Top 3 Myths of Trauma Therapy

In the realm of trauma therapy, misconceptions often hinder individuals from seeking the support they truly need. As an Asian American trauma therapist in SF Bay Area, it is crucial to debunk these myths and shed light on the realities of the healing process.

That way you can have an experience of therapy that is meaningful, healing, and fulfilling.

Myth 1: Trauma Therapy is quick - Emphasizing the Importance of Patience and Consistency

I get it. People want it to be quick. They want to spend no more than a few sessions, talk about it, and get out. This is tempting and can lead to disappointment as you find a therapist, get some relief, and then only realize that your traumas are still haunting you. You then find yourself thinking that the money and time you put into trauma therapy is pointless.

Let’s be clear, healing from trauma takes time because there are layers built into it. Think about the pain that you experienced growing up, then you add layers of protection, bad coping skills, and behaviors to deal with that pain. These then build up patterns of thinking which lead to behaviors that can negatively affect your life such as your relationships. It takes time to not only heal from these memories but to also rebuild new patterns, and experiences that will allow you to live a better and healthier life. This means learning NEW coping skills, NEW ways of relating to others, and letting go of old habits that keep you from being healthier.

Myth 2: Trauma Therapy takes a lifetime - Healing takes time but it’s Not forever

On the other hand of the spectrum, some people think that trauma work is a lifetime of work. They imagine that trauma work is really about coming in every day, talking about your traumas, forever and ever, and nothing happening. The assumption behind trauma work being forever is just the idea that you just talk about it and nothing changes or that the changes that you have, that you experience are very minimal and not very effective.

Trauma work does not have to be forever.

Good trauma work is for a certain amount of time, for a certain season, addressing certain problems. Afterward, you may find coping skills, new ways of relating to people, and better behaviors and from there you might want to end therapy. And then in the future, you may realize that you might have some work to do based on other things that can come up in your life. Sometimes new stressors or life transitions may require you to return to therapy work work on old trauma but from a new perspective. Thats ok! That doesn’t mean that you are in therapy forever.

Myth 3: I just need to talk about it - Trauma Therapy is more than talking

There is a myth that persists in trauma therapy and that is the idea that you just need to talk about it. And this does kind of make sense. You do need to talk about your traumas in some aspect. But the idea of just rambling on and on about your trauma and just getting stuck is not proper trauma therapy.

Talking about your trauma is a very important aspect of therapy. But it has to be done with a certain purpose.

Sometimes you might want to talk about your trauma so that you can get insight or understanding about your trauma.

Sometimes you might want to talk about your trauma so that you can learn how to use your body and heal from it. Sometimes it's important to talk about our trauma because you want to see how these feelings that we have around our trauma might come up in certain ways. Oftentimes trauma therapy can involve things like learning new coping skills, learning new patterns of behaving, and having insight into how our trauma affects us. Techniques such as EMDR, Brainspotting, and Somatic Experiencing focus more on how to integrate the body and feelings associated with trauma work through them and process them with minimal talking.

Myth 4: Trauma Therapy Means Reliving the Trauma - Role of Empowerment and Healing

One of the hardest things about trauma therapy that makes people want to not go and do trauma work is the idea that you have to relive your trauma.

Now, this is somewhat of a myth because there is a part of it where you might get triggered or experience stuff from your trauma, but good trauma work means that you don't necessarily have to relive it and then get re-traumatized and then you're just in a broken mess at the end of therapy.

The idea of reliving trauma is a misleading thing. The better thing to think about is you're more likely to experience trauma feelings and body sensations and part of feeling and experiencing those things is for a variety of reasons. Then, when we experience our trauma reactions, we learn how to cope with it. We find healthier ways to cope that integrate, you know, positive messages, body sensations, and other tools that help us just deal with it better. And reexperiencing trauma well in a safe contained environment allows us to heal from it. Your therapist will be present and will be an anchor in your therapy room so that YOU can feel safe.

From there, clients will feel empowered and not be held captive by their past experiences. Your body CAN heal from your trauma, you can get better understanding and insight, and finally, be empowered to live a better life by learning new coping skills and patterns of behaving.

Get help from an Experienced Trauma Therapist

Ready to debunk the myths surrounding trauma therapy and embark on your journey of healing? Contact us today to schedule a consultation with an experienced Asian American trauma therapist in SF Bay Area. Discover a culturally sensitive and empowering approach to trauma recovery and well-being.