Trauma Therapy for Veterans and First Responders

Police, fire, EMT and Armed Forces personnel put themselves on the front lines every day, where courage and bravery are the prerequisites and a true badge of honor. But the reality of a life in service brings into focus a different side to the picture.

Repeated exposure to emergencies, combat and human suffering can take a toll on the psyche and leave deep psychological wounds, sometimes surfacing long after one’s service ends.

“Although many people exposed to trauma demonstrate few or no lingering symptoms, those individuals who have experienced repeated, chronic or multiple traumas are more likely to exhibit pronounced symptoms and consequences, including substance abuse, mental illness and health problems,” notes a study from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

According to studies, over 80% of first responders encounter potentially traumatic events, and nearly one in three will develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with about 7% of military personnel experiencing PTSD during their lifetimes.

Without the right support, many struggle to cope, believing that asking for help is a sign of weakness or failure. The truth is, seeking that support is the ultimate act of strength.

Trauma therapy is that lifeline — for you, a loved one or teammate — to recalibrate and heal from the effects of trauma. The benefits of trauma-focused therapy in not only healing, but also helping patients in understanding trauma, are well documented.

Why Is It Important to Address Trauma in Therapy?

PTSD affects 3.5% of Americans, but veterans and first responders are particularly vulnerable to it; the latter are five times more likely to develop it due to their professions. When exposure to trauma — even from a singular traumatic incident — goes unresolved and untreated without proper intervention, any number of problems can arise, like PTSD and C-PTSD (complex post-traumatic stress disorder from long-term trauma).

Addiction issues may also arise in vets and public safety personnel who may begin self-medicating, unaware that their symptoms are treatable.

What are the symptoms of PTSD? Most PTSD sufferers struggle with reoccurring and intrusive memories, such as distressing and unwanted flashbacks and nightmares of a traumatic event (e.g., abuse). They may be triggered by reminders of a traumatic incidence and avoid the people and places that serve as reminders. There may be adverse emotional and physical responses, like being easily startled, frightened or constantly being on guard all the time. Irritability and aggressive behavior are sometimes accompanied in trauma disorders by symptoms of anxiety (racing heartbeat, shaking and sweating) — and self-blame, guilt and shame are common feelings amongst first responders and veterans who may feel responsible for negative outcomes in the line of duty.

Trauma therapy treatment is a necessary need because it addresses these symptoms but also targets the root causes of trauma. It’s a safe, healing space to tell your story, process and make sense of traumatic experiences and reduce their emotional charge.

But more importantly, trauma therapy is present-centered. Trauma often means grappling with automatic, harmful reactions to past events, even those that have stayed buried for years. Trauma therapy helps you reclaim autonomy over trauma’s control.

Trauma recovery means developing the ability to accept and reconcile the traumatic experiences one has had in their lives, lessen their symptoms, free themselves of anxiety and depression, and engage in better, healthier relationships. And it means knowing how to cope with future potential trauma while serving their country or ensuring public safety.

Therapy for Trauma

One of psychotherapy’s main tenets is making the connection between one’s mind, emotions and behaviors. The distressing nature of trauma can influence a negative mindset and affect how one feels and what they believe, subsequently leading to unhelpful actions.

But trauma therapy can work to reverse this path. Reframing negative beliefs and maladaptive coping strategies can make a world of difference in your self-worth and how you see and perceive yourself, others and the world around you. You’ll be able to face triggering moments with calm reason, in control of your feelings and responses. And you’ll be empowered to sit alongside past trauma while staying focused on the now and the future.

Types of Trauma Therapy

Just as one’s trauma history is multifaceted, so is the therapy meant to treat it. There are several different types of trauma therapy, and there are two specific types worth knowing about:

Trauma therapy is research-based, which means that it’s been proven effective in helping people recover from trauma disorders like PTSD and complex PTSD through years of research and practice in clinical settings.
It’s also person-centered. Contrary to myth, there is no cookie-cutter template for therapy; in therapy, you’ll have a treatment plan that’s created, customized and tailored for you and your unique needs.

