Trauma Therapy
Trauma doesn't have a timeline
The trauma happened so long ago, but it still feels like it’s happening at the present moment. The nightmares and daytime flashbacks have made life unmanageable. You avoid the places and people that used to give you joy and meaning. Feeling in danger can affect your mood, work, school, and relationships. Our Bingham Farms office is conveniently located for Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, Bloomfield Township, and Southfield. In-person and virtual appointments are available; ask about your therapist’s current options.
Our approach to trauma therapy
Daniel Kotsias, LMSW, draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), Internal Family Systems, DBT-informed skills, mindfulness, attachment-based therapy and motivational interviewing.
Chana Shepherd, LLMSW, combines CBT, DBT-informed skills and strengths-based therapy.
Your therapist can discuss how these approaches fit your concerns and goals. The CPT, TF-CBT and EMDR descriptions that follow are educational information; our clinicians do not offer those specific treatments.
Understanding responses to trauma
Reactions to trauma can be understandable responses to overwhelming experiences. Some people continue to feel unsafe even after the danger has passed. Therapy can help you understand those reactions and explore ways to respond.
Our bodies and mind all have a built-in “smoke alarm” of sorts. A protective system that keeps us safe in dangerous situations. Many years ago, when we were hunters and gatherers, we frequently encountered wild dangerous animals, such as lions and bears. It would have been very important for our ancestors to experience a “fight or flight” alarm system when in danger to keep them alive.
Fight or flight is a popular phrase in today’s culture, but it often leaves out two other commonly discussed responses. Those terms are freeze and fawn.
Let’s begin by explaining freeze. In our wild animal encounter, imagine that you had broken your leg. Unable to move, you were subjected to watch as the lion crawled around you. After a few minutes, you were miraculously saved by your tribespeople, While your life was saved, serious psychological damage was likely done due to your forced “freeze” response. People may continue to experience distress after an event in which they felt unable to escape or protect themselves. Responses differ, and support is available.
Fawning describes appeasing another person in an effort to feel safe.
Fawning for safety often occurs in domestic violence situations
The two types of trauma
Trauma is often split into two categories. Type 1 trauma usually stems from a single sudden, unexpected event. Think of a veteran who can no longer be around fireworks coming back from a tour of duty. The effect of a single event and the course of treatment vary from person to person.
Type 2 trauma is often referred to as long term or developmental trauma. Think of a young child growing up in a household with an alcoholic father, sexually abusive mother and emotionally abusive siblings. Due to the complexity and sheer number of factors, type two trauma can take longer to treat and require more numerous and various types of interventions. Treatment may help with distress following both single and repeated traumatic experiences. Keep reading below to see how we can help.
How therapy can support recovery
Help is available for people experiencing distress after trauma. The CPT and TF-CBT descriptions below are general information; our clinicians do not offer these specific treatments. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) helps people examine distressing thoughts and beliefs related to trauma. With your therapist, you can explore how an experience has affected beliefs about safety, trust, or yourself, and practice evaluating those beliefs in a different way. Your therapist can explain the approach, discuss your goals, and review your progress with you.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy utilizes many of the traditional Cognitive Behavioral techniques with an increase on behavioral calming skills and thinking strategies to bring down distress. Even gaining an education of how trauma affects the brain and body can be helpful in moving on.
Our clinicians do not offer EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based PTSD treatment.
EMDR works through bilateral stimulation, engaging the right and left sides of the brain using either eye movements, tapping, lights, vibration and other form of stimulation in an alternating fashion.
EMDR is applied while the client focuses on a distressing event or negative belief. The goal is to reduce distress associated with the memory; responses and progress vary. EMDR can be used as a standalone treatment or in addition to some of the other treatments mentioned above.
OK, but starting therapy is so challenging!
What will my friends and family say?
Fearing the stigma of “being in therapy” is very common. The good news is that you don’t have to tell anyone you’re in therapy if you don’t want to. Although involving family and friends can be helpful, it is not always necessary to achieve significant results. We are also bound legally and ethically to confidentiality. Your therapist can explain its limits, how records are handled, and your options for communicating privately.You can ask questions about therapy before deciding what to share. Finding a therapist you feel comfortable with is an important part of getting started.
It’s OK to still feel on the fence.
Treatment should reflect your experiences, needs, and preferences. Evidence-based approaches such as CPT and EMDR are used to treat PTSD, but no approach guarantees a particular result. Ask your therapist about their training, how treatment is paced, and how you will review progress together.
Contact us if you have any questions or concerns. We offer appointments to make sure we are the right fit for your needs. We will happily refer you to another practice if we feel they will be a better fit.
We wish you well on your journey of recovery from trauma!
Check out our blog below for more info on trauma!
