Trauma can be any event in which an individual feels out of control of a situation leaving them to experience extreme emotional disturbance or discomfort. The impacts of trauma can affect emotional and physical health as well as overall functioning. There is no timeline to which the impacts of trauma can subside. Everyone is on their own path and we encourage you to be gentle with yourself on yours. Our providers are trauma informed and have various trainings and certificates in working through trauma.
Forms of trauma
- Accidents
- Abuse
- Natural disasters
- Violence
- Significant Life Changes
Trauma FAQs
Trauma can be experienced by ANYONE. Trauma does not discriminate on what type of person can be impacted by it. A person can experience trauma as a result of an incident (or incidents) in which they felt a threat to safety and a lack of control. Trauma therapy is a safe environment in which a therapist can assist a person with how to cope with the emotional stress that traumatic events create.
PTSD stands for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. It is a clinical diagnosis in the DSM that has several criteria and requires exposure to an upsetting traumatic event.
Yes! Not everyone who experiences a traumatic event will develop PTSD. There are several protective factors that can prevent PTSD like having support from family or friends, access to professional support, not experiencing repetitive traumas, etc.
No! While help with accident trauma and abuse trauma are targeted by trauma therapy, these are not the only ways that people experience trauma or seek therapy as a result. Other presenting problems can be trauma surrounding an accident, loss, significant life changes, and natural disasters.
There is no specific timeline for healing from trauma. Factors such as whether a person has experienced multiple traumas and has a lack of support can impact treatment progress. Ultimately, it is harmful to compare one person’s recovery with that of another.
Trauma therapy should be done by a therapist with specialized training. Make sure to ask for a therapist’s training and qualifications in trauma and see if their modalities are compatible with what you would like to work on. There are different modalities like EMDR, TF-CBT, Exposure therapy, etc. and you want to make sure you are choosing a therapist with the qualifications that best fit your treatment needs!
Resources
- The National Child Traumatic Stress Network- https://www.nctsn.org/
- ChildLine- 1-800-932-0313- https://www.pa.gov/en/agencies/dhs/resources/keep-kids-safe/report-child-abuse.html
- National Human Trafficking Hotline- 1-888-373-7888- https://humantraffickinghotline.org/en
- Legal Aid of Southeastern PA- 877-429-5994- https://www.lasp.org/
- National Center for PTSD- https://www.ptsd.va.gov/
- Women’s Center of Montgomery County Domestic Violence Support Group- https://wcmontco.org/domestic-violence-support-group/
- PEMA (Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency)- https://www.pema.pa.gov/Pages/default.aspx
- National Domestic Violence Hotline- 1-800-799-SAFE (7233)- https://www.thehotline.org/
- 2-Minute Neuroscience: PTSD video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0x9_CRqshro
- Trauma for Kids video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zLVQUk_E2Fs
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