The Importance of Counseling in Trauma Recovery: A Complete Guide

Updated on August 16, 2023

In the public health field, more than 90% of the clients seeking aid have experienced some form of trauma in their lives. For those who have endured these traumas, it’s crucial to participate in trauma counseling.

Below you’ll find a brief guide detailing the importance of trauma therapy as a part of a person’s overall recovery plan. We’ll also describe and provide more insight into choosing the right trauma counselor for you.

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What is Trauma-Focused Counseling?

Trauma-focused counseling is a form of therapy that centers solely on providing and educating people on the traumatic experiences they’ve had in their lives. These experiences have left a mark on every part of their being, including their mental, physical, and emotional facets.

The counseling will focus on how these traumatic experiences have dictated the following responses that have persisted as a person has become older. 

After gaining more insight and understanding about the trauma a person has gone through, the next step in the counseling plan is to learn various ways to cope with these past traumas and begin to live a life that isn’t plagued by these traumas.

When you’re seeking online counseling sessions out of Calgary, you need to ensure the therapist you’re provided with is trained to assist people with traumatic pasts. There are some questions you can ask or factors to identify when determining if a counselor will meet your current needs.

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Choosing the Right Trauma-Focused Counselor

When selecting the counselor you will work with, you want to ensure they are equipped with the skills and techniques needed to help educate and teach you about your past trauma. First, it’s okay to inquire about the educational background of the trauma counselor.

This includes inquiring about:

  • Educational background of the counselor
  • Professional/Working title
  • Degree

Depending on the area you live in, there will be varying specifications for obtaining a degree in the counseling industry. As far as trauma-focused counseling is concerned, there are additional specifications someone must meet before they’re able to begin practicing.

You should also ask about the approaches used by the therapist when working with clients. If they have an aggressive style, but this serves as a trigger for you, then this is likely not someone you’d want to work with during your recovery journey.

Next, dig deeper into the length of time the professional has been working in this field. If someone is new, this isn’t to say they’re incapable of providing proper therapy. Still, the experience level of the professional needed will depend on you specifically and your personal traumas.

Not to mention, there are some people are more comfortable with professionals that have been working in the field for a more extended period.

Importance of Trauma Counseling in Recovery

We’ve provided background on trauma-focused counseling and what you need to look for when searching for a therapist that offers online services. With that being said, you’re not going to seek counseling if you don’t think there is some benefit to doing so.

There has been a stigma surrounding counseling for a long time. However, the truth is to move forward in life, people will need help in processing the past. Even if you’re apprehensive in the beginning, you’re going to feel much better when you’re able to take your time and talk through your past trauma.

If you’re still unsure, that’s okay because it doesn’t change how important ongoing counseling can be when you’re in recovery. Below, we’ve taken the time and outlined the various reasons that trauma counseling is essential and crucial when you’re in the depths of recovery.

Identify Lingering Triggers

Often when a person undergoes a traumatic experience, they may not be aware that it continues to affect their daily lives. They might also be unaware that certain things around them serve as triggers.

When you participate in counseling, one of the components of your sessions is to work to identify your triggers. You need to identify your triggers to determine the different methods and strategies you can use to cope with them.

This is useful because when you’re able to spot a trigger before it ignites you, the chances of being able to avoid it altogether or redirect your thoughts is higher.

Redefine What Safety Means For You

During traumatic situations in life, the feeling of safety has been stripped away. For some people, before they’re able to begin living their life, they have to redefine and build an environment they deem as safe.

Traumatic situations are a violation that someone has experienced, and your sense of safety in the process is damaged. In counseling, the therapist can work with you to build your new definition of what safety is for you.

This is done through a series of exercises and activities that may push you past your comfort zone, but are imperative to improving your quality of life. Once safety is redefined, you can begin building your support system with this newfound idea.

Educate Yourself About Trauma

Although a person experiences trauma, it doesn’t mean they’ve identified this situation as traumatic. Therapy is about providing education on trauma and allowing someone to tap into resources outside of therapy about trauma and the different types.

Gaining more understanding about trauma allows you more space to digest the thoughts and feelings a person has surrounding their personal traumatic happenings. For some, this could bring up emotions they’ve suppressed and not taken the time to deal with.

Educating a person can also help them to formulate questions they would like to address in their ongoing counseling sessions. It can aid the therapist in determining the direction they need to take in the future and how to help shape the conversation productively.

You’ll find that this guide aid can ensure each area of trauma you’ve experienced is addressed fully to help you learn how to move forward.

Counseling For Trauma: Learn to Live Past Your Experience

Counseling for trauma can be a touchy subject for some individuals. This is mainly because no one wants to relive bad thoughts and happenings that have taken place in their lives. The more you know about it, the better off you’ll be when it’s time to sit down for your first session.

Always remember that your counselor is there to help and guide you through the process. If you want to know more about trauma counseling and if it’s the next step in your recovery journey, we encourage you to check out the rest of our website for more resourceful information. We’re here to help you take that critical next step.

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The Editorial Team at Healthcare Business Today is made up of skilled healthcare writers and experts, led by our managing editor, Daniel Casciato, who has over 25 years of experience in healthcare writing. Since 1998, we have produced compelling and informative content for numerous publications, establishing ourselves as a trusted resource for health and wellness information. We offer readers access to fresh health, medicine, science, and technology developments and the latest in patient news, emphasizing how these developments affect our lives.