Complex Trauma and PTSD Treatment in Washington, DC

What is Trauma?

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Trauma is a distressing event or repeated events that overwhelm your emotional, physical, and mental health and ability to cope. Trauma may be acute, meaning a single event, such as the sudden death of a loved one or a serious accident. Trauma can also be chronic, meaning there are repeated experiences of the traumatic event.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma includes multiple separate traumatic events that an individual has experienced. Not everyone with trauma develops post-traumatic stress disorder, but it is possible to still experience trauma symptoms in the immediate aftermath of the event and are normal reactions.

Symptoms of Trauma Responses and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder

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  • Intrusive, recurrent memories of the traumatic event or events

  • Recurring dreams that are distressing (content that is related to the trauma experience)

  • Experiencing flashbacks taking you back to that traumatic event

  • Intense distress when exposed to reminders of the event; these may be external in your environment or internal

  • Physical reactions to environmental triggers or internal reminders/memories

  • Avoidance or attempted avoidance of remembering distressing memories or thoughts associated with the trauma

  • Avoidance or attempted avoidance of environmental reminders, such as places where trauma occurred, people involved in traumatic events, activities associated with the trauma, or talking about the event

  • Inability to remember certain important aspects of the trauma

  • Persistent and extreme cognitive beliefs about yourself, the world, or others as well as the cause of the traumatic event like self-blame or blame of others

  • A persistent negative emotional state like fear and anxiety, anger, guilt, shame or horror and difficulty feeling more positive emotions

  • Lack of interest in activities you typically love to engage in

  • Feeling more isolated from others

  • Increased arousal and reactivity, such as irritable behavior, reckless behavior, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating, difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep, and more extreme startle responses

Evidence Based Treatment for PTSD

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Every person’s story and experience are unique. For this reason, as a therapist at my DC-Based Practice, I use an integrative approach of evidence-based modalities to address symptoms of trauma and PTSD. It is important that you feel comfortable with the therapeutic treatment plan so we create these plans and goals for treatment together.





Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, is an evidence-based therapy that helps the individual recognize unhelpful thought patterns and create more helpful cognitive reframes. This change in cognition creates positive emotional and behavioral changes. Using CBT tools, you will learn to recognize cognitive distortions, create new neural pathways in the brain and turn down the volume on unpleasant emotions.

Using Trauma-Informed Language During PTSD Treatment in Washington, DC

As a therapist, I use trauma-informed language in my practice of CBT. For instance, instead of using “irrational thoughts”, I prefer “unhelpful thought patterns”. Oftentimes, with individuals experiencing things like medical trauma, their unhelpful thoughts are not irrational. They are just not helpful to ruminate on in the current moment.

Cognitive Processing Therapy

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Cognitive processing therapy, or CPT, is an evidence-based approach to PTSD that is one specific type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. CPT is typically done in 12 sessions and is a very manualized approach, meaning each week has a specific homework assignment and focus.

Effective For Processing Acute or Specific Trauma

This can be extremely helpful for processing an acute or specific traumatic event in a highly effective way. Some of my clients prefer to incorporate CPT assignments into their cognitive behavioral therapy as appropriate rather than 12 specific sessions. I believe that an integrative and adaptive approach is incredibly important and discuss possible courses of treatment with each of my clients.

Mindfulness Skills

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Because trauma overwhelms the mind and body, it is crucial to provide skills and techniques to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. We will create a unique plan for you to engage in down-regulation techniques, healthy distraction techniques, meditative skills, and deep breathing exercises.




Types of Trauma Addressed with PTSD Treatment in Washington, DC and New York:

Acute Trauma

Acute trauma usually involves a single traumatic event. This could look like birth trauma during labor and delivery, surgery, an injury, or an accident. Cognitive Processing Therapy is an excellent tool to help identify stuck points stemming from the traumatic event and create new cognitive thought patterns.

Chronic Trauma

Chronic trauma is an event that happens repeatedly. This could look like repeated cycles of abuse or chronic illness and chronic pain. With complex chronic health issues, you are experiencing chronic trauma by enduring ongoing invasive treatments, exams, and surgeries. Chronic trauma can be addressed with trauma-informed CBT by helping examine your feelings surrounding the repeated trauma, replace stuck unhelpful thought patterns, and engage in more helpful behaviors.

Complex Trauma

Complex trauma involves multiple traumatic events over a lifetime. For instance, you may have experienced childhood trauma and as an adult experienced repeated medical trauma due to a complex chronic health issue. Therapeutic interventions like trauma-informed CBT can help address stuck points of complex trauma, be present in the here and now and give practical tools to move forward.

Medical Trauma

Medical trauma involves severe illness or injury, invasive medical treatments, invasive surgical procedures, and intense experiences of physical pain. Medical trauma can stem from chronic illness or chronic pain or an injury or illness. Medical trauma may include dismissal, minimizing, and gaslighting from medical professionals. It is important to create a team of providers that respect your experience, believe in your pain, and are willing to collaborate to provide the best care.

Birth Trauma

Birth trauma involves a life-threatening injury or death during the labor and birthing process. This can include complications, emergency deliveries, traumatic vaginal birth or NICU admissions. Trauma-informed CBT can be a powerful way to reframe your thoughts and manage your trauma symptoms.

Sexual Abuse and Sexual Assault

Sexual abuse or assault involves the violation of your body, boundaries, and autonomy. With CBT treatment, we can identify stuck points and rigid thought patterns about personal safety, power, control, trust, and intimacy.

Childhood Abuse and Trauma

Childhood abuse and trauma may include physical, sexual, verbal or emotional abuse as well as neglect. Neglect can be physical neglect of your basic needs or emotional neglect failing to support your basic emotional needs. These can create rigid or extreme thought patterns involving your feelings of power, control, or safety.

Religious Trauma

Religious trauma may impact your beliefs about yourself. Purity culture, shame surrounding sexuality, and spiritual abuse can affect the way you see yourself or impact your ability to practice self-compassion. Together, we can identify what your personal values system is now and how spirituality can fit into your life moving forward.

Traumatic Grief

Grief and loss that is shocking, unexpected, or devastating can leave you feeling so alone and stuck. Processing grief in a safe space can help you feel more grounded, make meaning of your pain and begin to move forward in your grieving process.

Interested in PTSD Treatment in Washington DC and New York?

Past trauma can have a profound impact on your present life. At my DC-based Therapy office, as a trained therapist I am here ready to help you process this trauma in order to begin living your best life in the now. Follow the steps below to get started on your journey to healing.

  1. Get to know me here.

  2. Fill out my convenient online mental health services contact form.

  3. Begin your journey to healing.

Other Mental Health Services Offered at Greater Washington DC and New York City CBT Counseling for Women

I understand that women face a unique set of mental health challenges in today’s society and need specialized support. No two mental health journeys to recovery are the same and I offer care and support that is specific to each individual. These services include therapy for anxiety and depression in both Individual and Women’s Support Groups. I also specialize in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance, and Commitment Therapy, CPT for Medical Trauma, Perinatal Therapy, and Therapy for Chronic Illness. For more helpful information check out my blogs and videos!