Understanding Trauma-Informed Therapy Approaches
Many people picture therapy as cold, detached psychoanalysis from old movies. In reality, modern counseling and therapy is often much more relational, practical, and collaborative.
I discovered that although I had prayed, worshipped, and shared my story with trusted friends — hurts from my chaotic childhood were still affecting my present life.
As I discussed in my previous article on therapy, I eventually realized I needed help beyond what I could untangle alone.
I did not need to feel ashamed, weak, or like a failure for reaching out. God had gifted other people with skills and wisdom that could help me heal and integrate wounded parts of my story.
Different forms of therapy help with different struggles. A licensed professional counselor or therapist may recommend certain approaches depending on whether a person is struggling with anxiety, trauma, grief, relationship patterns, addiction, depression, flashbacks, or overwhelming emotions.
You do not need to fully understand every therapy method before reaching out for help. A good counselor can help guide that process with you.
I have experience with several therapy approaches and would like to introduce some that have been helpful in my own untangling and recovery. This list is not exhaustive and does not suggest that other methods are not helpful. I’m speaking from what I know best.
I will describe them in simple terms, with links to more in-depth information.
Trauma-Informed Therapy
Trauma affects our whole self, not just our thoughts or emotions. Body, mind, relationships, and spirit are deeply connected, and hurt in one area affects the others. We are created for self-protection and survival, but traumatic experiences can overwhelm our natural ability to cope.
How do people cope? Some self-medicate with drugs or alcohol. Others turn to spending, overeating, overworking, endless activity, or constant distraction. We disconnect from our feelings and relationships while searching for relief, comfort, or peace.
A trauma-informed therapist recognizes that painful experiences can affect not only emotions and thoughts, but also the body, nervous system, relationships, sense of safety, and even a person’s view of God, themselves, and the world.
They understand that many coping behaviors once helped a person survive overwhelming experiences. Instead of shaming those responses, they help people approach them with compassion while learning healthier ways to live, connect, and heal.
Trauma-informed therapy also recognizes the importance of trust, emotional safety, choice, and a steady, supportive relationship with the therapist.
I have found such a therapist and can bring anything into our sessions. A good trauma-informed therapist pays attention not only to words, but also to reactions. He notices when I suddenly go quiet, change the subject, retreat emotionally, or stumble into an unexpected realization. I also have the freedom to ask questions, redirect the conversation, or talk openly about why certain topics have or have not been discussed.
I cannot stress enough how important it is to pay attention to both the process and the therapist. If you have given therapy some time and still do not feel heard, emotionally safe, or able to trust — talk honestly with your therapist about that.
Pay attention to the response. If the conversation leads to greater understanding, safety, and compassion, that is a good sign. If it confirms your concerns, it may be time to look for another helper.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR)
Traumatic memories can cause flashbacks, nightmares, and startle responses. EMDR works to help reprocess these memories. Early research with Vietnam veterans and sexual assault survivors showed how effective it could be.
I have undergone EMDR for experiences I faced as a hospital chaplain where flashbacks, especially sights and sounds, disturbed my sleep.
Traumatic events sometimes do not settle in our brains like other memories.
EMDR, which uses stimulation to both sides of the brain, can help “turn down the volume” of a traumatic memory so it no longer feels as immediate or startling.
In one instance, a single session of EMDR took the flashbacks away, and I was able to sleep peacefully that very night and afterward without further problems.
I did not find EMDR as helpful for generalized memories, but I found it very helpful for vivid traumatic memories.
If you experience flashbacks or unusually strong reactions to certain sights, sounds, smells, or memories, EMDR may be something worth exploring.
More information can be found on the EMDR International Association website (EMDrIA.org).
Internal Family Systems (IFS)
IFS has been one of the most helpful healing therapies for me. It was a little hard for me to grasp at first, but seeing the movie, Inside Out, helped. The movie portrays emotions as different characters inside a young girl’s mind, each influencing her reactions and behavior. I began to see how different emotions and reactions can sometimes take over the “control panel” inside of us.
IFS uses the language of “parts.” This may seem odd until you think of how many times you might say, “a part of me wanted to do x, but another part of me …” I came to see I had wounded parts inside of me that needed care and attention. I also learned that healing the wounded parts helped me feel and act better.
I resonate so well with IFS because, as a small child, I dissociated to protect myself. This means I “went somewhere else” in my mind so I didn’t experience the trauma with my full self. A part of me experienced It and carried those wounds. It doesn’t mean I have multiple personalities, but little wounded parts.
In IFS, therapists sometimes use imagination and visualization to help wounded younger parts feel safe, comforted, and no longer trapped in old reactions.
As my therapist and I have discovered them, we’ve been able to help them let go of the pain they were holding for me and let them play a new role. Being honest with heightened emotional reactions helped pinpoint these parts. As the parts found healing, I found more balance in my emotions and reactions.
