Trauma Counseling

Are You Tired Of Feeling Sad, Afraid, Keyed Up, Or On Edge?

Did you experience a challenging event that you’ve been unable to process?

Were you exposed to a traumatic situation in your childhood, at your work, or in a past relationship?

Do you feel as though you are “stuck” and unable to move forward from what happened?

Traumatic experiences can have lasting effects. They might cause flashbacks, sleep disturbances, nightmares, and an inability to relax. You may feel suspicious or on edge, even in “normal” everyday situations. In some cases, the physical effects of trauma can be acute, leading to panic attacks, headaches, heart palpitations, shaking, and a persistent negative state.

If trauma is left unprocessed, it can have long-term consequences on mental health. In trying to make sense of what happened, survivors may develop a tendency to blame themselves about what they could have done differently.

For this reason, mood swings, depression, and anxiety are common among trauma survivors, especially those struggling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Within this population, avoidance of the people and places that trigger traumatic memories is normal, which can lead to strained or tense relationships.

Though understandable, these symptoms are likely to limit your daily life and activities. Fortunately, trauma is treatable, and the clinicians at Balance Therapy specialize in working with these issues.

What Is Trauma?

A traumatic experience can be defined as anything that sends the nervous system into overdrive, whether the experience was shocking, sudden, or violent. Some examples of common traumas are:

• Dysfunctional or invalidating relationships
• Experiencing or witnessing verbal, emotional, sexual, or physical abuse
• Invalidating environments
• Death threats
• Accidents
• Assaults
• Loss, including the end of a relationship
• High-stress work environments
• Natural disasters
• Chronic health issues, illness, and injuries

Though many of these situations might occur in adulthood, a lot of survivors experience their first trauma in childhood. If you grew up in an environment that was unstable, involving abuse, neglect, divorce, or bullying, it’s possible that you have internalized early stress in a way that has had a lasting impact on the mind and body over time.

Job-Related Stress Can Worsen The Effects Of Trauma And PTSD

Despite the fact that anyone has the potential to be traumatized, regardless of age, gender, race, or background, some populations are more at risk for developing symptoms of trauma and PTSD.

First Responders, in particular—including police officers, dispatchers, firefighters, EMTs, and other medical professionals—are exposed to highly stressful, life-or-death situations. Regular exposure can lead to compound trauma, though many professionals feel the pressure to “rise above” their symptoms and get back to work.

Individuals who experience trauma often have a difficult time processing their natural emotions. During a traumatic event, many people don’t have time to feel the natural emotions associated with that experience, like fear, sadness or anger. Instead, they must process what happened later on, leading to problematic thoughts and ideas surrounding their trauma. This process can result in inaccurate, manufactured emotions used to fill in the gaps in an attempt to answer questions such as “why did this happen to me?”

Our therapists are genuinely caring, supportive clinicians who take a trauma-informed approach to our work and walk each client through the process, honoring their pace and comfort level. We know how to incorporate effective interventions into the therapeutic process that will help you understand, cope with, and overcome your trauma.

At Balance Therapy, We Are Genuinely Invested In Helping You Overcome Your Trauma

Therapy offers you a meaningful opportunity to come together with a trained professional in a safe, nonjudgmental atmosphere where you can explore and process your trauma. As you work together to uncover the root causes of your symptoms, you can learn to reframe uncomfortable thoughts and feelings in new, more positive ways.

Our trauma treatment services are available to adults of all backgrounds and experiences. And because we have experience treating work-related traumas and stressors, we are particularly well- suited to provide counseling for First Responders.

What To Expect

We use a variety of approaches to help our clients overcome the effects of trauma and PTSD in therapy. Though treatment is individualized to the needs of each client, we are likely to draw from the following trauma-specific modalities:

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – stemming from the gold standard approach of CBT, trauma-informed CBT uses the therapeutic relationship to promote a sense of safety. The therapist helps trauma survivors understand the relationship between their memories and the emotional and physical sensations they have.


• Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) – a highly structured, 12-session approach that uses writing and discussion to help clients understand the relationship between their experiences and the self-beliefs they have developed as a result. Throughout the process, tangible skills are introduced to instill feelings of safety and control.


• Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) – drawing from the four “modules” of mindfulness, acceptance and change, distress tolerance, and emotion regulation, DBT teaches valuable skills for identifying triggers and managing stressors.

With new skills and insights in place, you can experience lasting solutions that will allow you to live in the present and embrace the future. No longer do you have to re-experience your trauma—our therapists will support you every step of the way in counseling as you understand, process, and overcome the effects of trauma and PTSD in your life.

Still Unsure If Therapy Can Help You Understand And Process Your Trauma?

"Talking about my trauma with a therapist will only make my symptoms worse."

Going to treatment for trauma and PTSD will not make the issue worse. While there will be times when recalling and discussing memories may be painful, our therapists are here to provide you with skills and strategies for managing distress as it arises. You are likely to find that as you face and reprocess your trauma, you will experience more rational, balanced thoughts about what happened so that you can stop feeling “stuck” in the past.

"I am worried I will have to be in therapy for a long time before I notice a reduction in my trauma/PTSD symptoms."

It may take some time to release the parts of your past that keep you from moving forward. However, once you accomplish this, you will gain clarity on what you want to do differently so that you’re no longer trapped in the cycle. The past only matters to the point that we decide it does, offering valuable perspective on the life we’ve had—and the life we’re meant for.
Though the therapeutic process does require ongoing commitment and time, you are likely to notice even slight improvements in your symptoms in just a matter of sessions.

"I have tried therapy before and did not get the results I wanted. How will treatment through Balance Therapy be any different?"

Our therapists are genuinely invested in our clients and helping them to make necessary changes in their lives. Counseling for trauma and PTSD is always individualized to the needs and goals of each client.
We want to encourage you to challenge the preconceptions you have about therapy; you are likely to find that you are giving more power to the negative emotions you feel than the potential of therapy actually making a difference.

Relief Is Possible

If a sudden, frightening, or stressful experience from your past is keeping you stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts and feelings, trauma may be at the core of your symptoms. Fortunately, trauma is treatable, and we have multiple counselors on staff who are available to help. Contact us or schedule a free consultation to find out more.