Trauma Therapy in East Brunswick and Somerville, NJ and Online
Many of us live with trauma in our lives. We deal with unthinkable events, losses, and abuse. We may feel at loss as to how to process this pain, how to begin to heal. Fortunately, there is hope. Those of us here at Olive Branch Therapy Group want you to know that there is treatment available for you, treatment that will fit your individual experiences and needs to recover.
How Trauma Typically Affects You
Those of us who experience trauma often experience similar symptoms. When we experience trauma, our brain literally changes. Our brains tend to overreact to situations that would otherwise seem typical; we become hypervigilant and emotional. This is our traumatized brian telling us that we are hurting and need help.
These symptoms are part of a mental disorder called post traumatic stress disorder, or PTSD. Symptoms of PTSD may include:
- Intrusive thoughts
- Flashbacks
- Nightmares
- Severe anxiety
- Memory loss or poor concentration
- Anger/Mood swings
- Depression
- Social isolation
These symptoms of trauma may leave you exhausted, interfering with your day-to-day activities. Know that getting treatment as soon as possible can prevent these symptoms from getting worse.
Our Approach to PTSD and Trauma Therapy at Olive Branch Therapy Group
We want you to experience post traumatic growth, or trauma recovery, as soon as possible. Does this mean that if your trauma happened in the past, months or even years ago, that you can’t recover? Absolutely not. Whether you experienced childhood trauma or recent trauma, we’re here to help you heal.
At Olive Branch Therapy Group, we approach trauma therapy in a variety of ways. Some of the therapies we use include:
● Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy: EMDR therapy is an interactive therapy that helps lessen the impact of thoughts or memories through eye movement, tones or taps. Click the link above to learn more.
● Psychodynamic Psychotherapy: This type of therapy is what most people think of as talk therapy. In this therapy, you and your therapist will talk about your trauma and any thoughts surrounding it, and help develop insights that will lead to recovery.
● Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT): Primarily a treatment for children and adolescents, TFCBT often includes non-offending parents or caregivers to participate in therapy. Cognitive behavioral techniques are used to modify negative reactions and thoughts.
Depending upon your trauma (or that of your child’s,) our clinicians will work with you to decide what therapy is most helpful for you.
What to Expect During Trauma Therapy
The most important goal to keep in mind during trauma therapy is what you want your life to look like once therapy is finished. During trauma therapy, we will help you achieve that goal by:
- Facing your past traumas without getting “stuck” in them
- Working on eliminating trauma symptoms
- Focusing on the present, rather than the past
- Gaining skills to prevent relapsing
- Reclaiming control of yourself
- Improving your everyday outlook on life
Whether you’re experiencing complex PTSD, or pain from a single traumatic event, Olive Branch Therapy Group wants to help you reclaim your life and heal. You deserve to process your trauma and prevent further pain.
How to Get Started with Therapy
You’ve taken the first step in taking better care of yourself. You recognize the importance of mental health and now you’re ready to reach out to someone. We couldn’t be happier to help! Please don’t hesitate to contact our team at Olive Branch Therapy Group to schedule an appointment or if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you find the peace you deserve.
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