Motivational Interviewing
Motivational Interviewing (MI) can be useful for folks who are considering making a change, but may have fixed feelings about it, feel stuck, or are unsure of their ability to change. In MI your therapist asks questions to help you better understand your goals and barriers to ultimately decide if a change is right for you.
Problem Solving Therapy
Problem Solving Therapy (PST) is a time limited, practical approach to finding answers to life’s problems. In this approach the therapist and client generate real life actions the client can take between sessions. It helps develop accountability and follow through when making change.
There are many different types of tools and skills that can help with relaxation. These might include things like meditation, breathing techniques, guided imagery, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness and/or movement to help you learn to calm your body. Your provider will help you learn and practice different strategies to find what works for you. These will be skills you can take with you after therapy and continue to use to manage stress.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) helps individuals understand how habits in their thinking and behavior can keep them stuck. Your provider will work with you to identify these patterns, and teach you skills to help you think, feel, and act differently. Individuals leave CBT with a set of skills they can continue practicing after therapy ends.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) helps individuals approach difficult traumatic experiences so that they can think and feel differently about them. It combines thinking about trauma memories with some type of movement to make it easier. EMDR helps individuals find their own way of making sense of their experiences.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) helps individuals understand how habits in the way they think about their traumas, such as "it was all my fault" or "I have to be on guard all the time," keep them stuck in PTSD. Beliefs about guilt, safety, trust, esteem and intimacy are all addressed. CPT does not require you to retell your trauma stories, but events are talked about as beliefs are examined. Individuals leave CPT with a set of skills they can continue practicing after therapy ends.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is a therapy that helps individuals begin to face trauma related memories, emotions, and triggers that they have been avoiding. In PE you tell your therapist the story of one of your traumas; this gets easier over time, and you develop a better understanding of the event. Your therapist also helps you identify things PTSD keeps you from doing in your life now, and you make a plan to slowly approach these triggers. Individuals leave PE with a set of strategies they can use to face other traumas and life stressors.
Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) is a therapy that helps individuals approach their trauma memories by looking at their whole life story. Major life events are identified and individuals choose the most important ones to tell out loud to their therapist. People often find that telling their stories helps them understand how their traumas fit into the larger context of their lives, and they start to think and feel differently about the events. Individuals can leave NET with a collection of all the life stories they shared.
Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief treatment that allows individuals to approach a trauma memory by writing the story of what happened. After you complete your writing in session, your therapist helps you process what you wrote.
Stress Inoculation Training (SIT) is a therapy that helps individuals develop tools for coping with their PTSD symptoms. It explains how PTSD affects the brain, and teaches skills like strategic breathing, progressive muscle relaxation, guided imagery, and identifying negative thoughts. These skills can be used when you feel triggered or overwhelmed by traumatic memories. SIT might not reduce your symptoms of PTSD, but it can help you feel more confident in managing them.
Trauma Support
Some individuals may prefer additional support preparing to do an evidence based treatment for PTSD, or want support in continuing to use skills after completing therapy.
It is very common for individuals to develop addictions or substance use disorders as an attempt to cope with their trauma. If you struggle with addiction & trauma, it is best to treat them both together. We can help you decide if an integrated therapy that addresses both at the same time might be best, or if a combination of trauma work and outside recovery support is a better fit. Recovery focused programs like Alcoholics Anonymous (AA/NA) or SMART Recovery can be great supports.
To benefit from trauma treatment, we recommend that you are not under the influence while you are participating in treatment activities, which can mean up to 5 hours of sobriety per day. If this does not feel possible, or would be dangerous for you to try due to withdrawal symptoms, we recommend completing a specialty substance use program before starting trauma treatment.
Trauma treatment might also be offered virtually while you complete residential rehabilitation, if appropriate.
We are stronger together, and family support can be a critical part of recovery from PTSD. We are happy to meet with your loved ones to help them learn more about PTSD and how you can help each other during PTSD treatment.
