Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder & the Value of Operating From a Trauma Response Perspective

Start with safety and end with safety.

Healing from a traumatic event doesn’t take place until an individual connects with safety on several levels. They need to have an internal compass of safety, which means they need to feel confident that whatever “comes up” is manageable and that they can contain it when they need to. The fear that once they “open their trauma” they won’t be able to “close it” is a common concern. Clients need to have trust in the therapist, the group, the program, the external environment that these factors will help them manage their trauma symptoms and support them in seeking safety. Providing conditions, guidelines, validation, and attunement throughout the whole process is important. A patient will feel more confident in working on their trauma if they know that immediately after the session as well as that evening or days later that they can safely contain or ground themselves. Ending sessions with containment imagery, somatic engagement, progressive muscle relaxation, breathing strategies, and even yoga poses can provide this sense of safety and reach patients ways they can accomplish this for themselves.

Create and support emotional reparative experiences.

Part of the healing process is to help patients experience their trauma from a stance of safety, empowerment, and value. This can simply be an individual telling their story and receiving validation and empathy from others. It can also be someone who has been physically and emotionally beaten down who is able to assert themselves and set clear boundaries. You are always in your audience and you can be your biggest fan or greatest critic. Watching yourself overcome or do something you once weren’t able to do fosters growth.

Perspective and language matters.

The most common question I am asked is “how do I get over it.” This is a flawed question and stifles growth from the get-go. The problem is that trauma is not a wall to climb over or an object to jump over. Trauma is a typical response to an abnormal experience with the sole focus on surviving. If the individual is in my office they have survived the experience or experiences. Helping the patient to shift their perspective and also ask themselves better questions are important components of treatment. First, they need to develop awareness around their own resilience. “I survived.” This can be a powerful affirmation that can help an individual move out of the identity of a victim and into the identity of a survivor. Next is asking yourself “how do I get on WITH it?” This question encourages acceptance with a focus on the future. It fosters post-traumatic growth, a transformation where you reclaim what you have been through and channel it as fuel for growth. The language that you use with your patients can either perpetuate victimization or encourage healing and growth. It is the ability to tell your story through a different lens.