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

One popular type of mental health treatment is cognitive behavioral therapy, or CBT, which aims to help people change unhelpful ways of thinking and learned behavior patterns. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is a type of CBT designed to treat trauma disorders — specifically PTSD — and works on a similar principle, enabling you to take an honest, unfiltered look at how traumatic events have changed your thoughts and beliefs about yourself, others, and the world.

“In CPT, you will learn skills that can help you decide whether there are more helpful ways to think about your trauma,” says the National Center for PTSD. “You will learn how to examine whether the facts support your thought or do not support your thought. And ultimately, you can decide whether or not it makes sense to take a new perspective.”

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

EMDR is a type of trauma therapy that works to “unblock” mental processes that have essentially become stuck by trauma. It works on a model called adaptive information processing, or AIP, which posits that under normal conditions, the brain stores memories without any trouble, but during traumatic, disturbing experiences, the brain can become compromised. “The brain can go ‘offline’ and there’s a disconnect between what you experience (feel, hear, see) and what your brain stores in memory through language,” says the Cleveland Clinic.

As such, the language of EMDR is more focused on sight and sound. During a session, your therapist implores you to recall a traumatic memory while engaging in bilateral stimulation (such as side-to-side eye movements or alternating taps). It’s believed to help desensitize emotionally charged memories, allowing you to recall a troubling event without feeling the intense emotions, thoughts and physical/emotional sensations you once associated with it.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT)

A type of CBT with an emphasis on trauma-associated symptoms and behaviors, TF-CBT was originally developed nearly 20 years ago to meet the needs of children and adolescents suffering from an early traumatic experience, but it’s proven equally effective for adults, veterans and first responders.

One of the primary aims of TF-CBT, like standard CBT, is to help someone adopt a new look at negative or disordered beliefs or feelings for better, more positive coping skills. Part of this process is through what’s called psychoeducation, a way of teaching normal, more measured reactions to potentially traumatic moments, and cognitive processing, reframing and regulating thoughts and emotions. But the real core of the therapy is creating what’s called a “trauma narrative” — by recounting a traumatic event, you can work on identifying and reframing distorted thoughts, like guilt or blame.

Exposure Therapy

Avoidance is a major symptom of PTSD — whether it’s actively staying away from physical reminders of a traumatic event or refusing to talk about it. Exposure therapy works by helping veterans and first responders safely confront their fears and traumatic memories through gradually and repeatedly exposing them to the thoughts, feelings, and situations they may have been actively avoiding, sometimes for years on end.

There are a few types of exposure therapies you might find in trauma treatment. Imaginal exposure therapy works by imploring you to vividly imagine a traumatic experience or memory. In vivo exposure therapy involves facing the place or situation one may be afraid of. Or interoceptive exposure therapy addresses the physical symptoms that can manifest from trauma.

What To Expect in Trauma Therapy?

The first thing you’ll find in trauma therapy is a compassionate, caring space — somewhere quiet and calm where you’ll feel comfortable talking about and sharing your experiences. Many people feel trepidatious or intimidated to go to therapy, but know that what you share with your therapist doesn’t leave the room and stays confidential in a non-judgmental zone where you’re free to open up about anything related to past trauma.

Therapeutic Services for Trauma Recovery

Consider the mix and variety of different services you might find in trauma therapy:

Trauma-informed therapies, as mentioned earlier, address the psychological, emotiona,l and physiological aspects of trauma.
Behavioral therapies like CPT and EMDR share a focus on identifying and changing harmful behaviors and thought patterns through approaches that are both person-centered and present-centered.
Expressive therapies in the form of art, music, or journaling are valuable therapeutic assets because they help to process certain traumatic emotions that may be difficult to put into words verbally.
Experiential groups join you with others in recovery for hands-on expressive activities that enable the gentle recalling of past traumatic experiences.
Processing groups take advantage of group therapy by openly sharing painful or traumatic experiences with other peers to gain support, encouragement, feedback, and new insights.
Holistic services recognize the connection between the mind, body, and spirit — how all three are affected by trauma and can be healed simultaneously by alternative therapies like yoga, meditation, tai chi, or nutrition counseling.
Mental health education happens through attending treatment and from immersion in a trauma treatment center — information about trauma, PTSD, and addiction to help you understand your symptoms and the recovery process.
Mindfulness-based intervention remains part of holistic recovery, present-centered practices that teach emotional self-regulation, mindfulness, and distress tolerance.
Medication management involves being prescribed medication, only when appropriate, to manage and mitigate severe symptoms of PTSD or accompanying depression and anxiety that can affect veterans and front-line professionals.

