Therapy for Trauma & PTSD Treatment in Miami
Your trauma is not your fault, but healing can be in your control.
Understanding Trauma
Sometimes in life people experience or witness upsetting events they have trouble forgetting. Or they are unable to understand why this event is unsettling to them. These upsetting or disturbing events are known as traumas. When trauma occurs, the body perceives these events as threatening to a person’s health. This includes emotional, physical, mental, social, or spiritual well-being. The body responds to these threats with stress reactions known as fight, flight, or freeze to defend itself from these traumas.
Trauma can lead to so many confusing emotions and feelings. Such as increased stress, having more frequent angry outbursts, memory loss or memory distortion, always being on “high alert”, trouble sleeping or concentrating. As well as engaging in harmful behavior such as drinking alcohol to cope, overwhelming feelings of guilt or shame, or avoidance of anything that reminds us of the trauma experienced.
Can I call what happened to me… “trauma”? Do I need therapy for trauma & PTSD Treatment?
Often, people minimize their own traumatic experiences for fear of sounding or being perceived as needy by others. “What happened to me wasn’t as bad as what happened to this other person, so obviously it isn’t trauma right?” Not exactly. This is often the reason why many people don’t always seek out PTSD treatment for trauma when they should. There are different types of traumas and perceptions of trauma can vary among individuals.
Trauma can be broken down into two different types, known as Big “T” traumas and Little “t” traumas. Both Big “T” and Little “t” traumas can be categorized as acute (happening one time), chronic (happening multiple times), or complex (more than one type of trauma has occurred as has occurred one or more times).
Little “t” traumas do NOT mean the trauma is less significant than someone who experienced a Big “T” trauma. However, the important thing to remember about little “t” traumas is that recurring or multiple accumulations of these can significantly impact an individual to the same level as a Big “T” trauma. Also, depending on the severity of the trauma as well as a personal individual response to the trauma, Big “T” Traumas have the ability to be Little “t” Traumas and vice versa.
Big “T” trauma
Big “T” traumas are events that typically affect an individual’s immediate safety and can result in life-threatening events such as physical injury, sexual violence, or death. The threat itself does not actually have to occur for a person to perceive it as a trauma.
Types of Big “T” traumas can include but are not limited to:
Natural disasters
Community violence
Victim of Crime
Abuse or Neglect
Sexual Violence
Kidnapping
Little “t” Trauma
Little “t” traumas are events that typically aren’t immediately life-threatening. For example, a child who has been bullied for years is likelier to develop significant self-esteem issues and engage in self-harm than a child who was not been bullied. Little “t” traumas also may not Types of Little “t” Traumas can include but are not limited to:
Bullying or harassment
Divorce or separation
Loss of significant relationship
Emotional abuse
Disruption of stability or security (such as moving, temporarily being placed out of the normal environment, loss or death of loved one)
How does trauma differ from PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a specific mental health disorder typically occurring as a result of a Big “T” trauma. PTSD can occur as early as a few weeks after the traumatic event or even years after the traumatic event has occurred. While Little “t” and Big “T” traumas can share symptoms, Little “t” traumas do not always meet the specific DSM-5 criterion for PTSD.
PTSD Symptoms & Signs
Some trauma and PTSD symptoms can last more than a month and include:
Intrusive thoughts or thoughts of self-harm
Intrusive memories of the traumatic event such as nightmares and flashbacks
Avoidance of people, places, objects, or events that may remind you of the trauma
Mood changes
Feeling numb
Feeling detached from family, friends, and previously enjoyed activities
Memory problems
Increased negative feelings and feelings of hopelessness about the future
Being easily startled or frightened
Always being “on guard” for danger
Difficulty sleeping, eating, or concentrating
Increased feelings of guilt and shame
Re-enacting the traumatic event through play (in children)
PTSD Treatment Can Help You Feel Better
Remember, there is nothing wrong with you because something bad happened to you and it may be more than you can handle by yourself.
Sometimes, it’s scary to admit to yourself that something traumatic may have happened to you. You might think, “What does that say about me?” This is a false cognitive distortion. The thing to focus on is not what the trauma may say about you but rather how you won’t let the trauma define you moving forward. Long-term exposure to either type of trauma or living with untreated trauma, especially in childhood, can lead to long-term negative effects in adulthood. Such as developing other serious mental health disorders, inability to use or rely on adaptive coping skills, chronic physical health conditions, or increased development of engaging in at-risk behaviors.
Therapy for Trauma & PTSD Treatment can Help with or Provide:
Understanding trauma triggers, reminders, and responses
Safety planning or enhancing future safety
Understanding how you perceived life before trauma and how you might perceive life after trauma
Developing healthy coping skills for trauma responses
Identifying what needs weren’t met during periods of abuse or neglect
Safe and therapeutic exposure techniques for the avoidance of trauma triggers, reminders, or responses
Rebuilding a relationship with yourself and how you perceive the world around you
Our Miami trauma therapists are trained in providing Trauma Informed Care and understand the impact of Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) and offer a variety of PTSD treatment and therapy for trauma approaches. Including Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for children ages 3-17 years, Mindfulness-Based Therapy, Play Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and many others.
If you or someone you care about are experiencing these trauma and PTSD symptoms, our skilled therapists at Miami Vibes can help you process the traumatic events that have happened to you. We can help you to gain insight into healthy ways of healing from the trauma you experienced.
Start Working Through Your Trauma in PTSD Treatment & Therapy for Trauma in Miami, FL
Are you ready to start healing and feeling better? Whether you experienced Big T or Little t trauma you can benefit from the support of a trauma therapist. Since we offer several approaches to PTSD treatment at our therapy practice we can find the approach that works best for you. To take the first step in addressing your symptoms start therapy for trauma by following these steps
Contact us to speak with one of our Miami trauma therapists
Make your first appointment with Miami Vibes Counseling
Begin learning healthy ways to heal
Other Counseling Services We Offer in Miami, FL
We offer several mental health services to meet the needs of you and your family. From in-person therapy in our contemporary counseling space in Miami, FL to expert virtual therapy in Florida, we are ready to meet you where you are. Our dedicated Miami therapists offer a variety of therapy techniques including TFCBT, CBT, EMDR, play therapy, and Brainspotting. These methods can help with anxiety, depression, and stress. We also offer more than just individual therapy. We also offer children’s therapy, marriage counseling, family counseling, parent support, and more!