Trauma Therapy Wheaton, IL

Am I dealing with trauma? Was what I went through traumatic? Many people feel unsure and confused about their traumatic experiences. You might think that your experience wasn’t as severe as someone else’s, but you keep having reminders of it throughout the day.

If you’re facing the concerns mentioned below, you are experiencing symptoms related to trauma, and these symptoms can be treated. At Panahi Counseling, we specialize in trauma-sensitive approaches.

The prevalence of experiencing Trauma in our lifetime.

Trauma can be a complex experience that affects many aspects of your life. How a person copes with and experiences trauma varies based on various factors and is unique to each individual. People who have experienced trauma may show its effects differently, and these effects may not always be obvious. Trauma can result from different events, including bullying, childhood neglect and abuse, physical violence, sexual assault, and unexpected losses, among others.

One common effect of trauma is Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While it’s often associated with combat trauma or war zones, PTSD can result from any traumatic event, whether short-term or long-term. Long-term trauma can lead to anxiety, guilt, shame, anger, disassociation, sleep difficulties, and even hallucinations or flashbacks.

Trauma can go unnoticed and untreated for years, often due to feelings of shame or the mistaken belief that it was deserved. Trauma can have a significant impact on personal and professional relationships and affect how you live your life, potentially leading to destructive behaviors or neglecting your basic needs. Trauma therapy can help individuals address the root causes of their pain and develop healthy coping strategies and positive changes.

Common symptoms of Trauma

Don't Let trauma Control Your Life

Trauma often brings feelings of shame, guilt, confusion, and fear. You might be asking yourself, ‘Why did this happen to me?’ or ‘Did I somehow cause this?’ and ‘How can I ever heal from this?’ It’s very common to have these questions — many trauma survivors blame themselves for what they’ve been through. Trauma therapy can assist you in finding clarity and coping skills to rebuild trust in yourself and feel safe again.

Receiving therapy for trauma offers the following:

Understand how trauma can impact the brain and physiology.
Learn strategies for grounding yourself to help reduce emotional and physical distress.
Experience reduction in flashbacks, fear, shock, shame, guilt, and numbness.
Develop coping mechanisms to manage daily tasks at hand.
Feeling empowered and in control of your life again.
Finding hope and solution for living life to the fullest.

Our Approach

How do we treat trauma and PTSD?

The initial aim of trauma therapy is to create a safe and supportive space for you with your therapist. Trauma survivors often feel a loss of control in their surroundings, and making the therapy environment safe can greatly aid the healing process. Your therapist will guide you in learning essential skills like grounding techniques, setting up a safe space, managing dissociation, and monitoring physical symptoms in the body. The therapy process begins in the following order.

Establishing a safe and supportive environment.
Learning about what is happening to you.
Learning helpful tools to manage the trauma symptoms.
Taking a history of past incidents related to the trauma.
Building a collaborative therapy goal.
Learning about EMDR Therapy and its effectiveness.
Working with the trauma memory and removing its impact.

EMDR Therapy for Trauma

Many people who have experienced trauma might find EMDR therapy helpful. It’s extensively studied and proven to be effective for treating trauma and PTSD. Our therapists are EMDR Certified and can use a combination of techniques tailored to our clients’ needs. Contact us today to find out if EMDR therapy is the right choice for you.

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How to start therapy with us

Want help finding a therapist?

Schedule a 15-minute conversation with our Client Care Coordinator.