Counseling for Trauma/Other Issues
NOTE: TELEHEALTH OPTIONS ARE AVAILABLE. CALL FOR MORE INFORMATION: 612-718-8799
Trauma Counseling
Many people will experience trauma in their lifetime whether it’s a car accident, the sudden death of a loved one, a violent criminal act, domestic abuse, exposure to the violence of war, or a natural disaster.
While some people can recover from trauma over time with the love and support of family and friends, others may experience effects of lasting trauma which can cause a person to live with deep emotional pain, fear, confusion, or other symptoms of posttraumatic stress far after the event has passed.
In these circumstances, the support, guidance, and assistance of a therapist can be fundamental to healing from trauma.
Trauma Symptoms
According to the DSM-5, there are 4 types of symptoms that people can experience following a traumatic incident.
Avoidance Symptoms
- Avoiding specific thoughts, feelings, locations, sights, situations, and/or sounds that serve as reminders of the event
Intrusion Symptoms
- Intrusive thoughts, nightmares or flashbacks and/or
- Emotional and/or physical distress when in the presence of a reminder of the traumatic event
Hyperarousal Symptoms can include any of the following:
- Anger, irritability, or hypervigilance
- Aggressive, reckless behavior, including self-harm
- Sleep disturbances
Negative Changes in Mood and Cognition Symptoms such as:
- Loss of interest in activities that were once considered enjoyable
- Negative mood
- Overly negative beliefs about oneself and/or the world
- Difficulty experiencing positive feelings
My preferred forms of treatment for trauma are Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) and Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE). Research has shown both of these treatments to be effective for treating trauma. Both of these treatments are short-term in nature. Most clients can complete the treatment in 12-16 weeks.
If some or all of the trauma symptoms listed above match for you, I invite you to contact me today for more information.
Counseling for Other Issues
I also see clients who have not experienced trauma but are struggling with issues of anxiety, depression, grief/loss, life transitions, and/or stress management. I use a variety of evidence-based treatments when working with these clients including cognitive-behavioral therapy, DBT-informed therapy, motivational interviewing, and mindfulness strategies.