Trauma
Therapy
Trauma Therapy: You Don’t Have to Carry the Past Forever
Living in survival mode is exhausting. When you have experienced trauma, whether a single traumatic event or years of chronic stress, your brain and body can easily get stuck on high alert. You might find yourself constantly on edge, battling a harsh inner critic, struggling with panic, or feeling disconnected from the people you love. Even when you logically know you are safe, your nervous system might be telling you that danger is right around the corner.
I want you to know that your reactions make sense. What you are experiencing is not a character flaw; it is a normal, biological response to abnormal, overwhelming stress. Your brain is simply doing what it was designed to do: trying to protect you.
At Vivio Counseling in Jackson, TN, I specialize in trauma therapy. My goal is to help you safely process the pain of the past so you can step out of survival mode and finally reclaim your present and your future.
Understanding Trauma: It’s More Than Just a Single Event
Often, when we hear the word "trauma," we picture combat veterans, terrible car accidents, or natural disasters. While those are absolutely traumatic, trauma is also much broader. Trauma is not just an event itself; it is also how your nervous system processed (or couldn't process) the event.
In my practice, I help clients navigate several different types of trauma:
Single-Incident Trauma (PTSD)
This is what many people picture when they think of trauma. Single-incident trauma stems from one distinct, overwhelming event. This could be a car accident, a physical or sexual assault, a severe medical emergency, or the sudden loss of a loved one. Even though the event is over, your brain may still send off "false alarms" in the form of flashbacks, nightmares, or intense anxiety.
Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)
Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) occurs when you experience prolonged, repeated trauma over a period of time, often in situations where escape seemed impossible. This frequently involves ongoing emotional, physical, or sexual abuse, domestic violence, or toxic, long-term relationships. C-PTSD leaves deep wounds regarding self-worth, making it difficult to trust others, regulate intense emotions, and feel safe in your own skin.
Developmental Trauma
Developmental trauma happens during early childhood, a critical time when our brains are growing and learning how the world works. It often stems from childhood emotional neglect, inconsistent caregiving, abandonment, or growing up in a chaotic household. Because this trauma occurs so early, it can deeply shape your core beliefs, leading to chronic feelings of emptiness, difficulty forming healthy attachments, or a lifelong belief that you are somehow "unlovable" or "broken."
What does trauma therapy look like?
Much of modern psychotherapy is focused entirely on the present or the future. While looking forward is important, trauma therapy requires that we gently access and process the past. Traumatic memories form when the emotional content of an event is too overwhelming to be processed at the time. Through trauma therapy, we finally process that emotional content so it can stop intruding on your life today.
Many people are terrified to start trauma therapy because they fear it will be re-traumatizing. My number one rule for trauma work is to start and end with safety. I treat trauma therapy like learning to swim. I will never throw you into the deep end and expect you to just figure it out. Instead, we start in the safety of the shallow end. We will spend time building your emotional resources, learning grounding techniques, and ensuring your nervous system feels secure. Only when you feel equipped and ready do we slowly progress to the deeper water. You are always in control of the pace.
My Trauma Approaches
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing
A Structured Path to Reprocessing and Healing
Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy is a powerful, evidence-based approach, designed to help people heal from trauma and other distressing life experiences. When trauma occurs, the brain can struggle to process the information, leaving the memory unresolved and full of emotions. This is why the original sights, sounds, feelings, and thoughts from the traumatic event can intrude on the present, causing significant distress. EMDR therapy helps you resolve these memories, allowing your brain to resume its natural healing process.
How Does EMDR Therapy Work?
EMDR is a structured, eight-phase approach. This starts with ensuring you have the resources to feel safe and grounded. Once you feel more secure in the present, processing can begin. In processing sessions, you will be guided to focus on a specific memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (BLS), such as guided eye movements, alternating sounds, or tapping. This dual-awareness allows you to revisit the memory while staying safely grounded in the present, letting your brain reprocess the old event with the support and resources you have today.
The goal is not to erase the past, but to free you from its grip. This will allow you to live more fully in the present.
Visit the EMDR International Association's Website to learn more
Prolonged Exposure Therapy
Safely Facing the Past to Reclaim Your Future
After a traumatic event, the instinct to avoid reminders of it is a powerful form of self-protection. However, over time, this avoidance can shrink your world and strengthen the hold that trauma has on your life. Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a structured and evidence-based form of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) designed to help you safely and gradually break this cycle. The goal is not to re-traumatize you. Instead, it is to help your brain learn that you are safe now, allowing the fear to subside.
How PE Therapy Works: A Gentle, Step-by-Step Process
Prolonged Exposure involves two main components, which we will approach collaboratively and at a pace that you control:
- Revisiting the Memory (Imaginal Exposure): In the safety and confidentiality of our therapy sessions, you will be guided through sharing the traumatic memory in detail. This process, done repeatedly, helps you confront the memory without being overwhelmed by it. It allows your brain to fully process the event, reducing the intense emotional distress it carries.
- Re-engaging with Life (In Vivo Exposure): Together, we will create a hierarchy, or a list of safe people, places, or activities that you have been avoiding due to the trauma. You will then begin to gradually re-engage with these situations, starting with the least distressing ones and building confidence as you go. This is the practical work of reclaiming the parts of your life that trauma has taken away.
The goal of Prolonged Exposure is to help you:
- Realize that you can manage the distress associated with trauma memories.
- Learn that the situations you've been avoiding are not inherently dangerous.
- Regain a sense of control over your life and your reactions.
- Reduce PTSD symptoms like flashbacks, anxiety, and nightmares.
If trauma has made your world feel smaller, PE can be a powerful way to help you open it up again.
The National Center for PTSD site can help you decide if PE is right for you.
Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
A Path of Healing for Children, Teens, and Their Families
When a child or teen experiences trauma, their healing journey involves their entire family. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is one of the most effective and well-researched therapies for young people (typically ages 3-18) who have experienced traumatic events. It is a compassionate, components-based model that provides a clear roadmap for recovery while honoring the unique needs of each child and family.
The Three Phases of the TF-CBT Journey
TF-CBT is structured in three distinct stages to ensure healing happens in a safe and supportive sequence:
Safety and Skill-Building (Coping Phase): Before addressing the trauma directly, we build a strong foundation. Your child will learn practical, age-appropriate skills to understand and manage difficult emotions (affect regulation), relax their body, and challenge scary thoughts (cognitive coping). In parallel, you, the parent or caregiver, will learn about the impact of trauma and strategies to best support your child.
The Trauma Narrative (Processing Phase): Once your child has a toolbox of coping skills, they will be gently guided to create their Trauma Narrative. This is their story of what happened, told in their own creative way—through talking, writing, drawing, or other art forms. This process helps organize the memory, correct inaccurate thoughts, and reduce its emotional power.
Integration and Future Safety (Family Phase): In this final stage, the child is supported in sharing parts of their narrative with their caregiver in joint sessions. This is a powerful experience that enhances communication, reduces feelings of shame or secrecy, and strengthens the family bond. Together, we focus on creating safety plans and building confidence for a resilient future.
The Essential Role of Parents and Caregivers
You are the most important person in your child's life and healing. TF-CBT empowers you by making you an active partner in the process. You will be supported in understanding your child's experience and learning the most effective ways to provide comfort, stability, and encouragement at home.
Learn More: Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy: Assessing the Evidence
Ready to Begin Healing?
You do not have to navigate the heavy weight of C-PTSD or past trauma alone. At Vivio Counseling, I provide a compassionate, secure, and judgment-free space for you to heal at your own pace.
Take the first step toward a lighter, more peaceful life.