There are many types of trauma: car accidents, major injury, physical or sexual abuse, severe illness or death in the family, witnessing violence, natural disasters, etc. These events are upsetting and can take time to heal from. For instance, a person who has experienced trauma will often have memories of the event come to their mind while trying to focus on their daily tasks. The person may also have bad dreams about the event, may actively avoid anything that reminds them of the event, may have difficulty sleeping, may startle easily, may at times feel emotionally numb, and be vigilant for signs of danger. It is important for the person to be able to talk about their experiences with someone they trust.
If these symptoms continue for longer than a month, it may be wise to get trauma counseling. We understand that it can be scary to think about dealing with those difficult experiences, so your therapist uses the Trauma Resiliency Model for treating trauma. This approach is much gentler than many other exposure-based treatments. The person first learns coping skills to manage the intensity of their physical symptoms and then sorts through the events one step at a time, so the person does not feel so overwhelmed. Know that there is hope in healing.