7 Types of Trauma Therapy

People who go through terrifying or life-threatening events often carry the burden of trauma inside them. Even if they don’t develop posttraumatic stress disorder or PTSD, they may still suffer from the effects of trauma. These include intrusive thoughts and images, a constant state of vigilance, avoiding places and people that remind you of the incident, and feeling negative about yourself and life in general.

It’s not surprising that traumatized people often seek therapy to help them deal with these symptoms or eliminate them completely. There are many kinds of trauma therapy out there, but 7 stand out in particular. It’s important to find the kind of trauma therapy that fits you, so read on to learn the differences.

Internal Family Systems

Internal Family Systems (IFS) suggests that a person’s mind is made up of distinct parts, each with its own qualities and functions. These parts interact with each other and with the Self, which is a person’s true center containing all the resources that person needs to heal themselves. IFS accesses this Self and explores the parts and their relationships to one another to process and heal trauma. This approach may be best suited for people who value mindfulness and inner wisdom.

 IFS believes that there are protective parts and exiled or wounded parts. The exiles are parts that carry trauma and are “ostracized” by the other parts because of this burden. The pain experienced by exiles can be overwhelming to others. Protective parts either try to suppress exiles to prevent them from taking over or distract the person with extreme behaviors like substance abuse. IFS therapy does not require detailed disclosure of traumatic events.

EMDR Therapy

Eye movement and desensitization reprocessing therapy (EMDR) emphasizes the role of body memory and the brain’s information processing system. The treatment involves focusing on spontaneous traumatic images, thoughts, emotions, and sensations while receiving bilateral stimulation, which is most commonly given in the form of eye movements. The traumatized person receives this stimulation while they recount sensations and emotions that are coming up for them.

EMDR also involves the installation of positive beliefs about yourself after trauma is processed. EMDR therapy is best suited for people who do not wish to recall and retell traumatic events and who want results sooner rather than later. For single-incident traumas (like a one-off car accident or assault), EMDR therapy can achieve results within just a few sessions.

Somatic Experiencing

Somatic experiencing (SE) is a body-based approach to resolving traumatic stress. Recent research shows that trauma is mostly stored in the body, which makes SE an effective treatment. SE works on the assumption that trauma is the result of a person being unable to complete their fight/flight response at the time of the incident. This traumatic energy remains in the body until it is discharged properly.

 A typical session involves slowly discussing the traumatic material as the therapist closely tracks your posture and body language. They will ask you to check in with your body often and focus on specific movements and sensations. The SE therapist will also create safety by teaching you self-regulation techniques and by making sure the traumatic material is not disclosed before you are ready.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) involves changing thinking patterns and addressing fears arising from the trauma using narration and journaling. CPT aims to modify traumatic beliefs that people may develop about themselves, such as “I’m powerless” or “It was my fault.” Therapists may particularly focus on the issues of safety, trust, power, control, self-esteem, and intimacy.

 The traumatized person will be expected to share the details of their trauma and its impact on their life. Another part of CPT is education about the effects of trauma. This therapy usually takes 12 sessions and can be delivered in individual or group formats.

 Prolonged Exposure Therapy

Prolonged exposure therapy (PET) helps people process trauma through gradual imaginal (thoughts and stories) and in-vivo (real life) exposure to situations and objects that serve as reminders of the traumatic event. People are desensitized by a series of experiences rising in intensity. For example, someone scared of driving after being in an accident may go from imagining driving to watching videos of people driving cars to sitting in a car and to finally driving it.

Exposure trauma therapy is great for overcoming intense fears and phobias that can develop as a result of trauma. The main philosophy of PET is to address avoidance head-on, which will also help survivors confront irrational beliefs about themselves that may have developed after the traumatic event.

Narrative Therapy

Narrative trauma therapy emphasizes the stories people develop and carry throughout their lives. The goals of this model are to strengthen the person’s voice and help them live a life full of meaning that reflects their values. Narrative therapy separates the person from their problem and empowers them to solve it. Methods include journaling and storytelling, among others.

There are several kinds of narrative therapy for trauma: narrative exposure therapy (NET), skills training in affective and interpersonal regulation (STAIR) narrative therapy, and written exposure therapy (WET). These therapies focus on creating an account of what happened in a way that serves to recapture the patient’s self-respect and self-confidence and on teaching the survivor to stay in the present.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Psychodynamic trauma therapy is the oldest of the modern therapies; it originated with Freud and has overgone some changes since its inception. It involves the interpretation of mental and emotional processes rather than focusing on behavior. The therapist leads the person to focus on the existing patterns and explore their early origins, especially from childhood. The traumatized person is guided to discover their unconscious processes which happen outside of awareness.

Kinds of psychodynamic therapy include, among others, brief eclectic psychotherapy, which focuses on changing the emotions of shame and guilt; accelerated experiential dynamic psychotherapy (AEDP), which is well-suited to healing attachment-based or developmental trauma, and brief psychodynamic therapy which has a focus on one specific target.

Which One Is Best For You?

Only you can decide which trauma therapy is the right fit for you. Some people prefer the more direct and head-on approach of exposure and cognitive therapies, others prefer gentler approaches like IFS or somatic experiencing. Narrative therapy is a good fit for people who love to write and tell stories. Psychodynamic will be liked by those who like to dig deep into their own childhood and psyche.

EMDR therapy is highly effective for all trauma survivors but is especially great for those who do not want to disclose the details of their trauma. It incorporates elements of body-based models, like SE with elements of thinking-based models, like CPT.

To find your best fit, you may want to do additional research and even interview a few therapists with different approaches before committing to one type of trauma therapy. Choosing the right therapist is important for trauma work because of its sensitive nature.

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