A Trauma-Focused Approach to Therapy

Trauma-Focused therapy is an approach to therapy that recognizes the impact of negative events that have occurred throughout a person’s life. These can be big events or small. Many people, when they hear the word trauma, think of the big T traumas: combat, witnessing death, car crashes, sexual assaults, and rapes.

However, it is also important to consider what we refer to as little t traumas. These are more subtle but can be just as damaging to an individual. They include emotionally or physically distant parents, childhood neglect, bullying, name-calling from a spouse, and gaslighting. The individual events are often remembered as a single painful event but insignificant overall. However, when the pattern is repeated over a longer period of time, it can create an emotional and psychological “death by a thousand paper cuts.”

Both big T and little t traumas can lead to emotional issues like anxiety and depression or behavioral issues like addiction, compulsions, and obsessions. It can manifest as low self-esteem, where you feel worthless or unlovable. You are left feeling stuck. Unable to move forward and ashamed of yourself, often taking the blame for what happened or what continues to happen.

Through the utilization of Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), which has its roots in EMDR, you can often see positive results very quickly. We target problem memories and thought patterns to mitigate and manage the negative effects of trauma and other mental and physical conditions in as few as 1-5 sessions. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is also used to help you gain additional insight into problem thought patterns and personal beliefs that may have fed the problem. It can be hard to spot the effects of trauma and often requires the help of a trauma-trained therapist. So call (864-757-2416) or email if you struggle with any of the following issues:

  • Depression

  • Anxiety

  • Family issues

  • Phobias

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

  • Self Esteem issues

  • Relationship issues/Infidelity

  • Codependency

  • Extreme Stress

  • Sleep Disturbance (Due to intrusive thoughts or nightmares)