Trauma Intensive Therapy

Trauma acts as one of the primary contributors to presenting problems within the therapeutic space. When a singular perspective is adopted the focus can be to aligned with the idea of stabilisation and coping skills (Kabat-Zinn, 2013; Linehan, 2014). This can increase the likelihood of trauma persisting and can contribute to various other problems and identified risks.

Therefore having canvassed the literature looking for the most appropriate and applicable treatment modality, trauma focused therapy shines a light (Greenwald et al., 2020). This therapy works by effecting memory reconsolidation, which basically involves the accessing and activation processes of memory and the introduction of corrective information (Ecker, 2018). This process attempts to heal the memory not simply by learning to cope or desensitise to the trauma, but to help the person experience the trauma no longer as a psychological wound (Greenwald et al., 2020)

Trials and studies are being done at the moment which entail doing long hours over the course of consecutive days to implement this treatment process (Bongaerts, Van Minnen & De Jongh; Greenwald, 2013; Lobenstein & Courtney, 2013). Creating longer periods of exposure may then aid the therapeutic process by creating a time intensive process which has the capacity to reduce the longevity of trauma treatment. Instead of facing many months of arduous intensive therapy, treating the trauma could be focused around several weeks with the same results. This in fact could help maintain client’s in therapy, could yield quick results and is extremely economical. Any treatment process than can work towards supporting a client within a shorter timeframe and that can yield genuine results is something to consider for all therapists and counsellors.

Taking the time to understand how trauma manifests, the way it impacts a client’s life and the way we respond to this is a crucial element to the therapeutic process. Based of the current literature at the moment it is apparent that trauma focused therapy does have several benefits and that understanding the base principles of this approach, whether working with it or being treated by it can increase the knowledge base when to clients about trauma.