Six types of therapy for trauma (backed by experts)

Trauma is about so much more than just what happened to you. It's about how you feel and the ways your mind (and sometimes your body) react to your experience. Trauma can be related to a single event, or it can be the outcome of repeated exposure to something that causes you stress or shakes your general sense of safety.

The effects of trauma can impact your brain and your nervous system. It can cause cortisol and adrenaline (stress hormones) to surge, triggering your fight-or-flight response. Over time, ongoing stress from trauma can leave you feeling stuck in overdrive. You might feel anxious all the time, unable to relieve stress, or unable to let your guard down and relax. Trauma-focused treatment, such as psychotherapy, can help you overcome all of these trauma symptoms you're having.

Symptoms of untreated trauma can include:

• Trouble sleeping
• Nightmares
• Panic attacks
• Negative self-image
• Self-doubt
• Feeling detached from loved ones
• Loss of interest in things or people you once enjoyed
• Risky behavior
• Hypervigilance
• Irritability
• Emotional numbness
• Flashbacks
• Physical symptoms like headaches, nausea, and chest pain

Trauma affects the brain, too. It can impact the parts that regulate memory, emotional regulation, and decision-making. This explains why you might be experiencing problems with concentration, mood, or an overwhelming sense of distress.

Healing from trauma often takes more than just talking about what you went through. But with the right therapy and support, trauma is treatable. When you go to therapy for trauma, you can learn how to reclaim your sense of safety. You'll work on building resilience and recovering in the healing process from depression, anxiety, or anything else you're experiencing because of your trauma.

There are several types of trauma-focused therapy that are known to promote recovery. Each is backed by research and commonly used by skilled, experienced mental health professionals. If you're seeking individual therapy, there is a style out there that can meet your needs.

#1 Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured, short-term form of therapy that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns. When used specifically to treat trauma, a CBT-focused therapist helps you find unhealthy and unhelpful beliefs like "I'm powerless" or "This was my fault." Once you know, you can learn coping skills to challenge and change the ways you're thinking about what you went through. You'll learn how to effectively manage things like guilt, anxiety, triggers, and intrusive thoughts.

CBT is an evidence-based type of therapy that can help with:

• Anxiety and stress
• Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• Depression
• Intrusive thoughts

CBT might be a good fit if you:

• Like structure
• Want practical tools
• Prefer talk therapy that centers on your thoughts and behavior patterns
• Need coping mechanisms to help you deal with triggers and intrusive memories
  
  

#2 Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a unique therapeutic treatment method that uses guided eye movement to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories. It's backed by research and widely used to reduce symptoms of PTSD. EMDR can be especially helpful if you have distressing flashbacks or emotional numbness related to trauma. A review of more than 20 randomized trials highlights the positive effects of EMDR in treating emotional trauma.

EMDR is proven effective in treating:

• PTSD
• Severe flashbacks
• Emotional numbness
• Mood and overall well-being

EMDR might be a good fit if you:

• Struggle with recurring flashbacks
• Continuously relive traumatic memories
• Prefer a form of therapy that doesn't involve verbal recounting
• Are open to guided techniques
  
  

#3 Somatic therapy

Trauma isn't something that just lives in your head. It can also be carried throughout your body. Somatic therapy helps you identify how and why trauma causes physical sensations and tension in the nervous system. A therapist can teach you techniques like breathwork and body awareness. Combined with gentle movement, somatic therapy can be an effective way to find and release the tension you've stored as a result of your trauma.

Somatic therapies use approaches like somatic experiencing (SE) and sensorimotor psychotherapy. SE helps you start to pay attention to physical sensations caused by trauma, like shaking or tension. Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a form of talk therapy that focuses on your body's response to trauma. Focusing on posture, physical sensations, and stress, you'll use gentle movement and mindfulness exercises to release stored trauma and strengthen your mind-body connection.

Both of these modalities create ways for you to heal beyond what a traditional talk therapist offers. They can be an effective approach if you struggle with emotional overload or feel like you freeze when trying to deal with your trauma. For some individuals, they can also help reduce physical pain linked to trauma. In studies, SE showed promising results for trauma treatment, positively impacting both emotional and somatic symptoms.

Somatic therapies for trauma can:

• Release trauma trapped in your body
• Enhance your ability to regulate your emotions
• Calm your nervous system
• Reduce anxiety

Somatic therapy might be a good fit if you:

• Are seeking gentle work with your body's reactions to trauma
• Struggle to verbalize your feelings
• Find it difficult to talk about your memories
• Experience physical symptoms that are connected to stress-related trauma
  
  

#4 Internal family systems (IFS)

Internal family systems (IFS) is based on the idea that you have many parts of yourself. They can be playful, strong, wounded, or protective. When you experience a trauma, certain parts will carry the pain while others work to shield you from it. In some cases, your protective instincts aren't healthy. While still newer and needing more extensive research, IFS therapy for trauma treatment is increasing in popularity and has shown promising results in studies.

