Therapy for Trauma- By Kaci Pennington, LMHCA
So, you’re thinking about going to therapy for trauma. Starting therapy to resolve trauma can be really intimidating. Like most therapists, I’ve gone through my own therapy. I understand how scary that first session can be — whether starting with a new clinician or starting therapy for the very first time. If any of the questions below resonate with you, stick around and see if you can find some answers here.
The most common questions I hear are:
· What is trauma? Does what I experienced even count as trauma?
· What does therapy for trauma look like?
· What is expected of me in a therapy session? Am I expected to show up and discuss my trauma in the first session?
· When is it OK to seek help for trauma?
My goal in this article is to, first, put together a few thoughts to ease some of the anxiety around these common questions and concerns.
Second, I want to help you identify, for yourself, if working with a therapist is the right next step. If not, that’s OK. My hope is that you’ll leave with a better sense of what you want in a therapist and approach to care. If you read through this and find that you have questions, please don’t hesitate to reach out.