5 therapy techniques for trauma

Types of trauma

When thinking about trauma, therapists often use three primary classifications: acute, chronic, and complex.

Acute trauma stems from one specific event, like a car accident. The sudden, unexpected nature of the event can cause feelings of shock and anxiety. Flashbacks are also common among people who suffer this type of trauma.
Chronic trauma results from repeated exposure to a traumatic event, such as domestic abuse, bullying, or war. Symptoms can include depression, hyperarousal, and defensiveness.
Complex trauma is similar to chronic trauma in that it involves experiencing a series of traumatic events over a long period of time. This type of trauma typically begins in childhood, though, and involves abuse and/or neglect, typically at the hands of a caregiver. People who experience this type of trauma often struggle with regulating emotions and forming healthy relationships.

Therapy techniques for trauma

There are a number of techniques available for treating trauma. These include:

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT)

Designed for children and adolescents, this short-term approach — which stresses the development of coping skills and the ability to recontextualize distressing thoughts — has proven effective in treating PTSD in addition to affective, behavioral, and cognitive issues caused by trauma. It has been shown to be particularly impactful for survivors of sexual abuse.

Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

A form of talk therapy that typically takes place over the course of six months to a year, DBT focuses on management of emotions, improving relationships, and navigating life’s challenges. DBT has four key components: mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. Sessions involve learning how to swap harmful behaviors for more productive ones like mindfulness and tolerating stressful situations.

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) therapy

This multi-phase technique relies on the idea that the brain retains memories of traumatic events differently than memories of positive events. EMDR aims to have clients reprocess painful memories of their trauma by having them recall their experience while guiding their eye movement (or stimulating other senses like sound). This helps clients think about their trauma in a new, more manageable way. Studies show EMDR can be beneficial for acute trauma and PTSD, among other mental health challenges, though experts can’t totally explain why.

Somatic experiencing

This treatment method zeroes in on how trauma manifests in the body, teaching clients how to tolerate physical symptoms and pushed-down emotions while releasing the feelings or energy a trauma victim clings to even after the threat of attack has passed. When this energy is expended, clients no longer feel threatened.

Prolonged exposure therapy

A form of CBT, prolonged exposure therapy shows clients how to gradually confront and interact with their triggers so they no longer feel threatened. Though it can cause a great deal of anxiety at first, the technique is particularly effective for those suffering from PTSD.

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