Trauma is a deeply personal and emotional experience that can have a long-term impact on our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Over the years, many different therapies have emerged to address trauma, each with their own methods and therapeutic approaches.
But with so many to choose from, which trauma therapy is the most effective? The answer is complex and depends on many factors, including the types of trauma therapy, the person, and their needs. So let’s look at the types of therapy for trauma and what are the best practices for trauma treatment.
What is Trauma and How Does it Affect Us?
Before we get into the best trauma therapies, we need to know what trauma is and how it affects us. Trauma can come from many different experiences: physical or emotional abuse, accidents, natural disasters or witnessing violence. It can lead to anxiety, depression, flashbacks and hypervigilance. Trauma can disrupt daily life, relationships, work and overall well-being.
The effectiveness of trauma therapy depends on it being able to address these symptoms and help the person process their experience in a safe and supportive space. Here we’ll look at some of the most popular trauma therapies and what works.
Read More About It Here: What Is Trauma? A Deeper Understanding Into Its Roots And Impacts.
1. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) is one of the most popular trauma therapies. It helps you to identify and change the negative thought patterns and behaviours that are causing your distress. CBT is great for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) which is often linked to trauma.
You can also read this article : The role of cbt for depression in emotional wellness
Effectiveness:
CBT has a good evidence base, many studies show it reduces PTSD symptoms. It’s structured, time limited and goal-focused, which makes it a practical option for most people. But not everyone, especially those who prefer a more open-ended, exploratory approach to therapy.
2. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a type of therapy that uses guided eye movements to help you process and reframe traumatic memories. The idea is that these eye movements mimic the natural process of memory consolidation that occurs during REM sleep and allow the brain to integrate and resolve the trauma.
Effectiveness:
EMDR is very effective for trauma, especially PTSD. Research shows it can reduce symptoms quickly. EMDR is good for people who struggle to verbalize their trauma, as it doesn’t require talking about the traumatic events. But some people may find EMDR unusual or uncomfortable and it may not be suitable for everyone.
3. Brainspotting
This technique is a psychotherapy that uses the observation that the body’s nervous system response when describing a traumatic event, has a certain spot in a person’s the visual field. Holding the attention on that Brainspot allows processing of the traumatic event to flow until the body activation has cleared. This is facilitated by a therapist focused on the client and monitoring with attunement.
Effectiveness:
According to research Brainspotting has been found to be an effective alternative for client’s who have experienced a traumatic event or have PTSD. Given that some clients find EMDR to be uncomfortable, brainspotting may be a gentler option. (Reference, Mediterranean Journal of Clinical Psychology, https://cab.unime.it/journals/index.php/MJCP/article/view/1376)
4. Internal Family Systems (IFS) Therapy
IFS Therapy was coined from the idea that the human mind comprises of various ‘parts’ with specific feelings, thoughts, and actions. IFS states that because of trauma, these parts can become extreme or isolated. Extreme parts may be called firefighters.
These parts try to keep a person safe from trauma through a variety of behaviours. An exile may be a wounded part that is isolated and hides away. This part is often protected by the firefighters. IFS’s purpose is to help a person get in touch with what is called the “Self,” which is considered to be good and insightful in order to deal with these hurt aspects.
The self is comprised of the 8 C’s, which are calm, clarity, curiosity, compassion, confidence, courage, creativity, and connectedness. As one can see from these words, connecting to self appears to align with one’s highest potential. We cover all of these flows in-depth in our what is internal family systems ifs therapy.
To lean more about Ifs and it’s criticisms read our : ifs therapy criticisms
Effectiveness:
IFS is helpful, especially for those who have undergone complicated trauma, which may include prolonged childhood abuse or neglect. In addition, it allows considering internal contradictions as a strength and promotes the growth of self-forgiveness. However, IFS might require more time, and it is not part of a structured or even systematic approach as CBT.
5. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET)
NET or Narrative Exposure Therapy, is a form of short-term psychotherapy intended to help clients’ build a coherent and meaningful life narrative which includes traumatic events. By arranging memory in a chronological way, a person is able to work through his or her experiences, and thus, events that cause trauma lose their ability to evoke certain feelings.
Effectiveness:
NET is useful for people, who have sustained, for example, fleeing from civil war, or genocide, like refugees or people who have been exposed to violence for a long time. Research has shown that it can help symptom relief in patients with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and in improving quality of life. However, reviewing or even narrating traumatic events may be demanding to some people, and given this, NET can be contraindicated in clients who cannot talk about trauma.
Conclusion: Which Therapy Is Most Effective?
In the end, what trauma therapy is best for you will depend on you and your particular circumstances. Though therapies like Somatic Experiencing, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) may be more appropriate for certain individuals or trauma types, CBT , brainspotting and EMDR are commonly acknowledged as effective treatments for PTSD. Often the strength of the therapeutic alliance between a therapist and their client is an important factor in healing.
Examining the type of trauma, your preferences, and the therapist’s experience are all important factors to consider when selecting a trauma therapy. Recall that getting the correct therapy can make all the difference in your long-term recovery from trauma. Healing from trauma is a journey.
If you or someone you love is experiencing the aftereffects of trauma, you can connect with Art Therapy Guelph. With the help of our trauma therapy session, we support survivors in facing their suffering, regaining their identity, and starting the healing process.