Trauma Therapy

At The Mental Wellness Center, Inc., one of our many specialties is assessing and treating trauma. We view trauma as a pervasive problem in the United States at this point in our lives. In our experience, trauma results from exposure to an incident or series of emotionally/physically disturbing or life-threatening events with lasting adverse effects on a person’s functioning. These events can seem so disturbing or distressing that it overwhelms an individual's ability to cope, causing feelings of helplessness and diminishing their sense of self and ability to feel a full range of emotions and experiences.

Experiences that may be traumatic include:

• Physical, sexual, and emotional abuse

• Childhood neglect

• Living with a family member with mental health or substance use disorders

• Sudden, unexplained separation from a loved one

• Poverty

• Racism, discrimination, and oppression

• Violence in the community, war, or terrorism

• Chronic or invisible illnesses

• Witnessing or surviving natural disasters

• Motor vehicle accidents

Trauma does not discriminate, and it is increasing throughout the world. A World Mental Health survey conducted by the World Health Organization found that at least a third of the more than 125,000 people surveyed in 26 different countries had experienced trauma. That number rose to 70% when the group was limited to people experiencing core disorders as defined by the DSM-IV (the classification found in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition). But those numbers are just for instances that have been reported; the actual number is probably much, much higher.

Currently, no criteria or objective measures exist to classify which events will cause Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. There isn’t a good predictor of what people will eventually develop PTSD. We know that the trauma does not necessarily need to rise to the level of natural disaster, great personal injury, or war to classify it as PTSD.

Our goal at The Mental Wellness Center, Inc, when doing any type of trauma work, is to connect with every client individually. We will then engage in a thorough psychological evaluation. Our goal is to make a diagnosis and integrate that diagnosis with the client’s history of trauma. If a person has experienced emotional trauma in childhood or adulthood, there is hope for healing and recovery.

At The Mental Wellness Center, Inc., we approach trauma from a variety of lenses: we utilize cognitive behavioral therapy, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Somatization Therapy, Attachment Therapy, Trauma Focused CBT, etc.  Our clinicians bring a multitude of trauma skills and training to the table to meet each client where they are and help them heal and move along the road to wellness. 

If you are interested in looking into Trauma therapy, please contact us at 309-807-5077 or email us at Info@TheMentalWellnessCenter.com