What Wikipedia Can’t Tell You About PTSD Treatment
There are so many fancy words and acronyms for PTSD treatment but where do you start? How do you know which one is best for you? All you know is you have been feeling terrible for a really long time and just want to get better. Everywhere you turn, someone is telling you to try a different type of trauma therapy. You don't know what all these terms mean or what will help.
You have come to the right place! We will explore some evidenced based PTSD treatments so you are more educated about finding the right trauma treatment for you!
In no particular order, below are a few of the most common and effective trauma therapies in Michigan:
EMDR: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
What is EMDR?
Developed by Dr. Francine Shapiro, EMDR is a structured therapy where you briefly focus on a trauma memory. While doing this, you simultaneously engage in bilateral stimulation. These are usually eye movements or tapping. The goal of EMDR is to reduce the vividness and emotion associated with the trauma memories.
How does EMDR work?
There are 8 phases of EMDR treatment. They are history taking, preparation, assessment, desensitization, installation, body scan, closure, and reevaluation of treatment effect. EMDR works by helping the brain process trauma memories and allowing the normal healing process to resume. You still remember the traumatic event but the self-protection response (fight, flight, or freeze) is resolved.
Effectiveness of EMDR
Research shows that children, adolescents, and adults can benefit from EMDR. One of the main benefits of EMDR is you are not required to talk in detail about the traumatic event. EMDR aims to change the emotions, thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that result from trauma or distressing experience(s). Trauma triggers that lead to flashbacks and nightmares are reduced or eliminated.
Somatic Therapy/Somatic Experiencing (SE)
What is Somatic Therapy?
Somatic therapy shifts our attention away from the cognitive story and focuses on the story of the nervous system. What that means is the bodies respond to trauma is the main focus in treatment. The goal is to heal trauma through the body and its sensations.
What is Somatic Experiencing therapy?
Somatic Experiencing is a type of somatic therapy. Somatic therapy asks the question, “How does the story show up in the body?” The goal is to bring the body into treatment. We want to understand what the nervous system did not get to do during the traumatic event. Then we can work to release what is trapped inside.
How does Somatic Therapy work?
Somatic Therapy is different from traditional “talk therapy” such as Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Talk Therapy integrates three elements -thoughts, feelings, and behaviors- into treatment. Thoughts are the ideas, opinions, and beliefs that we have about ourselves and the world around us. Feelings are our internal emotional experiences such as happiness, sadness, guilt, shame, and excitement. Behaviors are the physical responses and actions we take. The main purpose of talk therapy is to explore how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are connected. The goal is to either change our thoughts or behaviors to improve our mood or changing our mood and thoughts to improve our behavior. Somatic therapy does not ignore thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Rather, it integrates body sensations, imagery, and self-protection responses such as fight, flight, and freeze into treatment. Our bodies go through every experience with us and need a space to heal just like our minds do.
Effectiveness of Somatic Therapy
There are many factors that contribute to the effectiveness of all trauma treatments including but not limited to therapeutic rapport, patient readiness, comorbid symptoms (OCD, suicidality, psychosis, personality disorders), frequency of treatment, and current or ongoing trauma and stressors.
Research shows that Somatic Therapy, including Somatic Experiencing, is an effective treatment for PTSD. Somatic therapy allows for healing without explicitly retelling the traumatic event(s) and by focusing on releasing bodily tensions and completing trauma responses.
IFS: Internal Family Systems
What is Internal Family Systems?
Internal Family Systems (IFS) is an evidence-based psychotherapy developed by Dr. Richard Schwartz. IFS believes that the mind is naturally multiple and underlying these parts is a person’s core or true Self. Just like members in a family, parts can take on extreme roles. IFS believes that all parts have positive intent and therefore, all parts are welcome. .
How does Internal Family Systems work?
Some parts have been forced into extreme roles because of what they have been through. They are exhausted. Internal Family Systems works to unblend or separate parts from the Self. The goal is to help them go back to their intended roles. In therapy, we listen to these wounded parts. We want to acknowledge them and try to understand what they are trying to do. We let them be heard and appreciate them for what they do. We strive to understand what they are trying to protect. When the part is ready to give us space, we go to the exile, the wounded young part and heal it.
Effectiveness of IFS
Since all human have parts and Self, anyone can benefit! Internal Family Systems has been proven to be effective with people who have a symptoms of trauma, depression, anxiety, OCD, personality disorders, eating disorders and more.
CBT: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
What is Cognitive Behavioral Therapy?
In CBT treatment, the belief is that your emotions are created by your distorted thoughts or unhelpful behaviors. You will work with a therapist to identify problems in your thinking or behaviors. You will them changes these to feel better emotionally. Goals of treatment include forming new habits, reducing stress, learning how to express feelings, and having more realistic expectations.
How does CBT work?
In CBT treatment, the belief is that your emotions are created by your distorted thoughts or unhelpful behaviors. Therefore, you will work with a therefore to identify problems in your thinking or behavioral patterns and change them in order to feel better emotionally. Goals of treatment include forming new habits, reducing stress, learning how to express feelings and having more realistic thoughts.
Effectiveness of CBT
Research has shown a reduction in symptoms of PTSD, depression and anxiety after CBT treatment. The skills learned in treatment can benefit you for many years. CBT can be done individually or in a group. There are also a lot of apps that can help reinforce your learning in therapy at home.
CPT: Cognitive Processing Therapy
What is Cognitive Processing Therapy?
CPT is a cognitive behavioral treatment developed by Patricia Resick, PhD. The goal is to help individuals with trauma symptoms who feel “stuck” in their thoughts about the experience. It is a short-term treatment conducted over 12 sessions. The therapist helps you evaluate the thoughts you have that are influenced by the trauma. This could be self- blame or judgemental thoughts! .
How does Cognitive Processing Therapy work?
As a result of trauma, people’s thoughts about the world and themselves can change in five ways: safety, trust, control, esteem and intimacy. In CPT, the therapist helps you identify where your thoughts may have changed (your “stuck points”). They help you challenge and reframe these beliefs. There is a CPT manual that can be utilized for individual sessions or structured group sessions.
Effectiveness of Cognitive Processing Therapy
Evidence shows that CPT is effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD. There is research that shows it was more effective in reducing symptoms than a placebo.
Rapport in PTSD Treatment
If you are still unsure which of these types of PTSD treatments seem like a good fit, you are not alone! You can try multiple treatments and most trauma therapists specialize in more than one trauma treatment! Additionally, research indicates one of the most important factors in the success of therapy is the rapport between the client and the therapist. Therefore, although the type of PTSD treatment is important, what is equally important is how well you trust your therapist. You also need to feel connected to your trauma therapist and need to feel like they understand and listen to you to you!
Begin PTSD Treatment in Michigan
Living with trauma is overwhelming but finding the right PTSD treatment and therapist does not have to be. At Embodied Wellness, PLLC, our trauma therapists can treat anyone in Detroit, Ann Arbor, or throughout in Michigan via online therapy. Follow these steps to get started:
Be matched with one of our trauma therapists
Heal from PTSD
Additional Online Therapy Services We Offer
Embodied Wellness, PLLC provides online therapy in Michigan to adults and teenagers. Our therapists are trained in EMDR, DBT, empath counseling and the treatment of anxiety, depression and OCD. Servicios de terapia in Español.