The key to effective trauma therapy is helping clients learn the difference between a trigger and being threatened in the here and now. In order for a trauma victim to be able to process how unsafe they were when the traumatic event occurred, they have to be able to understand that they are safe now. For trauma victims, experiencing a trigger is interpreted as being in danger now.
Not all trauma victims need to tell their stories. But there are many aspects of talking about what happened in the past that can be very helpful for them.
Trauma Therapy and Telling the Story
In many cases, telling one’s story can be retraumatizing for a trauma victim. For that reason, it is important for the therapist to make sure this is something the client can handle. If the individual expresses that they are ready to share, it should be done very carefully.
Trauma therapists should always keep the following in mind:
- This should not be a rushed experience. The client should feel as though they have plenty of time to share.
- The therapist should be checking in with them during the telling of their story to make sure they are doing okay. If not, it may be necessary to stop and possibly continue at another time, or not at all.
- The client should be cautioned about what to expect during the telling of their story. There will undoubtedly be many emotions that come up, and it can be helpful if they are aware of that possibility.
As the trauma victim begins to open up and tell their story, it can be very easy for them to revert back to the time the event actually took place in their minds. They may begin feeling threatened, as though the event were happening right now. But a therapist who understands this can help guide the process to prevent this from taking place.
The Purpose Behind Frequent Interruptions
Checking in with the trauma victim as they tell their story is a critical part of the story-telling process. In more traditional psychotherapy settings, the therapist would not say much at all. Instead, they would do more listening, but that could be detrimental for the client.
In this case, interrupting the story frequently has an important purpose, which is to keep the client in the here and now. It can be so easy for trauma victims to revert back to the past, as was mentioned previously. Disrupting the story can help the trauma victim slow down and maintain awareness of the here and now. But it can also serve another important purpose as well.
Many trauma victims who experienced abuse as a child have never had their stories heard or validated by another person. Allowing them to go through this process can be very healing. As Janina Fisher said in her book, Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors, it provides, “…a different experience, an antidote, for her young child self.”
Trauma Recovery is Possible
It might not seem so, but it is possible to recover from trauma. The right therapist can make such a difference. It is important for therapists to look at every case individually to determine what each client needs to work through the healing process.
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