{"id":152312,"date":"2024-03-05T14:53:39","date_gmt":"2024-03-05T19:53:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/archives\/152312"},"modified":"2024-03-05T14:53:39","modified_gmt":"2024-03-05T19:53:39","slug":"ptsd-treatment-options-how-to-find-a-good-trauma-therapist","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/archives\/152312","title":{"rendered":"PTSD Treatment Options – How to Find a Good Trauma Therapist"},"content":{"rendered":"
https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y-d66DiFwvc<\/div>Hi everyone. I’m Emma McAdam, and I’m a\u00a0 licensed marriage and family therapist.\u00a0\u00a0 And I make mental-health education videos.\u00a0 And I’ve made a lot of videos about trauma\u00a0\u00a0 and trauma treatment. And so I get asked in a\u00a0 lot of emails this question: How can I find a\u00a0\u00a000:00:16<\/a>therapist who does trauma treatment like you? And\u00a0 it’s a great question, not because I’m the world’s\u00a0\u00a0 best trauma therapist, that is not the case, but\u00a0 because when it comes to therapy, it’s really good\u00a0\u00a0 to be an informed consumer. There are hundreds of\u00a0 different types of therapy, and every therapist is\u00a0\u00a000:00:33<\/a>different in how they approach issues. So\u00a0 whether you’ve never tried therapy before\u00a0\u00a0 or you’ve worked with other therapists in\u00a0 the past and you want something different,\u00a0\u00a0 learning about different treatment\u00a0 modalities can be really helpful.\u00a0\u00a000:00:53<\/a>So first, what is trauma? Trauma is\u00a0 any experience that was overwhelming,\u00a0\u00a0 threatening, that caused pain, distress, or\u00a0 fear to the point where you felt helpless.\u00a0\u00a0 It can include assault and abuse and witnessing\u00a0 tragedy. It could include frightening medical\u00a0\u00a000:01:09<\/a>experiences, near-death experiences, or\u00a0 a severe loss. But basically when your\u00a0\u00a0 response to these situations interferes with\u00a0 your life, you might receive a diagnosis of PTSD.\u00a0\u00a0 Or, if the abuse was ongoing for long periods of\u00a0 time, you might get a diagnosis of complex PTSD.\u00a0\u00a000:01:31<\/a>And symptoms include nightmares; feeling tense or\u00a0 anxious all the time; being jumpy; feeling numb\u00a0\u00a0 or detached; feeling exhausted and depressed;\u00a0 struggling in relationships, sleep, and and work.\u00a0\u00a0 So while almost all therapists have some skills\u00a0 in treating depression, anxiety, and trauma,\u00a0\u00a000:01:52<\/a>because these are such universal problems, not\u00a0 all therapists specialize in trauma treatment.\u00a0\u00a0 So that means that most therapists have at\u00a0 least a handful of tools to treat trauma,\u00a0\u00a0 but some therapists have a lot of skills and\u00a0 interventions and resources and experience to\u00a0\u00a000:02:10<\/a>help you out. And that’s not exclusive to trauma.\u00a0 The more specific you can get with your diagnosis,\u00a0\u00a0 the more specific you can get in finding a\u00a0 therapist who has interventions tailored to\u00a0\u00a0 your needs. Okay. So what are the trauma treatment\u00a0 options out there, and how do you find a therapist\u00a0\u00a000:02:27<\/a>who uses them? There’s a gazillion ways to do\u00a0 therapy, but I’m going to highlight the ways that\u00a0\u00a0 are research-backed, meaning they have a strong\u00a0 body of consistent evidence that these treatments\u00a0\u00a0 are effective. So the first approach to treating\u00a0 PTSD is cognitive therapy. And this is called\u00a0\u00a000:02:45<\/a>a top-down approach. So it includes cognitive\u00a0 behavior therapy, cognitive processing therapy,\u00a0\u00a0 and prolonged exposure. Cognitive approaches focus\u00a0 on talking about your trauma, changing how you\u00a0\u00a0 think about it, and changing behaviors that might\u00a0 be making it worse. So for example, you would\u00a0\u00a000:03:04<\/a>tell your trauma story, and your therapist would\u00a0 notice that you blame yourself for your abuse,\u00a0\u00a0 and then they would help you to challenge that\u00a0 type of thinking and replace it with something\u00a0\u00a0 healthier, like placing the responsibility on the\u00a0 abuser and forgiving yourself. Now, CBT has a lot\u00a0\u00a000:03:25<\/a>of research for a couple of reasons: it’s been\u00a0 around for a long time and it can be standardized.