Trauma Recovery

Complex and Single-Incident Trauma

Trauma can be experienced in numerous ways and settings. Although trauma is complicated and does not necessarily fit neatly into a category, single-incident and complex trauma are general ways to distinguish between types.

Therapy For Complex Trauma

Complex or Type 2 trauma describes trauma you may have experienced during early childhood or developmental stages. Repetitive trauma often happens in an interpersonal relationship, where you may feel physically or emotionally trapped. You may also have been coerced or powerless to prevent the trauma. A condition related to Type 2 trauma is Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD).

Examples of complex trauma include:

• Emotional abuse
• Domestic violence
• Sexual abuse
• Bullying
• Abandonment or neglect
• Coercion
• Overly strict upbringing, sometimes religious

A personalized trauma recovery plan can be beneficial and may include trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Read about: Trauma Bonding: What It Is and How to Heal From It →

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Counseling For Childhood Trauma

With the right approach, you can learn to process emotions and cope, starting the childhood trauma-healing journey as an adult. It’s important not to underestimate childhood experiences and how they can affect you as an adult. Childhood trauma can manifest in many ways, including chronic stress, fatigue, panic attacks, sleep issues and eating disorders.

Healing starts with acknowledging the trauma, being patient with yourself, reaching out to loved ones for support and seeking professional care.

Learn more about Healing Childhood Trauma As An Adult →

What Is Trauma-Informed Counseling?

Trauma-informed counseling starts by recognizing the ways trauma can affect an individual and those around them. It also acknowledges how common trauma is and puts this understanding into practice. Trauma-informed therapy addresses the specific needs of someone with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and other stress-related conditions. It emphasizes:

• Trust and safety: Therapy can help people re-establish a sense of comfort and safety so they do not stay in a hyper-alert and fearful state. To do this, counselors create a safe environment.
• Peer networks and support: Relationships are often influenced by trauma. Trauma-informed approaches recognize this and work to create connections and help individuals move forward.
• Transparency: Counselors stay transparent about treatments and therapies, so people seeking counseling can feel safe.
• Self-empowerment: To move forward, people need to feel that they have choices and can make positive, empowering moves in their lives. Facilitating this means allowing people to make their own treatment choices.
• Issues related to gender, culture and history: Ethnicity, identity, gender, sexual orientation or other characteristics can impact trauma. Recognizing this head-on can be important to helping a person reclaim their voice.
• Cooperation and collaboration: Counselors and health care providers may work together to offer quality treatment for patients. Having a comprehensive care team on your side can make the recovery process easier and provide you with additional support.

This type of therapy can include many approaches and models, including the Essence of Being Real model, Trauma Recovery and Empowerment Model, Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT) and others.