What is Trauma Based Therapy? How Christian Counseling Can Help

Every day there is much suffering in the world, damaging the hearts and minds of innocent people. There are victims of war, gang violence, bullying, and abuse at home. There are also accidents, natural deaths of loved ones; and terrifying natural disasters which often remind a person how frail they really are.

While many do survive these terrible circumstances, they may be left with hidden scars, preventing them from seeing the joy of life once more. Sadly, in this hectic world, those around them may be too busy to take notice or too overly burdened with their own concerns to do something to help their loved one. In the end, the sufferer often faces these problems alone.

This, however, does not have to be the case. God is there, even in the midst of terrible sufferings. With His help, trauma can be overcome.

The Mind’s Response to Trauma

Every person’s mind is different which is why not everyone responds to trauma in the same way. Resilient people, for example, may be able to function normally again after a few days or weeks, while others may take months or years.

Regardless, the mind’s response to trauma is generally meant for self-protection. Since the mind deemed the event to be so overwhelmingly awful that it could not process it all at once, the mind reacted in certain ways to protect the inner self.

However, if left unchecked, the mind’s response to trauma can greatly hinder a person’s daily functioning which is why it needs to be addressed. If not, then other problems in life – such as broken relationships, the loss of one’s job, or depression – may set in.

The following are some of the usual reactions to trauma (but not all the possible ones):

Intrusive Thoughts

A very common reaction of the mind to trauma is to have flashbacks of the said event that may debilitate the individual. While unwanted thoughts can often pop into one’s head, disturbing one’s train of thought for a moment; traumatic flashbacks cause the person to stop whatever they are doing as their mind is now at the mercy of the past event. As they experience the flashback, their thoughts and senses are taken back to that painful moment in time.

For some, this becomes an awkward moment as they may freeze up in public or scream in response to what is being replayed in their mind. It can also become dangerous as the flashback may occur while driving or doing something else (e.g. cooking, handling power tools, swimming) that may accidentally place them or others in danger.

Hypervigilance

This is an enhanced state where a person has become extra sensitive to their surroundings. Because of the danger experienced or witnessed, the person’s stress hormone levels increase, causing them to become jumpy or wary about sudden movements or noises that are possible threats.

For example, a child who lives in an abusive home may begin to cower when voices are elevated as this reminds them of terrible experiences at home. A person who witnessed a violent shooting may jump when they hear a banging sound.

While hypervigilance is not a direct threat to a person, it does cause much fatigue as the body is always on alert, lowering the person’s immunity level, and making them more prone to illness or stress-related ailments (e.g. hypertension). Hypervigilance also becomes a problem when daily functions are hampered due to fears, such as no longer being able to walk into a darkened room or increased suspiciousness of people around them.

Somatic Response

Another possible reaction is a somatic response where the person experiences bodily pains as a response to the trauma. This occurs often in young children or those with language or mental disabilities who are not able to properly process their fears verbally which causes the body to react for them physically. Though not all pains may be connected to one’s trauma, it is possible that some of them are.

For instance, a child who experiences severe bullying at school or witnessed something terrible there (e.g. shooting or accident) may begin to have headaches or stomach aches just before school time. Someone who was abducted at night may have difficulty sleeping in a dark room or may begin to have aches or dizziness when the lights are turned off.

Dissociation

When the traumatic experience is just too much for the mind to handle, a person’s brain may dissociate. This is a mental process where the consciousness somehow detaches itself from the terrible circumstances to protect the person. There are varying degrees of this depending upon the situation and the mind’s response.

In some milder forms of dissociation, the individual may feel as if they are watching themself in a movie, making it feel like the pain or abuse is happening to someone else and not them. In other cases, the person might not recall the details of certain events during the day, particularly when the trauma itself or something similar (e.g. witnessing a similar event) occurred.

More severe forms of dissociation include dissociative fugue, where the person cannot remember who they are and may even end up inventing a new identity; and the dissociative identity disorder, where the personality splits into two or more distinct identities to help cope with the overwhelming problem at hand.

Recovery from Trauma

Fortunately, for those who are suffering from adverse responses to trauma, there are proven methods to help them.

Proper Self-Care

An important step is for the trauma victim is to first accept that such adverse reactions are not their fault. The mind’s response to trauma is something that cannot be controlled. Instead of blaming oneself for this, it is best to proactively find ways to recover, such as taking note of what is “normal” and what is out of place (e.g. specific aches that occur when thoughts of the trauma are brought up).

Self-care also includes eating properly, exercising right, and getting sufficient rest. Seeking to alleviate any of these traumatic symptoms through alcohol, drugs or other negative means will just lead to more problems down the road.

Psychodynamic Therapy

For many trauma sufferers, talk therapy is necessary to get to the root of the problem. One method of this is through narrative therapy where the sufferer is able to discuss their problem objectively so that they can process things logically rather than emotionally. In this way, the mind may be able to understand the situation better, negating the traumatic responses.

Cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) is another helpful method. In CBT, suggested thoughts and actions are given to counter any negative thoughts or behavior. For instance, if a person has become afraid of isolated places like an empty car park due to a traumatic experience, they may be asked to repeatedly remind themselves that there is nothing there to hurt them before they head to their car.

Somatic Therapy

This type of therapy focuses on the body’s response as the idea here is that the body and mind are connected. The general goal of the different forms of somatic therapy is to recognize and then release any bodily tension that is connected to the trauma. Breathing exercises, yoga, and even massage therapy are possible options for someone who desires to overcome trauma.

Christian Counseling for Trauma Recovery

Recovery from trauma often needs the help of an expert who has the experience to work through the mental barriers and deeply rooted physical responses. But rather than relying on a secular therapist who can only heal the mental and physical aspects, it is important to address the spiritual aspect as well as traumatic events often scar the soul.

In Christian counseling, the faith-based counselor will apply the same tried-and-tested methods of trauma recovery just like the secular therapists. However, the Christian counselor will take it one step further by introducing the sufferer to the healing power of God through prayer and meditation on God’s Word. If the person is able to see God’s hand moving in their life, even during the midst of trials and pain, then the chances of recovery are much higher.

If you or a friend is suffering from trauma, seek help soon. It is only through God’s help that one can truly move beyond the effects of such terrible events.