Trauma Counseling

Vista Counseling for Trauma

We Can Help

• Move past difficult memories to focus on what is truly important.
• Gain insight
• Make choices based on what you want to do, not what you want to avoid.

Here are just some examples of the issues that lead someone to seek assistance at Vista :

Treatment options include :

• Prolonged Exposure
• CBT / Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
• EMDR

Want to know more?

One impact of difficult experiences that are traumatic may be Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), which can develop after the experience of a traumatic event or events. The symptoms involved (for instance, nightmares, feeling numb, a desire to avoid thinking about what happened) are common for most people in the initial period following the experience of trauma. However, for those with PTSD, the symptoms persist over time and cause significant difficulties in everyday life activities – including but not limited to work, relationships, and leisure pursuits.

For more information about PTSD, visit the National Center for PTSD and see their informational pages:

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/fslist-ptsd-overview.asp

Research has confirmed the effectiveness of certain trauma-focused therapies in treating PTSD. Engaging in therapy can help reduce your symptoms and improve your quality of life.

One of the available, research-supported approaches to treating PTSD is called exposure therapy. In this therapy, the focus is on decreasing the fear that is associated with the trauma memories, thoughts, feelings, and even other situations which might remind you of the traumatic experience. By revisiting trauma memories in a safe and supportive environment, the fear and distress associated with those memories will diminish over time.

For an overview of PTSD treatments, see the National Center for PTSD’s treatment section:

http://www.ptsd.va.gov/public/pages/treatment-ptsd.asp

Your therapist can answer any questions you have about the therapy approach which might work best for you. As with all therapies, your active participation and input is essential. Your therapist will work with you to ensure that your treatment goals are being met and to tailor the treatment approach to your individual needs.

Written by Vista’s trauma specialist Jen Metheny, PhD