Trauma & Acute Stress Counselling

Addressing trauma and acute stress in therapy requires a structured yet flexible approach, tailored to the individual's needs. Below are key therapeutic models and techniques that clinicians often use:

Initial Assessment & Stabilisation

• Establish Safety & Trust
  • Creating a safe therapeutic environment is essential
• Psychoeducation
  • Educating clients about trauma, stress responses, and coping mechanism
• Stabilisation Techniques
  • Teaching grounding exercises, relaxation techniques, and emotional regulation strategies

Evidence-Based Therapies

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)
  • Helps clients process traumatic memories and develop healthier thought patterns
  • Involves exposure techniques, cognitive restructuring, and coping skill development
• Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Uses bilateral stimulation (eye movements, tapping, or sounds) to help reprocess traumatic memories
  • Helps the brain "reorganise" distressing memories into less triggering forms
• Somatic Experiencing (SE)
  • Focuses on the body's response to trauma
  • Helps clients release stored trauma by completing unresolved stress responses
• Prolonged Exposure Therapy (PE)
  • Systematic exposure to traumatic memories in a controlled environment
  • Helps reduce avoidance behaviors and desensitize distressing memories
• Internal Family Systems (IFS)
  • Views trauma through the lens of different "parts" of the self
  • Helps clients integrate and heal from fragmented aspects of trauma
• Narrative Therapy
  • Encourages clients to rewrite their trauma narratives in an empowering way
  • Separates the person from the problem and helps reconstruct meaning

Mind-Body Approaches

• Mindfulness & Meditation
  • Reduces hyperarousal and promotes present-moment awareness
• Yoga & Breathwork
  • Helps regulate the nervous system
• Art & Music Therapy
  • Allows nonverbal expression of trauma

Crisis Intervention for Acute Stress

• Psychological First Aid (PFA)
  • Immediate, short-term support after trauma
• Crisis Counseling
  • Helps manage immediate emotional distress and prevent PTSD development
• Grounding Techniques
  • Using the "5-4-3-2-1" method, deep breathing, or sensory engagement

Long-Term Healing & Integration

• Building Resilience
  Developing emotional strength and adaptive coping mechanisms.
• Relational Therapy
  Addressing attachment wounds and interpersonal impacts of trauma
• Lifestyle Adjustments
  Encouraging healthy sleep, nutrition, and physical activity for nervous system regulation