My previous blog provided an introduction to trauma therapy for teens - check it out if you didn’t get a chance. If after reading, you still had questions about what the benefits of trauma therapy for teens are, here I’ll specifically address the benefits of trauma therapy for adolescents.

There are many benefits of trauma therapy for teens, but here are the most significant takeaways you can expect:

Learn About Trauma

Trauma therapy provides a safe space for you to learn about normal trauma responses and how your experiences have specifically impacted you and your response. This educational foundation helps you become more open to understanding your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in more helpful and accurate ways. A trauma therapist can give language to your experience, and remind you that you are not alone!

Re-Establish Safety

Trauma, by definition, is a violation of your sense of safety. This includes violations of physical, sexual, emotional, psychological, and/or relational safety. Trauma therapy can help you develop or reestablish internal and external senses of safety through discussions that target these areas. For example, we might specifically work on your emotional, psychological, relational, physical, or environmental senses of safety.

Identify Triggers

Trauma therapy supports you in exploring, identifying, understanding, and expressing thoughts and feelings related to your trauma. Trauma therapy can help you understand your reactions and behaviors that are related to your trauma. In doing so, you’ll learn that some of your responses (thoughts, feelings, and behaviors) may be related to reminders of your trauma and exposure to triggers. Together, we will work to learn to recognize your triggers.

Develop Healthy Coping Skills

One goal of trauma therapy is to help you discover skills and improve healthy coping strategies to better respond to thoughts and feelings associated with your trauma. Some skills might include anxiety management and relaxation techniques that are taught in an accessible manner. Developing these types of skills in response to trauma supports resiliency - the ability to bounce back from trauma.

Decrease Trauma Symptoms

By working closely with a trauma therapist, you can develop and practice skills that help decrease traumatic stress symptoms and other distressing symptoms. The goal is that you experience a decrease in depression, anxiety, dissociation, shame or guilt, and intrusive thoughts such as flashbacks and nightmares.

Trauma Processing and Integration

A primary goal of trauma therapy is to help you regain power and control over past experiences by sensitively helping them re-narrate your story. Over time, you’ll have the opportunity to process, or make better sense of your trauma. Therapy can help change your perspective of yourself, your relationships with others, and the world.

Parents: does this sound like something you’re interested in for your teen?

Teens: do these benefits sound like something you want in your life right now?

Book a consultation with one of our Woven therapists and realize the benefits of trauma therapy (California residents only). We provide online therapy and have therapists who are trained in emdr therapy. We also offer many different types of trauma therapy groups. All of our therapists specialize in trauma informed care, and informed trauma therapy. Start your journey today!