Healing Trauma
Healing Trauma: Reclaim Your Life from PTSD
Nightmares, intrusive memories, or the exhausting cycle of feeling too much or completely numb—does this resonate? Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) was once associated only with wartime experiences, but today we understand that 70-75% of adults in the United States will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. PTSD is a stress disorder, and it’s important to recognize that it’s a normal response to an abnormal experience.
The good news?
PTSD doesn’t have to define your life. Thanks to continued advancements in trauma research and treatment, hope, healing, and full recovery are possible. With the right support, you can move beyond the pain of the past and reclaim your present. At DBT of South Jersey, we are honored to offer cutting-edge, evidence-based treatments to guide you through the process of healing.
How DBT of South Jersey Can Help You Resolve Trauma
If you are haunted by distressing images, nightmares, or physical sensations tied to a past experience and other therapies haven’t worked, you need to know about Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART).
ART is often compared to EMDR, but many describe it as working much faster and in as little as 1-5 sessions. Like EMDR, ART uses bilateral stimulation through guided eye movements to help reprocess stuck images, emotions, and sensations that your brain and body have been holding onto.
What sets ART apart is its ability to provide rapid and lasting relief from trauma, grief, anxiety, depression, and phobias—often in as little as one to five sessions. ART takes a non-invasive, evidence-based approach that doesn’t require you to relive your trauma in detail. In fact, you can complete an ART session without even disclosing the specific memory you’re working on.
Clients at DBT of South Jersey often report feeling amazed at how much lighter they feel after just one session. Many share that issues they’ve struggled with for years clear up in as little as 3 appointments. We are proud to offer this cutting-edge treatment through some of the area’s only trained ART clinicians. If you’re ready for rapid and profound emotional healing, ART at DBT of South Jersey might be the perfect fit for you. Let us help you take that step toward freedom and relief.
PTSD thrives on avoidance—avoiding emotions, people, situations, triggers, and even thoughts. This avoidance can keep trauma symptoms alive and unmanageable. DBT-PE is an evidence-based treatment specifically designed to break this cycle. By combining standard Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) with prolonged exposure techniques, DBT-PE helps clients confront and reduce PTSD symptoms, even in cases of complex trauma.
With DBT-PE , clients build a strong foundation of DBT skills to prepare for in-vivo (real-world) and imaginal exposure therapy. Though the process is challenging, many clients report life-changing results. In fact, research shows that up to 80% of participants no longer meet PTSD criteria after completing treatment (Harned, 2016).Imagine that—living life free from the weight of PTSD.
Just as your body can heal from physical wounds, your brain can heal from emotional and mental trauma. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a highly respected, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain reprocess painful memories so they no longer carry the same emotional weight.
EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (e.g., guided eye movements) while clients recall specific memories. This process allows the brain to "reprocess" these memories, reducing the emotional distress they once caused.
Widely recognized as a gold standard for trauma treatment, EMDR is ideal for clients seeking relief from traumatic or highly distressing life experiences.
Trauma doesn’t just impact the mind—it lives in the body, often showing up as tension, chronic pain, and emotional disconnection. Reiki for trauma healing is a gentle, non-invasive therapy that balances your body’s energy to release stored trauma and promote relaxation. At DBT of South Jersey, our highly trained Reiki practitioners are also licensed therapists, uniquely qualified to provide safe, trauma-informed care. Reiki can help reduce symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, and restlessness while fostering emotional balance and a sense of calm.
Many clients leave their sessions feeling lighter, more centered, and deeply relaxed, even after just one experience. If you’re searching for a holistic therapy in South Jersey to complement your trauma healing journey, Reiki might be the perfect fit. Let our expert team help you reconnect with your body and rediscover your inner peace.
You Don’t Have to Navigate Trauma Alone
At DBT of South Jersey, we understand how trauma impacts every facet of life. That’s why we are committed to offering personalized, evidence-based treatments to help you reclaim your life. Whether through ART, DBT-PE, EMDR, or a combination of approaches, we’re here to support you on your healing journey. Trauma doesn’t have to control your story. Healing is not only possible—it’s within reach.
Understanding Trauma:
How Your Brain's Defense Team Takes Charge
Our brains are wired for survival, which means safety takes precedence over logic. When something feels dangerous, our brain prioritizes self-protection by activating the “survival brain”—the reptilian or emotional brain—while temporarily shutting down the prefrontal cortex, the part responsible for rational, fact-based decisions.
