At least 1/3 of adults today will struggle with a traumatic experience, and many more will struggle with multiple traumatic experiences. These experiences make individuals more likely to self-medicate with things like drugs and alcohol, increasing the risk of co-occurring disorders, where an adult has a mental health disorder and a substance use disorder at the same time.
At 90210 Recovery, we offer many types of therapies to help individuals with substance abuse and mental health disorders, including trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy for adults.
What is Trauma-Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults
Trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT or trauma-informed CBT) is a form of CBT that is modified specifically for tackling trauma in adults. It helps individuals to address symptoms of PTSD like avoidance, anxiety, or negative thoughts by developing the skills they need to confront those memories, reduce the emotional distress that triggers might cause, and challenge any distorted beliefs surrounding that event.
All of this works to create a sense of safety in individuals and empower them to process and overcome their trauma without turning to drugs and alcohol as an avoidance technique.
How it Works
This type of cognitive behavioral therapy works by teaching you how trauma impacts your mind and body, and from there helping you understand the way your body responds to trauma and the way you can control that process to help it heal.
During your sessions, your therapist might utilize the following techniques to help:
- Building skills to manage your emotional responses, stress levels, or anxiety through things like emotional regulation, relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and meditation
- Catching and challenging unrealistic or negative thoughts about your trauma, yourself, or the world around you
- Working with a therapist creates a narrative of your experience and confronts those experiences and the difficult emotional responses associated with them so that you can start to manage your triggers and experience growth
All of these skills work together to enhance your resilience, build a sense of safety, and help you develop healthy relationships moving forward.
By enhancing your sense of safety and emotional resilience, you are in a position to better deal with difficult emotions, triggers, stress, or symptoms of anxiety with healthy coping mechanisms instead of turning to unhealthy mechanisms like drugs or alcohol. Similarly, by learning to build healthier relationships, you put yourself in a position to strengthen your social circle, build a network of support around you, and avoid isolation, which is a common contributor to relapse.
What to Expect with Trauma Informed Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for Adults
Cognitive behavioral therapy is one of the most thoroughly researched and proven therapies for several mental health conditions, including PTSD, anxiety, and depression. The modified trauma-informed approach is equally as successful, with the goal of making clients feel safer and reducing the symptoms that are taking away from a good quality of life.
One of the key modifications with this type of cognitive behavioral therapy is working more collaboratively with your therapist, particularly to help you challenge negative thoughts and confront the triggers or reminders of your trauma in a safe environment. By collaborating, you can avoid things like retraumatization while being put in a position to move forward and process your trauma in a healthy way.
Find The Help You Need
If you are struggling with unresolved trauma, one of your treatment options is trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy for adults. At 90210 Recovery, we aim to curate personalized treatment at our luxury treatment center that incorporates this level of cognitive behavioral therapy from a trauma-informed approach.
When you are ready to get help, reach out to our team to schedule your intake process or review your insurance benefits to see where and how they can apply to your treatment.
Start your trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy for adults today. Call (424) 390-7816.
FAQs
What is Trauma-Informed CBT for Adults?
This is an evidence-based form of psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, which incorporates cognitive behavioral principles into an intervention process designed to help adults overcome trauma. This means it helps adults develop healthy coping skills for stress management, challenging distorted beliefs about their trauma, and addressing symptoms of PTSD like avoidance or anxiety.
Does Insurance Cover TF-CBT for Adults?
Many insurance providers will cover this form of therapy as it falls under the same category of service as therapy for mental health disorders. However, if you are unsure about the applicability of your insurance benefits, you can reach out to our team to discuss your coverage.
What is Better for Trauma, CBT or EMDR?
If you are struggling with trauma as an adult, the best form of therapy is the one that suits your situation and circumstances. This looks different for everyone, which is why our team provides a thorough intake assessment and a mental health review when you first reach out. We will advise the best type of therapy, whether that’s trauma-informed CBT or a comparable form of treatment.
Who is Not a Good Candidate for TF-CBT?
Trauma informed cognitive behavioral therapy for adults can be applied to anyone in need. As the name suggests, it is often not appropriate for children or people who don’t display symptoms of PTSD or disrupted function.
How Many Sessions Does TF-CBT Take for Adults?
Short-term treatment for single dramatic events might take anywhere between 12 and 16 weekly sessions, but this can increase if you have complex trauma. Complex trauma refers to circumstances where you have experienced multiple traumatic events all of which need to be dealt with during your sessions.
What are the Downsides to Trauma Informed CBT for Adults?
Trauma-informed cognitive behavioral therapy can be emotionally challenging as it forces individuals to confront trauma from their past that they may have previously tried to avoid. It is also time-consuming, depending on the complexity and the number of traumatic events in your past, with some clients needing several months to complete a program.
Despite these challenges, the process provides long-term relief and access to coping skills that are needed to live a healthier, more fulfilling life.