I will write a blog about IFS later, but one of my favorite stories is when I realized I was letting my inner 6-year-old “justice seeker” drive to work. She would get very upset when drivers didn’t take turns merging into lanes or were just plain rude. By the time I arrived at work for my hospital chaplain shift, I was already angry at half the drivers in Portland.
In therapy we realized what was happening and she decided to let go of driving duty and chose to go play in a forest garden instead. Driving is much easier now as my adult self can extend grace to other drivers.
More information can be found on the IFS Institute website (IFS Institute).
Somatic/Body-Based Approaches
Trauma can shape a person in body, mind, and soul. I have found several body-based approaches helpful, especially since I was so good at dissociation.
I had lost connection with my body and physical pain. I carried stress constantly, but it had become so normal to me that I barely noticed it. I wore my shoulders up “like earrings.” I broke teeth from clenching my jaws at night. Tight muscles, fatigue, headaches, emotional numbness, and always feeling “on edge” had simply become everyday life.
My very first massage was a fully clothed chair massage.
I gradually moved to full body massages after I found a naturopath who offered body work.
After I got to know and trust her, I found her massage and chiropractic adjustments immensely grounding and restorative.
I became more aware of my body and how it stored stress and trauma.
Healthy rhythms like rest, movement, prayer, time in nature, exercise, sleep, and safe relationships can also help regulate stress before it becomes overwhelming.
I will discuss more trauma and body connections in the future, as well as the book The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma, by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Talk Therapy
CBT is a specific type of “talk therapy.”
It helps people pay attention to how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors work together. CBT helps people notice how thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect one another. Sometimes we carry assumptions, fears, or deeply ingrained beliefs that shape how we react to life without even realizing it. Learning to recognize those patterns can help people respond differently and develop healthier ways of living and relating.
According to the American Psychological Association (APA), CBT can be helpful for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety disorders, and alcohol and drug use problems, and can lead to significant improvement in quality of life.
Talk therapy often combines several approaches and is adjusted to fit a person’s specific needs.
Talk therapy can help with grief, anxiety, trauma, relationship struggles, depression, life transitions, and overwhelming stress. Sometimes healing begins simply by having a safe place to tell the truth about your life with someone wise and compassionate who helps you untangle confusing thoughts, emotions, and patterns.
For me, being an external processor (I don’t know exactly what I’m thinking until I hear myself say it) and an extrovert, a very important part of therapy is the relationship.
I have come to know my therapist and trust him. Like a good therapist, he allows me to be me, honors my faith, encourages me, challenges me, knows when to push, and when to comfort.
I have shared things with him I have not shared with anyone else. Embarrassing things. Traumatic things. Hospital encounters no one else (my husband or friends) need to have in their head.
I trust that he has people he talks to and that I am not too much for him.
We have done EMDR, IFS, and we explore patterns, emotions, faith, relationships, beliefs, and past experiences in the context of a trusted and compassionate counseling relationship.
Many people find this kind of steady, compassionate conversation deeply healing.
Group Therapy/Support Groups
Group therapy and support groups can be especially helpful for grief and loss. I have participated in several groups related to miscarriage and grief and found them very healing.
I was surprised to discover healing in other areas of my life while working through one specific grief. For example, while processing miscarriage loss, I was also able to forgive my step-father — that was grace.
Healthy support groups are led by trained facilitators or counselors who moderate and guide the process. These groups have boundaries of safety and confidentiality.
They can help people feel understood, validated, and less alone in the healing process.
In my previous article, I shared a little about what it can feel like to walk into a therapist’s office for the first time.
You are allowed to ask questions, be honest, and be fully yourself in therapy. And sometimes the bravest thing a person can do is recognize that a therapist is not the right fit and try again.
If you would like to read that article, you can find it here.
Healing is often not a straight line or a quick fix. Some people attend therapy for a short season during a crisis or grief, while others work more deeply over time. Even after significant healing, many people continue using healthy rhythms, supportive relationships, prayer, exercise, journaling, or occasional counseling check-ins to stay emotionally grounded.
Even more important, healing is not simply about feeling better. As Christians, we believe we are God’s workmanship, His masterpieces, and that He has good works prepared for us to do. Healing can help free us to live more fully in truth, love, peace, and the calling God has placed on our lives.
Whether you seek outside counseling or not, God is with you as you seek healing and restoration.
Healing rarely happens all at once.
But little by little, truth, safety, wisdom, and compassionate support can help untangle what once felt impossible to heal.
And God is present in every step as you pray, ask for wisdom, and follow where He leads.
In the next Finding Freedom article, we’ll talk about some practical ways to find a Christian therapist.
If you have any questions or thoughts, please fell free to comment below.
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