Trauma Therapy for PTSD and Complex Trauma in Wyndmoor, PA

Trauma-informed therapy takes into consideration all of the ways trauma shows up in ways we can see and ways we can't, and uses this awareness to facilitate an attuned, safe space and relationship for healing to occur.

You may benefit from trauma therapy if you’ve heard yourself say “I know this isn't true logically, but my body doesn’t feel that way”. My philosophy centers on the idea that many symptoms we experience are strategies developed in response to distressing life experiences.

Healing, therefore, requires getting to the root of these symptoms, going beyond what’s seen on the surface. A few conditions I treat that naturally fall under trauma-informed therapy are: 

• Anxiety

• Depression 

• Grief 

• Adult Children of Alcoholics 

• Relationship Issues 

• Family Conflict

What is trauma, PTSD, or Complex trauma?

Trauma is any experience that overwhelms one’s capacity to cope. In other words, trauma is any experience that is too much too soon, too much for too long, or too little for too long.

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder is a clinical diagnosis in the DSM-5. Typically, post-traumatic stress disorder results from a single-incident trauma - perhaps a “too much too soon” type of experience. Traumatic experiences vary widely. Some examples include, but are not limited to car accidents, sudden losses, natural disasters, witnessing violence, and medical trauma. Symptoms can include hyper-vigilance, avoidance, nightmares, and flashbacks. These symptoms disrupt your daily life and take you away from how you want to live.

Complex trauma, or C-PTSD occurs when there is repeated, chronic exposure to threatening events where escape is impossible. These are the “too much for too long” or “too little for too long” types of experiences. These include, but are not limited to chronic neglect, childhood physical abuse, childhood sexual abuse, and prolonged domestic violence. Some symptoms of C-PTSD include re-experiencing, avoidance, emotion dysregulation, negative self-concept, and dissociation.

How can trauma therapy help?

Trauma therapy includes three broad stages:

1. Safety and Stabilization

Before we process any type of trauma, we always start with what’s most important: finding safe-enough stability in the present day. This is the stage where we build the therapeutic relationship, the cornerstone  of trauma therapy.

In this stage, we develop a toolbox of tools and resources .When we start to work through trauma material, we’ll rely on these tools to keep you grounded and working toward healing.

2. Reprocessing of traumatic experiences

This might sound like the scary part, but it does not need to be distressing! In fact, trauma therapy, when done well, isn’t meant to elicit an overwhelming amount of distress. In fact, we work to do the opposite. If we are working with inherently distressing material, we’re doing so in a slow, steady, tolerable way. 

You and I will only move towards reprocessing traumatic experiences when we’ve established enough safety, stabilization, and resourcing.

Even then, the type of re-processing will look different for each person depending on what your unique needs are. 

I am trained in EMDR, a therapy that is effective for re-processing traumatic material. In EMDR we always stay grounded with one foot in the present as we dip a toe into the past. I am well-versed in variations of EMDR protocols to facilitate different types of re-processing to find what will be best for you.

3. Integration

Once we’ve established resources and reprocessed some of the past, we will work to integrate this healing into the present-day and prepare for the future. This is the stage where we integrate all that was, all that we are experiencing now, and all that is yet to come. 

Modalities I use to treat trauma, PTSD, and complex trauma

• Parts Work (Ego-State Therapy, Internal Family Systems) 

• EMDR for PTSD 

• EMDR for C-PTSD

• Trauma-Informed Yoga

Ready to get started with trauma therapy?

I offer in-person trauma therapy in Wyndmoor, PA which is near Chestnut Hill and Greater Philadelphia, Lafayette Hill, Plymouth Meeting, and Flourtown. I offer virtual trauma therapy for individuals in Pennsylvania and Ohio. Reach out to me at abby@abbyalbrightlpc.com or submit a contact request so we can set up a consultation.