Trauma

Increase Emotional Safety and Trauma Symptom Understanding

• Client wants to better understand trauma-related symptoms and responses.
• Increase awareness of trauma triggers and associated emotional, cognitive, and behavioral responses.
• Patient wants to better understand how past traumatic experiences continue to affect current functioning.
• Improve the client’s ability to recognize and respond effectively to trauma-related activation.

Improve Emotional Regulation and Coping Skills

• Client wants to improve their ability to regulate emotions when experiencing stress or trauma-related triggers.
• Increase use of adaptive coping strategies to manage distress and emotional activation.
• Patient wants to develop healthier ways of managing difficult emotions and stressful experiences.
• Improve the client’s ability to identify and regulate physiological and emotional responses to stress.

Increase Sense of Safety and Trust

• Client wants to develop a greater sense of safety within themselves and their relationships.
• Improve ability to establish and maintain healthy interpersonal boundaries.
• Patient wants to develop healthier patterns of trust within safe and supportive relationships.
• Increase the client’s sense of emotional and interpersonal safety.

Reduce Avoidance and Increase Healthy Engagement

• Client wants to reduce avoidance of situations, emotions, or experiences associated with past trauma.
• Increase tolerance for distress associated with trauma reminders and difficult emotions.
• Patient wants to become more engaged in meaningful activities, relationships, and areas of daily functioning.
• Improve ability to move toward valued activities and experiences despite trauma-related distress.

Develop a More Balanced Self-Perception

• Client wants to reduce self-blame and develop a healthier perception of themselves.
• Reduce trauma-related shame, guilt, self-blame, and negative self-beliefs.
• Patient wants to develop greater self-compassion and recognition of personal strengths.
• Improve self-worth and reduce the impact of trauma-related beliefs on self-concept.