\u00a0\u00a0 They can, they can put it in a manual and say,\u00a0 “Oh, in session one, do this. In session two,\u00a0\u00a0 do this. And then they can measure outcomes.\u00a0 Most therapists include some form of talking\u00a0\u00a000:03:42<\/a>and examining thinking patterns as a part of\u00a0 therapy, but with a CBT therapist they may have a\u00a0\u00a0 very clear set of instructions for you. Prolonged\u00a0 exposure is another type of cognitive therapy.\u00a0\u00a0 It’s essentially exposure therapy. You talk about\u00a0 your trauma over and over until it’s no longer as\u00a0\u00a000:04:00<\/a>scary for you. Essentially, you teach your brain\u00a0 that you can face your trauma and be okay. Now,\u00a0\u00a0 cognitive approaches have been around for a\u00a0 long time, and they have a lot of research\u00a0\u00a0 behind them. One study at Kaiser showed that\u00a0 even just the simple act of a doctor saying,\u00a0\u00a000:04:16<\/a>“I see that you have a history of trauma or abuse.\u00a0 I’m sorry that happened to you. Would you like to\u00a0\u00a0 talk about it?” and then just listening – just\u00a0 that simple act of addressing trauma without any\u00a0\u00a0 specific interventions – this decreased the\u00a0 physical symptoms of trauma in a significant\u00a0\u00a000:04:34<\/a>way. So I I don’t mean to minimize the\u00a0 effectiveness of talk therapy with trauma,\u00a0\u00a0 but I think that I and many other therapists\u00a0 find that trauma treatment benefits from a\u00a0\u00a0 really well-rounded approach. And cognitive\u00a0 therapies focus on thoughts and memories,\u00a0\u00a000:04:52<\/a>but they don’t do much to address the physical\u00a0 reactions of trauma. Cognitive therapy can also\u00a0\u00a0 be really uncomfortable, and in some cases, you\u00a0 know, re-traumatize the participant by having them\u00a0\u00a0 talk about trauma without the skills to calm their\u00a0 body down. Now, that being said, cognitive therapy\u00a0\u00a000:05:12<\/a>is still an effective approach. According to the\u00a0 VA, around 53% of people who do cognitive therapy\u00a0\u00a0 no longer have PTSD after three months of\u00a0 treatment. EMDR is another great approach to\u00a0\u00a0 treating trauma. It’s got a lot of research behind\u00a0 it. It incorporates body-based soothing with\u00a0\u00a000:05:30<\/a>cognitive work while also including eye movement\u00a0 and bilateral movement as a part of the treatment.\u00a0\u00a0 EMDR stands for eye movement desensitization and\u00a0 reprocessing. So basically, scientists found out\u00a0\u00a0 that when we have bilateral movement –\u00a0 so that’s moving your eyes back and forth\u00a0\u00a000:05:49<\/a>or patting your legs one and then the other –\u00a0 that it stimulates the part of the brain that\u00a0\u00a0 processes memories. And this is similar to what\u00a0 happens in REM sleep, rapid eye movement sleep,\u00a0\u00a0 because when you dream, your eyes move\u00a0 back and forth. And this is a critical time\u00a0\u00a000:06:04<\/a>when your brain processes memories without too\u00a0 much emotion so that it can file them away.\u00a0\u00a0 So with EMDR and somatic approaches there isn’t\u00a0 nearly as much of a focus on retelling the\u00a0\u00a0 trauma story or challenging thoughts or homework\u00a0 assignments. And according to the VA, around 53%\u00a0\u00a000:06:22<\/a>of people who do EMDR no longer have PTSD after\u00a0 three months of treatment. Okay. The next type of\u00a0\u00a0 therapy, this next group of therapies incorporates\u00a0 a much more body-based approach or a bottom-up\u00a0\u00a0 approach to healing trauma, and it includes\u00a0 somatic experiencing, sensory motor therapy,\u00a0\u00a000:06:41<\/a>and polyvagal approaches to trauma treatment.