Trauma Counselling in London | Treatment & Therapy
Therapy for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder
What is Trauma?
Our experienced therapists offer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy and Trauma counselling in London. Trauma is a psychological and emotional reaction to a situation or experience that is distressing such as an accident. Some problems in life are overwhelmingly negative and can cause a lasting impact on the mental and emotional stability of a person which may contribute to the development of trauma. Some common source of trauma includes divorce, rape, accident, losing a loved one. Trauma can be extreme when the experiences are too frightening or painful. Some of the signs of trauma include anger, flashbacks, continues feeling of sadness, intense feeling of guilt and development of a feeling of isolation. Traumatic experiences shatter a sense of security and make a person helpless and vulnerable.
How can counselling help with Trauma?
To truly get free from these symptoms of trauma, however, a person must work with a professional who understands the physiological trauma response and does some form of bodywork to help release it. It is important to understand that the trauma is a physiological response embedded in the primal brain and body’s sympathetic nervous system. It is difficult to get over trauma without communicating with the body’s sympathetic nervous system. The main challenge is to learn how to deal with traumatic experiences in life.
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (also known as PTSD) refers to the psychological suffering that results from a traumatic, catastrophic or violent event.
The diagnosis of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder requires the symptoms to be a consequence of a critical event, but having experienced a critical experience in itself does not automatically cause the onset of the disorder.
Signs of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
The term Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is commonly used to describe a sustained anxiety disorder in individuals following catastrophic events, characterised by the following signs (DSM-V criteria):
A (one required): The person was exposed to: death, threatened death, actual or threatened serious injury, or actual or threatened sexual violence, in the following way(s):
- Direct exposure
- Witnessing the trauma
- Learning that a relative or close friend was exposed to a trauma
- Indirect exposure to aversive details of the trauma, usually in the course of professional duties (e.g., first responders, medics)
B (one required): The traumatic event is persistently re-experienced, in the following way(s):
- Unwanted upsetting memories
- Nightmares
- Flashbacks
- Emotional distress after exposure to traumatic reminders
- Physical reactivity after exposure to traumatic reminders
C (one required): Avoidance of trauma-related stimuli after the trauma, in the following way(s):
- Trauma-related thoughts or feelings
- Trauma-related reminders
D (two required): Negative thoughts or feelings that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
- Inability to recall key features of the trauma
- Overly negative thoughts and assumptions about oneself or the world
- Exaggerated blame of self or others for causing the trauma
- Negative affect
- Decreased interest in activities
- Feeling isolated
- Difficulty experiencing positive affect
E (two required): Trauma-related arousal and reactivity that began or worsened after the trauma, in the following way(s):
- Irritability or aggression
- Risky or destructive behaviour
- Hypervigilance
- Heightened startle reaction
- Difficulty concentrating
- Difficulty sleeping
F (required): Symptoms last for more than 1 month.
G (required): Symptoms create distress or functional impairment (e.g., social, occupational).
H (required): Symptoms are not due to medication, substance use, or other illness.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Trauma Counselling in London
Research has shown that most effective treatment for Trauma and PTSD are Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural therapy (also known as TF-CBT) and Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing therapy (EMDR).
For more information about talking therapies and Trauma treatment programmes available at our Clinics in London please read our guidelines below or visit our Treatment page.
Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Children in London
Our highly trained and experienced psychologists offer private trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy and trauma counselling in London. Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a treatment program aimed at helping children who are traumatized to deal with the traumatic experience. TF-BT is an evidence-based Trauma treatment program that provides expanded methods for treating trauma, and it incorporates practices from family therapy and extremely trauma-sensitive methods.
What to expect from seeing a Trauma Psychologist in London?
TF-CBT is conducted in a safe environment to encourage children to share their feelings and help manage difficult emotions. It addresses the emotional needs of children who are struggling to overcome traumatic experiences.
TF-CBT concentrates with unique issues of children and adults with post-traumatic stress resulting from abuse and violence. When working with children, TF-CBT brings the parents or caregiver on board and incorporates family therapy. TF-CBT addresses post-traumatic stress through integrating theories and practices of several therapeutic interventions. Seeking trauma counselling in London for your child? Our private psychologists can help you today.
How does Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for Children work?
Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural therapy for children addresses the traumatic stress of children by taking them through eight stages of treatment namely, psychoeducation and parenting skills, relaxation, emotional expression and regulation, coping with maladaptive thoughts, the creation of trauma narrative, in vivo exposure, joint parent-child session, staying safe and maintaining recovery.
Phase 1
Psychoeducation and parenting skills involve providing parent and children with information on the traumatic event and likely symptoms associated with the traumatic event. Parents are taught how to manage the behavioral problem of their children and how to communicate regularly with their children.
Phase 2
Relaxation involves training children how to manage anxieties through relaxing techniques.
Phase 3
Emotional expression and regulation component involves assisting children and parents in managing emotions connected to the abuse more healthily and effectively.
Phase 4
Children are taught how to deal with maladaptive thoughts and to work through these thoughts.
Phase 5
In the creation of a trauma narrative stage, children are guided through exposure exercises, where they are encouraged to write about the event or talk about it.
Phase 6
In vivo exposure involves taking the child to trauma reminders so that the child learns how to deal with them effectively and decrease the avoidance behaviours.
Phase 7
Joint parent-child session helps parent and children to work together to improve communication and create a good environment to discuss the traumatizing issues.
Phase 8
Finally, staying safe and maintaining recovery phase involves informing the child and parents on how to be safe and avoid exposure to traumatizing events in the future.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy for Trauma Treatment in London
Our therapists offer Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy in London. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is a collaborative psychotherapy practices that is used to reduce traumatic stress. EMDR therapy allows the victim to think about the most disturbing image associated with the traumatic event, then let it go, and receive bilateral stimulation for about twenty seconds or more. The bilateral stimulation may be in the form of tracking the therapist's hand with one's eyes, being alternately tapped on the knees, or listening to alternating tones in headphones.
EMDR is a type of therapy that activates the limbic system in the brain. This is the part of the brain that works to process memories. When a person experiences a traumatic event or events, sometimes the memories of these events get trapped in the limbic system and keep the brain in a constant state of emotional stress. The brain keeps reliving the event(s) in “flashbacks,” causing a person to be highly sensitive to even small stressors.
How does Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy for Trauma work?
EMDR involves processing of traumatic memory, transforming of the painful events on an emotional level and encouraging the person with traumatic stress. The bilateral stimuli and the assistance of the therapist allow the victim to tap into the biological system which allows the victim to process memories naturally.
What to expect from seeing an EMDR Therapist at our London Clinics?
EMDR consists of eight therapy phases that a patient undergoes, which are further subdivided into three specific periods, the past, present, and future events. The past event that caused the trauma is identified while attention is given to the current situation that causes distress. The action is taken to prevent such distress from occurring in the future.
Phase 1
In phase one, the therapist works with the victim to identify the events that the victim underwent that could be causing trauma. Information obtained in this stage help to develop treatment plans.
Phase 2
This phase involves teaching the patient about the various stress reduction and imagery techniques that can be applied during a therapy session to deal with emotional stress.
Phase 3-6
In phase three to six, a target memory is selected and processed using EMDR therapy techniques. During these phases, patients need to identify the emotion and physical sensations associated with the memory. Clients are also supposed to identify the negative beliefs about themselves that are associated with their distress. They then identify the positive beliefs that he or she would like to possess.
Phase 7
After that, phase seven is a closure stage, where the client keeps a record of any negative thoughts that come up throughout the session. The therapist analyses the record and gain information which help the patient to work through their pain and distress.
Phase 8
Phases eight is an evaluation stage where the therapist and patient examine the progress made during the previous session.
Getting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder Therapy or Trauma Treatment in London
We offer Psychological Therapies for trauma treatment to Adults, Children and Teenagers at our clinics in Central London. Accessing Post Traumatic Stress Disorder therapy and Trauma counseling in London is simple, our clinics are in Central London within minutes from tube stations.
Our Trauma Therapists in London
All our Therapists offer Psychological Therapies for Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to Adults, Children and Teenagers. Click here to meet the Team. Seeking trauma treatment in London is a step away, make an appointment today on our online booking system.
Trauma Therapy / Treatment Fees
Looking for Trauma counselling in London? Sessions with our Psychologists are by prepaid appointments only. You can find out more about our fees on our Fees Page.
Further Reading about Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
For more information about Trauma and Post Traumatic Stress Disorder treatment please visit the NHS website - Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. For strategies and tips on how to cope with a traumatic event please visit the Royal College of Psychiatrist website - coping after a traumatic event.
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