Trauma Therapy

Key takeaways:

• Trauma therapy is a form of talk therapy designed to create a safe, supportive space for individuals to work through the effects of trauma, including nightmares, flashbacks, feelings of disconnectedness, guilt, shame, anger, fear, and sadness.
• First-line trauma therapies include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Prolonged Exposure, which are paired with psychoeducation, emotion regulation, and the development of coping skills for optimal outcomes.
• Trauma therapy can lead to the development of or an increase in uncomfortable emotions, though qualified professionals take steps to minimize the chances of this occurring.

Understanding trauma therapy

Trauma therapy is intended to help people manage the effects of significantly stressful events. Such events may be natural disasters, war, sexual violence, accidents, or other incidents resulting in severe injury, witnessing the death or harm of someone else, or having one’s own life threatened ^[1].

Individuals who have experienced this type of trauma may be left with feelings of helplessness, debilitating fear, night terrors, flashbacks to the event(s), a sense of disconnect from reality, and other symptoms affecting their behavior, emotions, and ability to function.^[2] Due to the sensitive nature of trauma-related mental health concerns, trauma therapy was designed to address these symptoms while preventing retraumatization.

How does it work?

Therapy that utilizes a trauma-informed approach focuses more on what happened to a person rather than what is wrong with them. While trauma therapy still aims to alleviate a person’s symptoms, approaching therapy from this lens empowers individuals by creating a supportive, safe environment for them.^[1]

Another highlight of trauma therapy is its holistic nature, which allows mental health providers to address the full scope of someone’s trauma concerns utilizing emotional, cognitive, and behavioral modalities.

Despite having a history of concerns in this area, some individuals may present to therapy for reasons other than sustained trauma. If these events do come up in therapy, it is the mental health professional’s responsibility to utilize a trauma-informed approach. Some mental health concerns that may be related to trauma include dissociation, attachment difficulties, poor emotion regulation, low interpersonal effectiveness, and an inability to accept one’s life circumstances. ^[1]

Types of trauma therapy

There are various types of trauma therapy that mental health professionals may use depending on their background and the person’s presenting concerns. First-line treatments are those with a strong evidence base. One first-line treatment for trauma is Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which helps people reframe the way they think about the traumatic event. ^[6]

A similar first-line modality is Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), which helps individuals modify negative behaviors they may have formed in response to their trauma history. ^{[3] [6]} Prolonged Exposure involves a slow, gradual approach to working through traumatic memories. ^[6] Each of these first-line treatments is especially effective for individuals with a trauma history who currently experience symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression. ^[1]

Second-line trauma treatments have evidence to support their benefits, but they may not be helpful for every individual who has experienced trauma. One modality in this category is Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET), which involves shifting someone’s account of the traumatic memory to take back their personal rights and self-respect. ^[6] Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) entails rapid eye movements while someone recalls traumatic memories, which helps the body reprocess the events more fully.

In terms of other trauma therapies, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) and mentalization-based therapy are known to help with flashbacks, depression, anxiety, and nightmares. ^[1] Other options include Jungian therapy, trauma-informed expressive arts therapy, psychedelic therapy, Emotionally Focused Therapy (EFT), Trauma Management Therapy (TMT), and Solution-Focused Therapy (SFT). ^{[5] [4]}

Techniques used in trauma therapy

While there are a range of approaches trauma therapists may use with individuals during sessions, there are several aspects all trauma therapy modalities have in common. First is psychoeducation, which is a fixture in all types of talk therapy. Psychoeducation as part of trauma therapy involves a mental health professional educating their patient about trauma, the body’s stress reactions, normalizing responses to stressors, and building resilience through a focus on one’s strengths.

Trauma therapy also covers discussion of uncomfortable emotions related to trauma, including shame, guilt, anger, grief, and sadness. ^[1] Many trauma therapy sessions also involve emotion regulation training and coping skills development.

