Trauma Therapy vs. Regular Therapy, What’s the Difference?

Trauma Therapy vs. Regular Therapy, or traditional talk therapy - what’s the difference anyway AND why is it important?

Seeking therapy, whatever kind of therapy it may be is a step of courage and bravery. It is important to note that not all therapy is the same though, and below I’ll dive into how to spot the difference between trauma therapy vs. regular therapy or talk therapy treatment to determine what is best for you.

So, what set’s them apart?

Trauma therapy and traditional talk therapy both offer tremendous value to our mental health and growth journey. What sets them apart is often - what the main goals of treatment are and how a therapist may utilize different techniques to help you get there.

Trauma therapy, I would describe as more of a “bottom-up” approach that addresses more intense or deep-rooted concerns. These concerns can be related to past or present circumstances, what marks them is that they overwhelm the body’s ability to cope. Trauma therapy is often focused on regaining emotional regulation and stabilization and providing an ability to reprocess triggering memories that can help you be able to increase your ability to tolerate the stress. Your therapist may use modalities that are more nervous system based such as: EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), somatic experiencing, IFS (Internal Family Systems).

Talk therapy on the other hand, is often more of a “top-down” approach focused on alleviating the symptoms and concerns that are occurring in your life and provide support and potentially resolution to them. This may look like more supportive top-down approaches such as Solution-Focused Therapy, client-centered therapy, or even CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.)

How do I know what’s right for me?

I would say this depends on a few things. How intense is your experience currently? Do you feel like your past is playing a large part of your present? Did something traumatic happen recently and I am having recurring intrusive memories of it? If that resonates, trauma therapy may be right for you. Am I more looking for someone to process a current life transition? Do you need some different strategies to manage challenging aspects of your life? Talk therapy may be a good fit for you in that case!

If you’re unsure about what is the right path for you, feel free to schedule a free phone consultation and we’d be happy to talk to you more about the process. Click here!