A lot of trauma therapists focus on using talk therapy to help their clients work through the traumatic events they have experienced. But this method has not been shown to be very effective. This is why there has been a shift toward the internal family systems model. Today, we know that focusing on the event is probably not going to be as effective as helping trauma victims by focusing on post-traumatic legacy.
The term, post-traumatic legacy, refers to the impact that the trauma is having in the client’s life today. Many people find themselves unable to escape behaviors that are crippling their ability to be functional members of society. They may feel the need to avoid certain people or places, and sometimes, it may not even be possible to leave their homes.
The Healing of Post-Traumatic Legacy
In her book, Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors, Janina Fisher discusses a client she worked with who had been traumatized as a child. The client’s name was Annie, and she was afraid to leave the house because she was kidnapped as a child. Although she felt extremely isolated and lonely, she also felt terrified about going outside. At the time, Annie lived in a rural town that was completely safe.
Annie understood that the place she lived in currently was safe, as opposed to where she grew up. But that did not do anything to calm her fears or remove her traumatic memories.
The key for Annie was identifying the Part of her that was afraid, which ended up being herself at the age of seven. Once Annie could identify this Part, she was able to have a conversation with it and understand the fear. She told the Part that kidnapping was no longer possible because she was an adult. She also mentioned the fact that anyone would might think of trying to kidnap her would not be able to see the Part because it was now inside Annie’s adult body.
This conversation was just the first step toward healing Annie’s trauma. She would still have a long way to go because there were more topics to discuss with this scared, seven-year-old part. For example, Annie had felt abandoned because of adults that did not pay close enough attention to her, allowing the kidnapping to take place. But she started the process, and that is of utmost importance.
There is Healing for Trauma
Many people go through trauma therapy and do not find it to be helpful. This is because so many therapists focus on rehashing the events that took place and not on how those events are impacting the victim’s life in the present.
Understanding the Parts includes conversing with them and striving to see their points of view. But they can also be taught to think differently, and that is where modern trauma therapy has seen so much success.
You do not have to continue to struggle because of the impact of the trauma you faced. Please contact me for an appointment, and together, we can begin your healing process.
