IS THIS TRUE OF YOU? 

At times you find it hard to understand the choices you made.

These choices negatively affect your relationships and other important areas of your life. 

Your choices have made interactions at work difficult for you and other people. 

You want to connect the dots between the trauma you experienced and where you find yourself now.

At times even your body seems to make choices for you … like startle reactions, freezing, being very vigilant, or very, very tense.

You very much want things to change for the better.

You want to understand YOU. 

WHAT INSIGHT ORIENTED TALK THERAPY IS NOT

There are many kinds of talk therapy. One of them is associated with Freud, and this usually comes with an image of a therapist taking notes mostly in silence as the client reclines on a couch while having a stream of consciousness monologue. The idea behind this image is that clients who feel comfortable, safe, and accepted will eventually have talk processes that help them associate one set of thoughts with another, leading them to a revelation or “insight” about themselves and their situations.

This kind of therapy is called psychoanalytic psychotherapy, and it comes with a focus on the idea that people’s behaviors and choices are caused by unconscious desires, a lot of them sexual.  This is where the concepts of Id, Ego, and Superego come from.

While Freudian talk therapy can help, it doesn’t take into account several things that may be true of you.

First, traditional psychoanalytic psychotherapy requires the clients to participate in sessions at least twice a week. This wouldn’t work for most people whose financial landscapes don’t allow for thousands of dollars each month for therapy in their budget. 

Second, the focus on unconscious desires isn’t necessarily beneficial for trauma survivors whose primary goals are to alleviate PTSD symptoms, make sense of how trauma affects their lives, and make choices that lead to healing. 

But that doesn’t mean that the idea of psychoanalytic psychotherapy isn’t helpful. In fact, the pursuit of insight is one of the goals in counseling for abuse and trauma survivors. 

HOW INSIGHT ORIENTED TRAUMA FOCUSED TALK THERAPY CAN HELP

There are a few ideas to take from psychoanalytic psychotherapy:

A client who feels comfortable and accepted will eventually feel safe within the therapeutic relationship enough to allow for insight to happen.

One of the things I value as a therapist is providing “unconditional positive regard.” It’s a long phrase that really means I want clients to know I genuinely care about them regardless of the choices they make inside and outside of the therapy room. It’s a style of counseling that’s usually described as warm and empathetic.

Giving unconditional positive regard doesn’t necessarily mean your therapist believes that the choices and behaviors  you made are helpful to you, but knowing you are accepted and cared for will help you receive questions that otherwise may feel threatening to your sense of self.

After all, would you rather work on your concerns with someone whose words and actions cause you to doubt yourself, or someone who makes you feel accepted?

Stream-of-consciousness talk processes do work but it can be effective without the couch, a mostly silent therapist, or twice a week sessions. A compassionate, experienced, and skilled therapist can help you gain insight through the use of questions and reflection. 

If you’re still reading this, you’re probably looking for one. You’ve found her.

Insight oriented talk therapy is very adaptable, and it can be used alongside EMDR, Trauma Art Narrative Therapy, and other trauma-focused interventions. 

There is a right way and wrong way to begin trauma focused talk therapy. It’s very important to prepare you for working on the trauma by taking time to learn skills that will empower you. If you commit to practicing these skills regularly, you will start breaking the power that PTSD symptoms have over your body and brain. You will also not feel out of control and helpless when you experience triggers inside and outside of therapy sessions.

When we dive into trauma-focused talk therapy, you may feel sadness or anger, which is normal and to be expected - but you wouldn’t feel powerless.

If you would like to start learning about yourself and making changes that align with who you really are, please see below on how schedule your free, 30-minute online consultation.