Trauma Therapy Modalities

Philosophy

Effective Trauma Treatment for Women

No matter how you feel after a traumatic experience, your reaction is not wrong. Acknowledging your emotional response during the stages of healing can empower you to harness the energy of your emotions and connect with a trained specialist.

As experienced clinicians, we know that deeply rooted traumatic experiences are common among women in recovery. Trauma can come from witnessing or experiencing abuse, disaster, or violence. Trauma can also originate from the loss of a loved one, extreme stress or burnout, or the onset of a physical injury or illness. Additionally, divorce and/or the loss of child custody can trigger a number of underlying mental health issues that contribute to a woman’s emotional pain associated with trauma.

Our staff at Hannah’s House is highly trained to provide specialized services for women of all ages who have experienced trauma or post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Each member of the Hannah’s House team — from medical and clinical to support and executive staff — is educated about trauma and the importance of creating a trauma-informed treatment environment. This ensures that we offer the women in our care a safe space where they can recover from invisible wounds that perpetuate addiction.

Trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD):

Trauma means something different to each person who experiences it. For many women, alcohol or drug use can be a symptom of an underlying mental health concern, such as trauma. If these core issues go untreated, relapse can occur, and substance use can persist, despite repeated attempts to recover. We help each patient in our care overcome whatever barriers to long-term wellness and sobriety that she may face.

The most commonly known manifestation of trauma is PTSD. Though frequently associated with veterans, PTSD can affect women who have experienced emotional, sexual, or physical abuse, childhood neglect, accidents, and natural disasters or tragedies. Regardless of the cause, these traumatic experiences can lead to socialization issues, relationship problems, anxiety, and fear.

PTSD Symptoms Can Interfere with Living a Happy, Healthy Life

Symptoms can include:

  • Excessive drug or alcohol use
  • Unwarranted anger or emotional outbursts
  • Depression or anxiety
  • Withdrawal from others
  • Dissociative mental experiences or flashbacks
  • Inability to function in daily life
  • Involuntary thoughts about a traumatic event
  • Inability to concentrate
  • Insomnia

The symptoms of PTSD tend to emerge slowly and can be frustrating, debilitating, and even dangerous for the individual or those around them. Undiagnosed PTSD can make life unbearable. But there is hope.

challenge

Treatment Modalities for Trauma

Trauma and stress-related disorders require specialized therapies that target these experiences. Interventions include therapies that help the individual reprocess the memories and reactions associated with the event, enabling them to develop healthier coping mechanisms.

At Hannah’s House, our goal is to give our patients the necessary skills, so they no longer need to rely on substances to feel comfortable. Our multidisciplinary team reviews treatment progress and identifies any other psychological issues that may emerge, including PTSD or other mental health diagnoses.

Treatment at Hannah’s House depends on each women’s unique case and life challenges. It may consist of trauma-informed, evidence-based interventions.

Interventions such as:

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Group process or individual therapy
  • Meditation and mindfulness training
These therapies are aimed at helping female patients anticipate trauma triggers, manage anger or mood swings, de-escalate fear, measure anxiety responses, and reprocess traumatic memories. Each of these approaches has proven effective for treating the symptoms of PTSD.

Eye Movement Desensitization & Reprocessing (EMDR)

An EMDR session goes through 8 steps or phases. EMDR trauma treatment has the person in therapy focusing their mind on the traumatic event or experience while they follow a moving point of light or the therapist’s moving finger. In some cases, auditory tones are used as well. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing has been shown to be very effective in alleviating and eliminating trauma symptoms. 

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Cognitive-behavioral therapy, or CBT, is based on the notion that individuals can and must correct certain thoughts and attitudes.

Elements of cognitive-behavioral therapy can include:

  • Instructions on proper breathing in order to manage anxiety and stress
  • Exposure therapy
  • Educating patients on how to react to trauma in a normal, healthy manner
  • Identifying negative or irrational thoughts and replacing them with more reasonable and less negative ones

Gender-Specific Treatment

We are passionate advocates for the gender-specific treatment of co-occurring disorders and addiction. Our patient’s background always informs our treatment and includes experiences unique to females based on cutting-edge research. It is essential to understand that women express and process trauma differently than men do. Our gender-separate women’s programming uses engaging and approachable therapies to help recover trust and emotional openness in a judgment-free environment.