Trauma Therapy Techniques

Your therapist may employ a variety of techniques to facilitate healing from trauma, including:

Cognitive restructuring involves recognizing, challenging, and actively changing the disordered or negative thought patterns related to one’s past trauma.
Somatic experiencing focuses on awareness of releasing trauma, stress, anxiety, and other negative sensations that can manifest physically in the body.
Stress management skills take advantage of learning, practicing, and becoming skillful at becoming aware of the triggers and stressors that exacerbate one’s trauma responses.
Relaxation methods may be used in conjunction with holistic therapies, like deep breathing, guided meditation, and even massage therapy to relax the mind and body.
Mindfulness meditation takes a present-centered approach to train the mind to stay focused on and grounded in the current moment, rather than living in the past and re-experiencing painfully traumatic memories.
Creative self-expression not only utilizes art, music, painting, or other non-verbal forms of communication to channel and process complex emotions, but also helps in discovering and unearthing new talents many people never knew they had.
Body scanning is a holistic, guided meditation practice to bring attention to different parts of the body and notice sensations free of judgment or negativity.

Who Can Benefit from Trauma Therapy?

In a word, anyone. Anybody whose life has been affected or impacted by past traumatic experiences can benefit from trauma therapy, especially members of the Armed Forces or anyone in a first responder capacity who has been exposed to violent, disaster- or medical-related emergencies or life-threatening events.

Those called upon to fight for our country or keep our communities safe do so with a mission to help others, but owe it to themselves to seek help if PTSD, complex PTSD, or co-occurring disorders become a casualty of one’s vocation. Through therapy, you can unpack, unfold, reprocess, and heal the effects of trauma. Families and loved ones impacted by trauma may also benefit from trauma therapy.

Who Offers Trauma Therapy?

Most licensed, accredited mental health treatment centers will offer trauma therapy as part of their continuum of care. The therapists, counselors, psychologists, psychiatrists, and mental health specialists should be trained and experienced in trauma-informed care and treat various trauma disorders, PTSD, and more. Most importantly, the team should focus on a person-centered, patient-centric, holistic, and positive approach that meets you where you’re at in life right now.

Trauma-Informed Care at Aliya Veterans

What are the non-negotiables for seeking trauma-informed care?

It should happen in a safe, non-judgmental space, where compassion and empathy are the orders of the day. And it should ultimately enable you to look deep within yourself, face traumatic experiences without fear, mitigate your symptoms, and reinvent your whole sense of being — all while regaining control of your life without traumatic factors in play any longer.

Anyone who devotes their life to military or public safety service does it to protect, to serve, and to help. But the buildup of trauma is often a consequence of the role. That doesn’t mean you’re broken or ineffective — it just means you’re human. Helping oneself to heal that trauma within takes the same dedication to helping others. Our treatment centers can help you on that journey.

Trauma Therapy Near Me

Aliya Health Group counts 21 mental health treatment centers across eight states offering a full range of therapy for veteran and first responder trauma. Trauma-focused therapy is a specialized approach designed to help therapy patients process and heal from deeply experienced trauma in a way that feels safe and supported. In each therapy session, individuals work with a trained trauma therapist to explore how past events continue to impact their thoughts, behaviors, and relationships. Through research-based practices like trauma-focused CBT, patients learn to identify triggers, develop healthier coping mechanisms, and gain a deeper understanding of trauma and its effects. This form of trauma disorder treatment is especially effective for those living with PTSD and other mental health conditions, causing problems, offering a structured yet compassionate path toward healthy coping and lasting emotional recovery.

Trauma recovery is possible and starts with a simple phone call that can change your life. Our admissions team is on hand 24/7/365 to answer your questions about trauma-focused therapy, insurance coverage, and more. Reach out today to request an appointment to learn more.