How do you Start Therapy?

1. Picking a therapist you like and feel comfortable with.

Choosing a counsellor that fit's with you is important! This is because research shows it will account for 30% of the therapeutic effect in your sessions. Also considering the therapist's qualifications. As one that has a master's in counselling has spent 4 years on their Bachelors and then 4 on a masters, that’s more than 8 years studying psychology whereas others may not have. As LSW or social workers are know to call themselves therapist but hold a 4 year degree and their training is not in clinical psychology. This is why the American Psychological Association and BC Association of Clinical Counselling recommended that you find someone with a MA (i.e. masters degree) beside their name. This means there will be an MA by their name. And lastly, it can be a good idea to choose one that specializes in trauma. This is for the same reason that you go to doctors that specialize in your issue like with eyes, or ears. They may both understand how each part of the body works but the ear doctor works with ears everyday, and probably has extra education in that area like ours.

2. Picking a therapy style that lowers the symptoms of PTSD

Due to the large amount of research and evidence supporting CBT, it's strongly recommended as a first line treatment, over other variations of CBT or other therapy styles. The American Psychological Association has recommended this because it’s an approach that addresses all the symptoms through both thoughts and actions. This has been shown to have a strong effect on lowering symptoms in both acute stress disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder.

3. What other Trauma Therapy Styles Are There?

The best part of CBT is that there are also variations of it. And they have also been found to be effective in trauma such as EMDR, DBT, and SIT. They are often referred to as secondary approaches and can be effective after trying CBT. These are variations of CBT that have blossomed from taking the basic concepts and applying them in diverse ways and adding different tools to them. For example, DBT is linked closely to CBT but is more focused on equal parts acceptance of where you are at and learning skills to change the symptoms you are managing. This can be helpful as some people respond better to trauma treatment after they've learned how to calm their bodies down and regulate their emotions. Check out our containment and grounding strategies to help with this.

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