy Over Time

Therapy Phase	Primary Focus	What Happens in Sessions	Client Experience
Initial Phase	Safety & trust-building	Establishing boundaries, pacing, and emotional regulation skills	Feeling supported, grounded, and understood
Exploration Phase	Understanding trauma patterns	Identifying triggers, body responses, and emotional reactions	Increased awareness of how trauma shows up daily
Processing Phase	Working through trauma	Using structured techniques (CBT, EMDR, somatic work, etc.)	Reduced intensity of memories and emotional distress
Integration Phase	Strengthening coping skills	Reframing experiences and practicing new responses	Improved confidence, emotional control, and clarity
Maintenance Phase	Long-term stability	Applying skills outside therapy and reinforcing progress	Greater resilience and self-trust over time

Conclusion

Trauma therapy focuses on safety, understanding, skill-building, and meaningful healing. Different types of trauma therapy help individuals face their past experiences in a safe and helpful environment, reconnect with their sense of self, and move forward without being hurt by their past experiences.

At Anchored Therapy Centre, trauma therapy is guided by true compassion, structure, and evidence-based practice. Healing does not mean forgetting what happened. It means learning how to live fully, with greater clarity, peace, and self-trust.

FAQs

Q1. What is trauma therapy? 

Trauma therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals to cope with their traumatic experiences. It helps them understand and process their trauma, develop coping skills, and heal emotional wounds.

Q2. How long does trauma therapy take to benefit?

The duration of trauma therapy depends on each individual and the therapy technique used. Some clients see significant shifts in a few months, while others need longer-term support for healing.

Q3. Does trauma therapy work for childhood trauma?

Yes, trauma therapies such as CBT, DBT, EMDR and other trauma focused therapies are specifically designed to help adults and adolescents process traumatic events that happened several years ago.