\u00a0 So these approaches focus on the body and the\u00a0\u00a0 nervous system and how they get stuck in a trauma\u00a0 response, and they teach people skills to soothe\u00a0\u00a0 the body and turn off the fight\/flight\/freeze\u00a0 response and to activate their nervous system and\u00a0\u00a000:06:59<\/a>work through the physical tension of trauma. And\u00a0 it’s based off of the work of Bessel van der Kolk,\u00a0\u00a0 Peter Levine, Stephen Porges, Pat Ogden, Deb Dana,\u00a0 and others. And it’s gaining a lot of momentum,\u00a0\u00a0 and the research behind its effectiveness is\u00a0 growing. Interventions include things like yoga,\u00a0\u00a000:07:19<\/a>learning nervous system calming skills, gaining\u00a0 a greater awareness of your body’s reactions,\u00a0\u00a0 and working with your body to restore a sense of\u00a0 calm. And I teach a bunch of these skills in my\u00a0\u00a0 free course, Grounding Skills for Anxiety, Stress,\u00a0 and PTSD. So if you’d like to learn some of them,\u00a0\u00a000:07:35<\/a>just check out the link in the description. When\u00a0 someone asks me how to find a trauma therapist who\u00a0\u00a0 does trauma work the way I do, this approach is\u00a0 one that I’m drawn to the most. Now, I understand\u00a0\u00a0 a lot of cognitive work. I’ve read books or\u00a0 attended trainings on most of the approaches.\u00a0\u00a000:07:52<\/a>And for me, the body-based approach really\u00a0 adds a lot to the cognitive work that many\u00a0\u00a0 people have already tried. Somatic\u00a0 experiencing is also a newer approach,\u00a0\u00a0 so there’s less research behind it, but studies\u00a0 are promising. Some smaller studies have found\u00a0\u00a000:08:08<\/a>that 67% of people experience a reduction of\u00a0 PTSD symptoms, and a meta-analysis of 16 studies\u00a0\u00a0 found overall positive effects\u00a0 of somatic experiencing therapy\u00a0\u00a0 on PTSD symptoms. Okay. Another type of therapy\u00a0 is narrative therapy. And this is often used in\u00a0\u00a000:08:27<\/a>a small-group setting. It’s another approach\u00a0 that has been used with good results. And\u00a0\u00a0 basically you just get a group of people together\u00a0 to talk about and work through their experiences.\u00a0\u00a0 People explore their narrative or their\u00a0 interpretation of traumatic events with\u00a0\u00a000:08:42<\/a>other people, and they create a new story around\u00a0 their humanity. And it has a lot of good evidence.\u00a0\u00a0 Medication is another option to treat PTSD, and it\u00a0 can be combined with therapy. Antidepressants like\u00a0\u00a0 Prozac, Paxil, Effexor, and Zoloft can be helpful\u00a0 at treating overall symptoms. And basically,\u00a0\u00a000:09:03<\/a>medication helps to quiet the alarm system that\u00a0 seems to be constantly stuck in the on position.\u00a0\u00a0 According to the VA, medication is\u00a0 effective for 42% percent of people. Also,\u00a0\u00a0 prazosin can help with nightmares, and anxiety\u00a0 medications can help with the anxiety symptoms.\u00a0\u00a000:09:21<\/a>Medication does come with the possibility of\u00a0 side effects, and the benefits may go away if you\u00a0\u00a0 stop taking the medication. Now, I don’t think\u00a0 that there is one approach to trauma treatment\u00a0\u00a0 that is best for everyone, so you may need to try\u00a0 a few different things to find out what works for\u00a0\u00a000:09:36<\/a>you. Also, a combination of approaches may be\u00a0 best. Many therapists will integrate a cognitive\u00a0\u00a0 approach with body-soothing skills while also\u00a0 encouraging you to work with a doctor to explore\u00a0\u00a0 medical treatments as well. Regardless of which\u00a0 approach you want to try, it’s important to find\u00a0\u00a000:09:54<\/a>a therapist who is experienced. So let me show\u00a0 you one way I recommend doing that. So if you\u00a0\u00a0 go to psychologytoday.com (not a sponsor), their\u00a0 therapist finder tool has some great filters. So\u00a0\u00a0 you just start by entering your location, and then\u00a0 you can select trauma-focused EMDR or somatic, and\u00a0\u00a000:10:13<\/a>then you can see a list of the providers in your\u00a0 area. You can also filter by gender, religion,\u00a0\u00a0 by the insurance they take, and a bunch of other\u00a0 characteristics. Now, just because someone says\u00a0\u00a0 they’re trauma-informed or they practice a certain\u00a0 modality doesn’t mean they’re certified in it.