This built-in defense system is incredible at keeping us alive, but it doesn’t always discern between real and perceived danger. At the center of this process is the amygdala, often referred to as the brain’s smoke detector. When the alarm sounds, the thinking brain goes offline, and our defense mechanisms kick in.
These responses can generally be categorized into five key roles:
What’s Next?
Recognizing Trauma’s Impact
Understanding how your defense team works is a critical step toward healing. Therapists can help you identify these patterns, understand their origins, and learn strategies to regulate these responses. The goal is to honor the role of your defense team while teaching it when to take a step back, allowing you to feel more grounded, connected, and in control.
Are There Other Types of Trauma?
Absolutely. Trauma can take many forms, and recognizing them can open your mind to the varied ways it impacts people. Here are some examples:
Trauma that stems from relationships of any kind.
This often includes experiences described as “toxic,” like:
- A controlling or narcissistic partner
- A critical parent, coach, or boss
- Friendships that were manipulative or aggressive
Trauma resulting from medical experiences, such as:
- Traumatic childbirth or pregnancy loss
- Receiving a life-altering diagnosis like cancer
- Chronic pain or invasive medical procedures
The trauma of significant loss, including:
- Losing a child, parent, or partner suddenly or unexpectedly
- Losses due to overdose or suicide
- The end of an important relationship or the loss of a beloved pet
Trauma experienced by groups of people, such as:
- Pandemics
- Mass shootings
- Systemic oppression
- Natural disasters or events of genocide
The ongoing pain of discrimination, including:
- Racism, sexism, homophobia, or transphobia
- The challenges of code-switching for BIPOC individuals
- The masking required for neurodivergent people
Trauma stemming from major life changes, such as:
- Divorce
- Financial crises or job loss
- Legal issues
Was It Really That Bad?
It’s so common to minimize our experiences and avoid labeling them as trauma altogether. But trauma doesn’t have to look like a catastrophic event to leave its mark. Trauma, in the context we’re discussing, is any event, series of events, or interactions that impact how you see yourself, others, and the world around you.
If we think of trauma on a spectrum, it can range from:
"Little T" Trauma
(Covert)
.
"Big T" Trauma
(Overt)
.
Understanding
"Little T" Trauma
On the left side of the spectrum, you’ll find "Little T" Trauma—the type that can be easy to overlook or dismiss. These traumas are often covert, nuanced, and might seem “not that big of a deal” when viewed in isolation. But over time, the impact becomes cumulative, shaping how you view yourself, others, and the world. Think of it like death by a thousand paper cuts: one cut might sting, but imagine enduring them over and over.
Examples of “Little T” Trauma include:
- Being raised by critical, rigid, or highly anxious caregivers.
- Feeling “othered” because of your race, neurotype, gender, or sexual orientation.
- Hearing messages like “you’re too much” or “you’re not enough.”
Understanding
"Big T" Trauma
On the right side of the spectrum is "Big T" Trauma—what most people traditionally think of as trauma.
These events are more overt and include:
- Physical abuse or assault
- Sexual violence or rape
- Neglect or abandonment
- Sudden loss of a loved one
- Natural disasters, war and combat, or other life-altering events
How Do I Know If I Need Counseling For Trauma?
Trauma can be sneaky in how it shows up in your life. While some people recognize classic signs of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)—like intrusive memories, distressing dreams, avoidance, and hypervigilance others may feel the cumulative effects of "Little T" Traumas without connecting the dots.
These effects might look like:
- Perfectionism or a relentless inner critic
- Overwhelm or burnout
- Struggles in relationships (reactivity, isolation, difficulty trusting)
- Using substances, food, or shopping to regulate emotions
- Chronic rumination or low self-esteem
What Can I Expect If I Try Counseling for Trauma?
Here’s the best part: you don’t have to live like this forever. So many people don’t realize they can have a different kind of life—one that feels lighter, freer, and more connected. At DBT of South Jersey, we use evidence-based practices like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) and DBT-Prolonged Exposure Therapy to help clients achieve tangible results, such as:
- Decreased anxiety
- Improved relationships
- Increased self-respect and empowerment
- Better sleep
- Alleviation of somatic symptoms (e.g., tension, headaches, stomach issues)
- A healthier narrative of the past
- Greater emotional self-regulation
- Reduced irritability and reactivity
- Increased acceptance and resilience
- The ability to do things you couldn’t before because of your symptoms
If you’re ready to heal and step into a life that feels more aligned with the person you want to be, we’re here to help. You don’t have to carry this alone.
