Trauma-focused psychotherapy
Trauma-focused psychotherapy (TF-P) is a form of therapy that can help you deal with the emotional response caused by a traumatic event; it is also the treatment of choice for post-traumatic stress disorder. Trauma-focused therapy was initially developed for child and adolescent survivors of sexual abuse. In trauma-focused psychodynamic therapy specific attention is devoted to examining the impact of the event on the self-concept and views of others, as well as to defensive maneuvers being used to ward off painful emotions and nihilistic, frightening, or hopeless meanings attributed to the trauma or its aftermath.
All trauma-focused psychotherapies are thought to involve meaningful processing of the trauma memory in some respect, the proposed underlying mechanisms of trauma-focused approaches.
Basic techniques used in trauma-focused psychotherapy:
- Imaginal exposure – an exposure technique where you imagine the trauma and describe it out loud to your therapist.
- In vivo exposure – an exposure therapy technique. It occurs outside the therapy session, in real-life situations.
- Written account – when your therapist asks you to write a descriptive account of the trauma you have experienced.
- Impact statement – writing an impact statement that explains why you believe the traumatic event occurred and the impact it has had on your life.
- Cognitive restructuring strategies – cognitive restructuring strategies that help you change unhelpful thoughts into more helpful ones.
Traumatic experiences can impact a person's life and relationships, as well as cause difficulties at work, school, and in social settings. Trauma-focused therapy can improve quality of life, primarily improve close relationships and connections with people, reduce irritability, anger, and frustration, and increasing peace of mind. Some other benefits of trauma therapy include learning coping skills to handle distorted or negative thoughts and feelings, reframing the traumatic experience, and making sense of it.
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