What is Trauma Therapy?
Posted: February 3, 2021
Not many of us will get through life without facing our own share of challenges. But some people experience not just stress and strife, but actual trauma. Trauma may come in the form of a physically or emotionally abusive relationship, a physical accident such as a car accident, rape, the sudden loss of a loved one, or war.
When a person experiences trauma, their entire world changes almost instantly. Many trauma survivors have a hard time feeling safe and secure. They begin to feel anxiety and depression, have trouble sleeping, and may experience other behavioral changes that are frightening to them and their loved ones.
My name is Maria Paz Garcia, and I am a Licensed Mental Health Counselor serving people in Broward County. I’m a bilingual therapist who understands the struggles and changes that we have to overcome to adapt in a new culture and country. I’m passionate, down-to-earth, approachable, straight forward but most importantly understanding and caring.
How Does Trauma Therapy Work?
When you have experienced trauma and begin to see some of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), it’s time to explore treatment so you can begin healing. The idea of therapy can feel scary and overwhelming to people with PTSD, mainly because they need to have a sense of total control to feel safe. But trauma therapy is really something that can empower an individual with PTSD. With the help of a caring and qualified mental health professional, the person can begin to process past events, stripping that traumatic event of its power. Trauma therapy is a form of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and has the potential to actually change the way your brain works through what is called neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity simply means our brains and neural pathways (how we think and feel) are malleable. Through specific mental health tools and strategies, we can retrain our brains to let go of the fear and begin to heal. Some of the goals of trauma therapy are:- To safely process the traumatic event
- To eliminate the symptoms of trauma
- To improve day-to-day functioning
- To regain your personal power
- To obtain the skills and tools to prevent an individual from relapsing
I specialize in working with individuals struggling with substance abuse issues; difficulty establishing healthy relationships; identifying and placing boundaries; communication skills issues, assimilation and acculturation concerns; life transitions such as retirement, breakups; low-self-esteem and trauma.
I utilize a variety of techniques, including Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Existential Therapy and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Brainspotting (BSP), stress management, assertiveness training, and work/life balance.
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