Trauma informed psychotherapeutic treatment

Do you ever feel as though, no matter how hard you try, you can't get relief from a particular experience or emotion? You're not alone. Trauma is a common experience that can leave us feeling stuck and unable to move forward in life. Trauma informed psychotherapeutic treatment is an evidence-based approach to therapy that helps people who have experienced trauma. This type of treatment has been gaining popularity in recent years due to the work of two renowned therapists, Drs. Bessel van der Kolk and Janina Fisher. In this blog post we will discuss what trauma informed psychotherapeutic treatment is, its body mind connection, and how it can help those affected by trauma.

Body Mind Connection

It’s important to note that trauma informed psychotherapy doesn’t just focus on addressing traumatic memories or events; it also focuses on the physical effects those experiences have had on the body. This means that simply talking about your traumatic experience is not enough; you must also learn to listen to what your body is telling you in order for healing to take place. When we experience trauma our bodies often respond with physical reactions such as headaches, tightness in the chest, and insomnia. By understanding these physical reactions, we can further understand our mental health issues and begin healing from them more effectively.

Bessel van der Kolk & Janina Fisher

Van der Kolk developed the concept of "Body-Oriented Therapy," which focuses on helping clients become more aware of their physical sensations when experiencing emotion or distress. Fisher has built upon this concept with her own research into "Body-Focused Therapy." This approach encourages clients to explore their emotions through mindful movement such as yoga or dance therapy, as well as through self-touch such as massage or acupressure. By learning how to understand and respond to their physical sensations during therapy sessions, clients can gain insight into how their bodies react when they are under stress or feeling overwhelmed. By combining these two approaches, psychotherapist trained in Drs Van der Kolk & Fisher’s work are able to provide effective treatment for those suffering from PTSD in a holistic manner that considers both the body and mind connection.

Overall, trauma informed psychotherapy takes a holistic approach when treating trauma by addressing both the body and mind together. By understanding how our bodies respond to different stimuli, we can better recognise our own emotions and react accordingly in order to begin healing from our past traumas. Trauma informed psychotherapeutic treatment is an approach used by many clinicians today due largely to its effectiveness in helping those suffering from PTSD heal from their traumas safely and holistically by taking into account both the physical and psychological effects they have endured.

Here at Therapy with Michaela we are supporting our clients from this trauma-informant prospecting. To learn more visit our website.