Effective treatment for trauma & PTSD.

CPT is a trauma-focused therapy to help people with PTSD recover from experiences of trauma. It is supported by decades of research as an effective and first-line therapy for PTSD.

In this therapy, we would work to understand what you think about why the trauma happened, and how experiences of trauma have shaped the way you may think about yourself, the world and others around you. These thoughts oftentimes lead to intense negative emotions as well as behaviors that may interfere with daily functioning while also maintaining PTSD symptoms. You will also learn skills to identify, challenge, and reframe unhelpful trauma-related thoughts. This allows more effective processing of trauma, leading to a reduction of PTSD symptoms.

EMDR can help you overcome stress and anxiety caused by trauma and PTSD. EMDR is a research supported therapy for the treatment of PTSD. During sessions, you will recall distressing and intrusive trauma memories while simultaneously engaging in bilateral stimulation of the brain (typically with eye movements or shoulder tapping). Bilateral stimulation makes reprocessing of “locked” trauma memories more effective. The memories become less distressing, and, in turn, PTSD symptoms reduce.

PE is backed by a substantial body of clinical research as a front-line therapy for the treatment of PTSD. In PE, avoidance of trauma-related memories, thoughts, emotions, and situations maintains PTSD symptoms. Although avoidance of uncomfortable trauma-related memories or situations may lead to short-term relief, avoidance promotes unintended learning that trauma-related memories or situations cannot be handled resulting in anxiety and stress and strengthens the urge to avoid or escape them.

To break the cycle of avoidance, you will gradually confront trauma-related memories, thoughts, and emotions through exposures. Gradual exposure in PE is done intentionally and in a safe environment. Through repeated practice of exposure, you are able to process through trauma, and learn how to handle trauma-related memories, thoughts, emotions and situations without becoming overwhelmed and without practicing avoidance. As a result, this leads to a reduction of PTSD symptom severity and improvements in overall daily functioning and well-being.

TrIGR is a therapy designed to help people address guilt, shame, or moral injury (distress resulting from engaging in or witnessing actions that go against one’s moral code) resulting from a trauma. TrIGR includes modules focusing on education about guilt, appraisal of guilt, and values-based living. Education includes common reactions to trauma, including an overview of trauma-related guilt and shame focusing on the difference between adaptive and non-adaptive guilt. Guilt appraisal sessions focus on evaluating an individual’s trauma-related guilt in a non-judgmental manner in the context of common non-adaptive guilt reactions. Guilt appraisal sessions allow you the space to actively approach the traumatic event, ultimately leading to a more helpful and realistic understanding of your role, leading to reductions in trauma-related guilt. Values-based living sessions allow you to identify how guilt has interfered with your ability to participate in activities that are meaningful to you. This final module is designed to get you involved with what you value in order to promote a life that is more meaningful.