Unpacking Trauma Therapy: Navigating the Path to Healing

Part one of this conversation on trauma therapy can be found here.

Trauma can have profound effects on individuals, making the journey to healing complex and multifaceted.

Understanding and treating trauma involves addressing both the mind and body through various therapeutic approaches.

In the latest episode of Treatable, host Clint Mally welcomes back Dr. Michael Barnes, a renowned trauma and addiction expert, to delve into the methods of trauma treatment and how they help individuals regain a sense of safety and well-being.

Understanding the Foundations of Trauma Treatment

How do we treat the effects of trauma from EMDR to somatic methods?

This episode of Treatable explores diverse paths to healing traumatic experiences.

Regardless of the method chosen—be it bilateral stimulation, nervous system regulation, or another treatment—the core goal remains the same: helping individuals feel safe in their own skin.

Dr. Barnes emphasizes the importance of a developmental perspective to trauma treatment, building on Judith Herman’s triphasic model of trauma therapy.

This model consists of three phases: safety, mourning and remembrance, and reintegration.

Phase One: Establishing Safety

The first and foremost step in trauma therapy is establishing a sense of safety.

Safety allows individuals to connect with their bodies and regulate their autonomic nervous system.

Dr. Barnes explains that trauma survivors often struggle to differentiate between being safe and feeling safe, resulting in chronic anxiety and a disconnection from their bodies.

Several techniques help clients achieve this sense of safety, including:

• Mindfulness and Grounding Work
  Techniques such as mindful breathing and grounding exercises help individuals reconnect with the present moment, providing a sense of control and stability.

• Resourcing
  This involves imagining a safe, stress-free place and engaging the senses to create a calming mental image. Practitioners might visualize a beach, feeling the warmth of the sun, hearing the waves, and smelling the sea air.

• Physical Movement
  Simple actions like push-ups against a wall, walking, or rolling a golf ball underfoot can help ground individuals and reduce dissociation.

Phase Two: Mourning and Remembrance

Once safety is established, the process moves to mourning and remembrance. In this phase, clients begin to tell the story of their trauma.

Dr. Barnes stresses the importance of allowing clients to tell their story methodically, helping them regulate their emotions and bodily reactions.

He likens unresolved trauma to a bullet that remains lodged in the body, causing ongoing pain and dysfunction.

Telling the trauma story allows for a grieving process akin to removing the bullet, giving the wound a chance to heal properly.

Techniques like Containment and Autonomic Regulation Therapy (CAR) enable clients to process their trauma at their own pace, feeling their emotions without becoming overwhelmed.

Techniques for Trauma Processing

Two key methods for trauma processing discussed in this episode are EMDR and somatic experiencing.

• Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
  EMDR integrates left and right brain processing by stimulating eye movements during the recounting of trauma.
  
  This bilateral stimulation helps create a narrative and allows the left brain to process the trauma, leading to significant insights and emotional regulation. 
• Somatic Experiencing
  Developed by Peter Levine, this approach views trauma as trapped energy in the nervous system.

  By allowing the body to complete unfinished defensive responses (such as shaking or tensing muscles), somatic experiencing helps release the stored trauma and restore balance.

Phase Three: Reintegration

The final phase of trauma therapy, reintegration, focuses on reconnecting individuals with their community, peers, and family.

This stage involves rebuilding trust, developing healthy relationships, and finding a supportive network.

Dr. Barnes highlights the role of peer work, coaches, and family therapy in achieving this reintegration.

It’s crucial for families to heal together, as trauma affects everyone within the system.

By working with trauma-informed family therapists, families can learn to support each other and create a cohesive healing environment.

Conclusion: Healing is Possible

Trauma treatment is a comprehensive journey that requires a collaborative effort between therapists, clients, and their support systems.

By establishing safety, processing trauma, and reintegrating into supportive relationships, individuals can find healing and resilience.

To learn more about Dr. Michael Barnes’ work, visit his website (drmikebarnes.com) where you’ll find his bio, blogs, and information on his book.

For additional questions, Dr. Barnes has graciously offered to connect with listeners via email.

Remember, trauma is treatable, and with the right support and intervention, healing is within reach.

For more insights and to listen to the full episode, tune in to Treatable and join us in unpacking mental health topics with experts who show us that change is possible.

This episode of Treatable was edited by Daniel Lopez. The intro and explanatory sections were written by Alexandra Krueger. The theme song was created by Sebastian Gonzalez, and the cover art for this episode was created by Joel Daniel.