IFS therapy teaches you how to relate to all parts of yourself with curiosity and compassion without judgment. It can help you deal with conflicting emotions and resolve internal conflict that stems from trauma. This form of trauma-focused therapy teaches you to nurture your authentic self. It can be especially powerful if you've undergone complex trauma or have developed a strong inner critic.

IFS can help you:

• Understand the different parts of yourself
• Start to harmonize each of the parts so they work together in positive and healthy ways
• Resolve shame
• Reduce self-criticism
• Become more compassionate for the wounded parts of yourself
• Find inner peace

IFS therapy might be a good fit if you:

• Deal with harsh self-judgment
• Often feel conflicted about your emotions and feelings
• Are looking to explore your inner world on a deeper level
• Are curious about parts work
• Are interested in holistic healing
  
  

#5 Narrative therapy

Narrative therapy teaches you how to retell, reshape, and reclaim your own story. As you explore past trauma and look at how you interpret it, you'll gain coping tools to separate your true identity from your experience. Narrative therapy helps you challenge the belief system you've developed that's limiting you, so you can discover new meaning in your life that's separate from your trauma. It allows you to build agency and find new meaning. In studies, narrative exposure therapy effectively eliminated symptoms of PTSD, which is common after traumatic experiences.

By reframing your story in a way that highlights your strengths and ability to grow, you can start to let go of the damage trauma has done to you. It's an effective type of trauma therapy if you feel stuck in a pattern of shame, blame, or helplessness.

Narrative therapy can help you:

• Understand and find catharsis
• Experience an emotional release that's crucial to your healing
• Increase your sense of agency
• Feel empowered
• Build stronger self-awareness
• Develop resilience

Narrative therapy might be a good fit if you:

• Do well in creative story-focused approaches
• Want to separate your identity from the trauma you experienced
• Enjoy journaling
• Tend to get a lot out of self-reflection
  
  

#6 Trauma-informed mindfulness and meditation

Traditional mindfulness and meditation teach you to live in the present. Trauma-informed mindfulness uses practices that create a safe and comfortable space for you to explore past trauma. According to research, mindfulness-based treatments are very effective in relieving symptoms related to trauma. You'll use techniques like grounding exercises and gentle awareness of your bodily sensations. If you've ever struggled with meditation or other mindfulness practices, there are many modifications that can help you avoid feeling overwhelmed during the process.

Trauma-informed mindfulness can reduce reactivity and help individuals build emotional resilience. It's an excellent tool for calming the nervous system and reducing flashbacks that are common with trauma. It's often used in a combined approach with other forms of therapy to calm the nervous system.

Trauma-informed mindfulness and meditation can help you:

• Reduce anxiety
• Improve emotional regulation
• Build resilience
• Develop and use effective coping skills
• Reduce reactivity
• Promote a sense of calm

Trauma-informed mindfulness can be a good fit if you:

• Are seeking a low-pressure experience
• Want to work on skill-building
• Are interested in meditation
• Want to reduce stress
• Need something flexible and easily accessible

Deciding on which type of therapy for trauma you'll use can be challenging if you don't know the right questions to ask. Keep in mind that healing journeys are rarely linear. What works for one person might not be the best fit for your needs. You're also not locked into a method just because you try it. If you decide on a specific format, but don't get the results you're looking for, it's OK (and actually really common) to change course.

Most importantly, therapy is a collaborative partnership. Your sense of safety and the trust you develop with your therapist are going to be just as important as the technique you use. Studies consistently show that the patient-provider relationship is the number one predictor of a successful outcome.

If you're struggling to decide, ask yourself the following:

• Do you like talk-based approaches (like CBT) or body-based healing (like somatic therapy)?
• Do you feel ready to revisit traumatic memories directly (like you will in CBT or EMDR)?
• Do you want to work one-on-one with a therapist (like in IFS, CBT, and EMDR), or do you think you might feel safer in a group setting?
• Are you looking for structure and problem-solving (like CBT or narrative therapy)?
• Do you want to explore deeper patterns and internal past experiences (like IFS)?

Going to therapy for trauma takes courage. If you have the will and are committed, though, you can find relief and resilience throughout the process. Whatever you're dealing with, you deserve support and understanding, and Headspace can be there for you at every step of your healing journey. We offer:

• Licensed therapists who are readily available for personalized, trauma-informed care
• Meditation tools that support emotional regulation and grounding
• Resources that are designed to meet you where you are, without pressure or judgment

Reach out to Headspace today to learn more about how we can help you heal from trauma in evidence-based, effective ways. We offer online therapy, tools, and guidance so you can get back to living your life without your past interfering.

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