Healing From the Past Could Require Confronting Old Wounds

Going through trauma can take a toll on the mind and body. You might feel like there’s no hope to heal from your pain. There are ways to handle those traumatic wounds and heal, but it does involve confronting your past. It can be scary when you’re looking at your trauma because you feel like you’re reliving it. That’s a normal reaction, and it’s natural to be anxious when addressing past trauma. The good news is that you don’t have to confront your traumatic wounds all at once. Your mental health must take your time with a trained, licensed therapist who can show you how to look at your trauma in a way that isn’t scary. 

Here are how trauma therapy works and different methods that people use to deal with trauma,

Trauma-informed therapy

There are therapists that are specialists in trauma and helping people confront their painful experiences. These individuals know how to look at traumatic wounds and support the client in working through them. It’s crucial for a person who has experienced trauma to take it slow when talking about their past pain. You don’t have to open up all the wounds right away. A trauma informed-therapist understands the value of taking one’s time when it comes to talking about the events that severely impacted their life. They also understand the different symptoms of someone who has experienced trauma may have, such as panic attacks, chronic anxiety, or depression. Trauma-informed therapy is like the talk therapy of the trauma world.

EMDR

Eye movement desensitization reprocessing therapy is a type of treatment where a therapist uses tapping and eye movements to help a person train their brain and decrease anxiety in relation to the trauma. The counselor takes their finger and moves it back-and-forth. They have the client follow their finger with their eyes. When a client is looking at the therapist’s finger, they’re asked to remember the traumatic events. The therapist asks the client to repeat a statement that they feel about the traumatic occurrence. The person might feel as if the incident was their fault, or they’re a “bad person.” The goal is to let go of these painful assumptions and start healing from the trauma. After several sessions of this work, the traumatic event becomes less and less intense for that person. They stop reliving it, and they are able to come to peace with their experience. EMDR can be quite intense, but it is something that can help a person move through their trauma and let it go.

Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a deep form of relaxation that helps someone get to the core of their traumatic experience. It helps the person relax enough to remember what they’ve been through and let it go. It can take several sessions to get to the core of what that person has endured. It’s not something that can be rushed. Just like trauma-informed therapy, the individual needs to be in a safe and secure environment where they can release the pain that they have experienced. They need to feel like they can be vulnerable with their provider. Hypnotherapy is an excellent way to get to the point where you can clearly see the traumatic experience and understand that it is no longer relevant in your life. Your hypnotherapist will help you relax and let go and release the trauma.

Getting help for trauma in online therapy

Whether you’re looking for a therapist in your local area or want to find one online with a company like BetterHelp, trauma therapy is extremely powerful. The therapist helps you understand how significant trauma is and wants to help you work through your pain. Don’t be afraid to reach out for help when you are feeling anxious or depressed due to trauma. You may feel like there is no hope in recovering from these issues, but you can get through them. Take it one step at a time and remember that you are stronger than your trauma. You have come this far, and you can keep going. A caring therapist who understands traumatic events will help you process these emotional wounds and show you that you can heal. You deserve to be happy in your life, and taking the first step is reaching out for help. Trauma therapy will support you in recovering from your pain.

ABOUT AUTHOR: Marie Miguel
Marie Miguel has been a writing and research expert for nearly a decade, covering a variety of health-related topics. Currently, she is contributing to the expansion and growth of a free online mental health resource with BetterHelp.com. With an interest and dedication to addressing stigmas associated with mental health, she continues to specifically target subjects related to anxiety and depression.