\u00a0\u00a000:10:29<\/a>So for someone to be EMDR certified, they need to\u00a0 have done something like 40 hours of training and\u00a0\u00a0 50 plus hours of supervised practice. So look\u00a0 for a certified provider whenever possible.\u00a0\u00a0 To become a certified somatic experiencing\u00a0 practitioner you have to do eight training\u00a0\u00a000:10:47<\/a>modules of four to six days in length spaced\u00a0 out over two and a half to three years, so\u00a0\u00a0 this is really different from someone who’s just\u00a0 trauma informed or has a different certificate.\u00a0\u00a0 There are a ton of other approaches to\u00a0 trauma treatment that are gaining popularity,\u00a0\u00a000:11:02<\/a>but they they just don’t have\u00a0 as much research behind them.\u00a0\u00a0 These include brain spotting, neurofeedback,\u00a0 mindfulness, acceptance and commitment therapy,\u00a0\u00a0 tapping. And there’s a lot of other things that\u00a0 you can try that may help, but they don’t have as\u00a0\u00a000:11:19<\/a>much evidence behind them. And so other other\u00a0 interventions include things like journaling,\u00a0\u00a0 dancing, exercise, improving your overall\u00a0 mental health, certain nutritional approaches,\u00a0\u00a0 and sharing your story with compassionate\u00a0 people. All these things can be really helpful;\u00a0\u00a000:11:37<\/a>they’re just not necessarily meeting that gold\u00a0 standard of evidence-based treatment. Now, for\u00a0\u00a0 all we know, these may work. But the further you\u00a0 get away from research, the less we know about how\u00a0\u00a0 the treatment will affect you. I’m pretty cautious\u00a0 about recommending treatment without rigorous\u00a0\u00a000:11:53<\/a>evidence, but I do encourage people to try a few\u00a0 things until they find something that works for\u00a0\u00a0 them. So there you have it: a handful of different\u00a0 approaches to treating trauma. I hope this helps\u00a0\u00a0 you choose a treatment option that works for\u00a0 you. Thank you for watching, and take care.
Source : Youtube<\/a><\/div><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Y-d66DiFwvcHi everyone. I’m Emma McAdam, and I’m a\u00a0 licensed marriage and family therapist.\u00a0\u00a0 And I make mental-health education videos.\u00a0 And I’ve made a lot of videos about trauma\u00a0\u00a0 and trauma treatment. And so I get asked in a\u00a0 lot of emails this question: How can I find a\u00a0\u00a000:00:16therapist who does trauma treatment like you? And\u00a0 … Continue reading PTSD Treatment Options – How to Find a Good Trauma Therapist<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":152313,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[988],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-152312","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/03\/1709668419-maxresdefault.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152312"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=152312"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/152312\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/152313"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=152312"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=152312"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/effectsofanxiety.net\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=152312"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}