Specific techniques used in trauma therapy vary by the therapist's approach. Trauma therapy using prolonged exposure includes in vivo exposure followed by imaginal exposure to gradually lead someone through recalling distressing events. TF-CBT involves using cognitive restructuring to work through trauma-related behaviors (maladaptive coping strategies) and emotions (self-blame, inadequacy, mistrust, and perceived danger). EMDR involves relaxation techniques, rapid eye movements, body scanning, and the integration of positive cognition. ^{[1] [5]}

Conditions trauma therapy can help with

When people think of trauma therapy, the first condition that comes to mind is Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While PTSD is certainly one mental health condition that can be managed using trauma therapy, this type of psychotherapy is also beneficial for the following populations: ^[1]

• Adjustment disorders, which may or may not be mixed with conduct, anxiety, and depression-related concerns.
• Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder.
• Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD).
• Acute stress disorder.
• Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD).
• Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD).
• Anyone who has experienced trauma but was not diagnosed with the above conditions.

Early evidence also suggests trauma therapy may be beneficial for individuals with dissociative disorders, though more research is needed to prove its utility for this population definitively.

Benefits of trauma therapy

Each trauma therapy approach shares many of the same goals: ^[5]

• Improving emotional and behavioral symptoms related to trauma.
• Regulating the nervous system more efficiently.
• Reframing perspective to focus on the present rather than the past.
• Minimizing or eliminating self-harm behaviors.
• Managing addictions, if they are present.
• Developing and using healthier coping mechanisms.
• Improving self-esteem.

Risks and Considerations

As with any therapy, there are considerations and potential risks associated with trauma therapy. Since trauma therapy involves reprocessing distressing events (either directly or in a more discreet way), there is the potential for someone to experience an increase in emotional/behavioral symptoms or develop new ones. These risks include feelings of anxiety, sadness, hopelessness, and potentially also suicidality, along with self-harm behaviors. The recurrence of suicidality and self-harm behaviors is more likely to occur in individuals with a prior history of these concerns.

Mental health professionals need to discuss these risks with individuals before beginning trauma therapy. It is best practice to include these risks in informed consent documentation, which is reviewed and signed before an individual's first session. This allows patients to ask their provider any questions they have, learn what the risks mean for them, and understand how to avoid harm resulting from the therapy process.

Effectiveness

The American Psychological Association strongly recommends Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) for the treatment of trauma-related conditions. ^{[3] [6]} Research has also demonstrated the effectiveness of Trauma Management Therapy (TMT) when used with veterans and active duty military members experiencing combat-related PTSD.

This study involved a three-week program, and participants saw improvements in social isolation and sleep as well as symptoms of anger, depression, and guilt. ^[4] The results from this study were maintained 6 months later, which is quite promising for the long-term outcomes of individuals who participate in this form of trauma therapy.

Where to find trauma therapy

If you are interested in participating in trauma therapy, you can speak to your existing mental health provider or your primary care doctor. They can recommend providers who offer approaches that may be the most appropriate for your needs.

Trauma therapy FAQs

Individuals often have questions about the intricacies of trauma therapy. Some of the answers below can shed some light on the topic. If you have other concerns, you can ask your provider for more information.

Is trauma therapy the same as EMDR therapy?

EMDR is one form of trauma therapy that involves completing specific rapid eye movements followed by discussing and cognitively reprocessing difficult events. EMDR can be beneficial for individuals who have experienced trauma along with conditions such as depression, phobias, eating disorders, and prolonged grief.

Can trauma therapy be damaging?

As with any form of therapy, trauma therapy comes along with risks. However, individuals should seek trauma therapy from qualified and experienced mental health providers who will discuss these risks with them and work to prevent issues from emerging during therapy.

Will my health insurance cover trauma therapy?

Trauma therapy is no different than other forms of talk therapy in terms of insurance coverage, so some coverage is often included. However, exact coverage specifications vary by plan.

Author

Brittany Ferri

Brittany Ferri holds a PhD in Integrative Mental Health and is an occupational therapist, health writer, medical reviewer, and book author.

Activity History - Last updated: March 19, 2026, Published date: March 19, 2026

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Reviewer

Jennifer Brown

Dr. Jennifer Brown is dual board-certified in family medicine and obesity medicine. She currently works for Amwell Medical Group, providing virtual primary care services, including mental health treatment.

Activity History - Medically reviewed on April 12, 2026 and last checked on March 19, 2026