Some therapists say they treat trauma, but do they really? Here’s how you know.
Often, I see therapist listings on directories or websites that say they treat a number of issues, including “trauma”.
But, do they really?
Guess what. No, they DON’T.
Let me back up and say, they may be very experienced, very caring, and they work with a lot of people who are in pain or anxious. They talk. It helps, because they make people feel heard and supported. Maybe they help you cope. That’s good.
Case in point: A few therapists in private practice that I come across list “trauma” as one of the issues they treat. After I talked to them, though, they said they have not had any formal training in any trauma modalities. One even asked me, “Oh NO! What would you do if someone disassociates in your office?” If a therapist asks me that, it’s an indicator that they do NOT know how to treat, handle or reprocess trauma. What they probably mean is that they know you might have intense reactions sometimes and that it comes from your trauma. They can sit with you a bit. They can tell you what trauma is. But they don’t work using a specific trauma protocol, like TIR, EMDR, Somatic Experiencing, or Internal Family Systems, to name a few. So they don’t know how to change that for you. And you feel supported, but your symptoms are still not much changed. So, yeah, it concerns me that they say they treat trauma when they haven’t been trained to do it.
Another case in point: I know another therapist, a distinguished professional who does a lot for professional organization trainings, along with their private practice. They work with first responders, especially police and firefighters, and has done so for years. They said they haven’t felt the need to work in a trauma modality to help. I’m not going to say they are not effective at what they do. A therapist who is familiar with the specific stuff you deal with as a police officer or firefighter is super important. This person “gets” it, is linked in to your people and understands what police and firefighters deal with and how it hits them. They know the lingo. (And that these folks don’t like to seek help outside their people. More on that later.) So I don’t doubt that that is priceless. If you are on the police force or a firefighter, that is just what you need. It’s powerful, and it’s enough for you.
But if it isn’t – if you are still having flashbacks, nightmares, avoiding the places that trigger intense distress, or are still plagued with intrusive, unwanted feelings – you may need something else. It doesn’t mean these therapists did bad work. They got you to a good place from where you started. It just means you need something more targeted for your symptoms at this point.
Because trauma isn’t about talk. It is stored deeper in your body and brain, in the parts that talking doesn’t get to. That’s why talk therapy often isn’t enough to heal and reprocess the trauma. You don’t need more empathy. You need a targeted approach for symptom relief.
I know someone else whose spouse was in a bad car accident. For months, they have been in talk therapy, suffering from the classic PTSD symptoms – nightmares, flashbacks, feeling “jacked up” all the time. I’m sure the talk therapy makes them feel supported, but it isn’t helping the PTSD, and they don’t need to keep suffering like this! They can get specialized trauma treatment and get symptom reduction in a few sessions. I know this, because this is what I do and I see the relief people feel.
Does this sound like you? I you want someone who is trained and specializes in treating trauma, verify that they actively use a specific, professionally recognized trauma-treatment modality. Being certified means they went through a rigorous process to learn to treat your PTSD. I am Certified in Traumatic Incident Reduction/ TIR, and this is what I do.