Begin Trauma Therapy with Our South Jersey Team
You don’t have to live with sleepless nights, overwhelmed days and without feelings of true meaning or purpose.. Counseling will help you improve your relationship with others as well as yourself, and give you access to feelings of peace and ease. Both our Voorhees and Moorestown therapy practices (link location + counseling clinic to the home page) have amazing therapists who will help you work through your past.
Trauma Therapy FAQ
Trauma therapy helps clients release negative or intrusive beliefs, behaviors, and relationship patterns shaped by their experiences. It also addresses physical symptoms stored in the body, such as tension, headaches, sleep difficulties and more. Through regular sessions—often weekly—therapy builds awareness of how the past affects the present while fostering new, healthier patterns to implement in daily life.
In trauma therapy, nothing is off-limits. Many people are surprised to uncover unexpected sources of trauma, beyond obvious events like assault or physical abuse. Experiences like difficult childhood dynamics or harmful relationships can be just as impactful. One question we often ask is, “Were you raised by a caregiver who was scared or scary?” This often leads to patterns of anxiety, perfectionism, and rigidity in adulthood. For us, all of this is considered trauma worth addressing in therapy.
Trauma refers to an experience or series of experiences that may or may not lead to PTSD diagnosis. It’s important to recognize that even without meeting the formal criteria for PTSD, past experiences can still have a significant impact. Perfectionism, anxiety, anger, and control issues often stem from unresolved trauma. We work to shed light on how repeated invalidation—feeling “not good enough,” struggling to fit in, or being told you’re “too much”—can feel like “death by a thousand papercuts.” Similarly, the emotional toll of trauma-like invalidation can be seen in the masking behaviors of neurodivergent individuals or the code-switching experienced by non-white individuals.
The word “trauma” can be overused and underused, making it hard to know when to take it seriously. Therapists often talk about “Big-T” and “Little-t” trauma to differentiate between major, overt traumas and smaller experiences that, over time, can cause just as much pain. A good way to recognize unresolved trauma is to look at your life and relationships. If you have reactions that others see as disproportionate, struggle with intense or difficult relationships, find it hard to “let go,” or deal with control and perfectionism, you may want to work with a therapist to look at how your present day struggles make sense given your life experiences.
The length of trauma therapy varies depending on the individual and the approach used. Our team specializes in Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), an evidence-based treatment for trauma, anxiety, depression, and more. ART is known for its efficiency, often helping clients achieve significant relief in as few as 1–5 sessions.
The best therapy for trauma depends on what works for you. We use a mix of evidence-based approaches like Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART), DBT-Prolonged Exposure, and EMDR, combined with holistic practices like trauma-informed yoga and reiki. The key is a tailored approach that delivers real results—general, unstructured talk therapy often isn’t enough to address trauma effectively. If you sought therapy before for trauma and didn’t get results, it may just mean that wasn’t the right therapy for you.
A more meaningful question might be: “What does healing from trauma actually feel like?” Healing means reclaiming your life from the grip of the past, allowing your present to unfold without the constant influence of old wounds. It feels like freedom—a lightness and ease you may not have known was possible. You’ll notice improved sleep, less tension stored in your body, and a sense of calm even in situations that once triggered intense reactions. Over time, you’ll find yourself doing things that once felt overwhelmingly difficult with greater confidence and ease. You may also begin setting healthier boundaries, choosing to let go of relationships or situations that no longer serve you. While your circle may grow smaller, the connections you nurture will feel deeper, more supportive, and truly fulfilling.
The time EMDR takes depends on the trauma—single incidents may resolve quickly, while complex or ongoing trauma often requires 20+ sessions. EMDR is sometimes criticized for being time-intensive, which is why our team also offers Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART). ART uses similar interventions but often provides symptom relief in just 1–5 sessions, making it a much quicker alternative for many clients.
DBT is highly effective in the first stage of trauma treatment: establishing safety and stabilization. Trauma, especially repeated trauma or experiencing a lifetime of invalidation, can create intense emotional energy that manifests as symptoms like rageful outbursts, severe hopelessness, suicidal thoughts, and self-destructive behaviors. When someone is deeply impacted in this way, trauma can’t be effectively processed without first achieving stabilization and building a foundation of skillful coping, which happens with comprehensive DBT treatment.
Think of trauma treatment like running a big race—DBT equips you with the essential gear to sustain the journey, avoid injury, and even find moments of ease along the way. Comprehensive DBT addresses the barriers that prevent trauma processing, building a foundation for deeper healing work later on.
