Coping with trauma alone can be nearly impossible. The emotional and behavioral impact of events like death, sexual violation, and serious injury can be far-reaching. They may impact all areas of a survivor’s life, from sleep and self-esteem to work and relationships. If you’re suffering from trauma symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, or an inability to connect in healthy ways, professional support could be a great help.
Learn more about New Harmony, Utah’s premier trauma-informed therapy program at Painted Desert, by calling 844.540.0357 or filling out our confidential online form today. Our caring staff is standing by to address your expectations for the trauma-informed therapy journey and tell you more about our range of women-specific offerings.
What to Expect from Trauma-Informed Therapy
At a qualified trauma-informed therapy program like Painted Desert, you can expect to be treated with respect at all times. We understand that trauma is something that happened to you, not something that is your fault. This is an important distinction since many trauma survivors experience feelings of guilt or shame. While this is normal, we strive to help you regain agency, self-esteem, and investment in your life.
If you’re entering into trauma-informed therapy, here are a few basic expectations you can hold for your therapist:
- Safety — You can expect that your therapist’s office and the larger facility will help you feel psychologically and physically secure. This also means that therapists should understand the nervous system and be adept at avoiding re-traumatization.
- Transparency — Therapists and clients maintain strong and frequent dialogue about treatment decisions, thus creating a trusting relationship.
- Empowerment — Trauma-informed therapists should put a high premium on validating clients’ progress and strengths. After all, believing in resilience and strength is essential to embodying them.
- Peer Group Support — Those healing from trauma benefit from dialogue with their peers during treatment. This fosters mutual support and understanding.
- Mutuality — To the greatest extent possible, power disparities between clients and staff are eliminated. This allows for shared decision-making and a sense of agency.
- Responsive Sensitivity — Stereotypes and biases based on demographic features like age, ethnicity, and sexual orientation have no place in trauma-informed care. That said, all human beings have a degree of learned bias toward others. It’s therefore essential that a trauma-informed therapist acknowledge if they are speaking or acting from bias. They should likewise do all they can to course correct and create an inclusive environment.
How Does Trauma-Informed Therapy Address Addiction?
Trauma-informed therapy recognizes that surviving a traumatic event can cause people to turn to drugs or alcohol to cope with their pain. At Painted Desert, we believe that getting to the root cause of substance abuse is an essential part of healing. For this reason, we’re well equipped to combine trauma-informed talk therapy with substance abuse treatment.
This type of therapy is key to our recovery programs for all of the following types of addiction:
- Stimulant
- Benzodiazepine
- Opiate
- Alcohol
Given that peer support is essential in trauma-informed care, Painted Desert also offers group and experiential therapy. Struggling with an addiction can cause women to feel tremendously isolated. At our facility, we strive to create a community for those who need it most. In group therapy, clients experience moderated conversation with other women going through similar situations. Empathy and trust are powerful tools for regaining self-esteem and building healthy relationships.
Experiential therapy allows for further community-building with peers, this time in the context of a shared activity like a yoga class, cooperative game, or hike. The Bumblebee Mountain range and Kolob Canyon surround our gorgeous Utah facility, allowing endless opportunities to connect with others in the beauty of nature.
Reach Out to Painted Desert in New Harmony, Utah, for More Information on Trauma-Informed Therapy Today
If you’re coping with a traumatic past event or events and suffering from addiction as a result, we’re here to help. Call 844.540.0357 or reach out online to learn more about our qualified women-specific trauma-informed therapy programs in beautiful New Harmony, Utah.
