Understanding Trauma Therapy FAQs
Starting trauma therapy can bring up a lot of questions—especially if you’re unsure what trauma really means or how therapy works. Whether you’re just beginning to explore or revisiting things from your past, these FAQs offer a grounding place to begin.
What is trauma therapy?
Trauma therapy is a specialized form of counseling that helps people process and heal from overwhelming or distressing life experiences. It’s designed to support emotional safety while working through the effects of trauma, whether the trauma was a single event or ongoing.
What types of trauma therapy are there?
There are many approaches, including EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic therapies (like Sensorimotor Psychotherapy or SE), Internal Family Systems (IFS), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and others. Each method works in a slightly different way, but they all aim to reduce the distressing effects of trauma and help people feel more connected to themselves and others. I specialize in offering EMDR therapy in weekly sessions or EMDR Intensive format (think a therapy retreat that helps you process faster)
What’s the difference between PTSD and trauma?
Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD. Trauma is the emotional response to an overwhelming event, while PTSD (Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder) is a specific mental health diagnosis with criteria like intrusive memories, avoidance, hyperarousal, and changes in mood or cognition. People can have trauma responses even without meeting criteria for PTSD. You don’t have to have PTSD level of symptoms to benefit from trauma therapy. EMDR and trauma therapy is helpful for people who experienced trauma and for those who meet criteria for PTSD.
Is trauma therapy different from regular therapy?
Yes. Many therapists integrate trauma-informed principles into their work, but trauma therapy is more specialized and effective at resolving trauma symptoms or PTSD symptoms. It emphasizes nervous system regulation, safety, pacing, and working with memory in a way that avoids retraumatization. Regular talk therapy alone is not likely to resolve PTSD symptoms.
How do I know if I need trauma therapy?
If you’re noticing patterns like anxiety, dissociation, chronic stress, difficulty with relationships, or reactivity that feel connected to past experiences, trauma therapy may be helpful. If you feel like you’ve moved on in many ways, but you thought it would be easier by now— trauma therapy may be the next step. You don’t need a specific diagnosis or memory to begin exploring healing. A specialized trauma therapist can provide a screening in a consultation session to see if trauma therapy is the recommended treatment for your symptoms.
Is trauma therapy right for me?
It's okay if you’re still figuring things out. Learning more is a step in itself—and that matters. If you wonder if trauma therapy or EMDR is right for you, schedule a free consultation call to ask more questions. Sessions and EMDR Intensives offered in-person in East Dallas or online for folks in TX, FL, LA, VA.
Michelle Spurgeon, LCSW-Supervisor, EMDR Certified Therapist & EMDRIA Approved Consultant
