Trauma-Focused Therapy in Los Angeles

The World Health Organization (WHO) reports that nearly 70% have faced a traumatic event in their life. Trauma is far more common than we often realize, and its deep impact can quietly shape the way we think, feel, and function each day.

Think about it: the wildfires in Los Angeles may have waxed and waned, but the aftermath is fuelling mental health concerns. Yet trauma is not limited to large-scale disasters or global crises like wars. Bullying, abuse, violence, sexual assault, accidents, medical emergencies, or even witnessing something distressing can lead to acute, chronic, or complex trauma. When symptoms persist and begin interfering with daily life, they can develop into a condition called post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

As trauma can affect people so deeply - and in such personal ways - healing often requires more than some time off. This is where trauma-focused therapy in Los Angeles plays a transformative role. It is a specialized care option designed to help you process traumatic experiences, reduce distressing symptoms, and regain a sense of control and safety in your life.

Trauma-focused or trauma-informed psychotherapy uses cognitive, emotional, or behavioral techniques to heal from traumatic experiences. It is empowering because it shifts the focus from "What is the matter with you?" to "What have you been through?"

This kind of approach becomes sensitive and understanding of how trauma can impact a person. It creates a safe and supportive setting for those who have experienced trauma to explore, process, and heal.

Linda Whiteside, Clinical Supervisor at the NuView Treatment Center, informs us, “Trauma-informed care is a pretty recent development. It was introduced by Maxine Harris and Roger Fallot in 2001, and it is based on the principles of safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.”

Trauma-informed care was initially introduced in the context of substance use disorder recovery, but now it has been extended to mental health treatment, as trauma and PTSD have been linked with other mental health concerns like anxiety and depression as well.

In fact, trauma-informed care can be extended to the treatment of medical conditions, as trauma can lead to physical symptoms like headaches and digestive troubles.

Trauma-informed therapy does not use one, but different kinds of approaches to personalize the therapeutic experience to your diagnosis, needs, and goals:

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT):

CPT challenges maladaptive thinking, emotional, and behavioral patterns linked with trauma to change them into healthier patterns and decisions.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT)

TF-CBT challenges inaccurate beliefs and self-defeating patterns linked with traumatic experiences. This is mainly used with children and adolescents.

Prolonged Exposure (PE)

PE exposes you to trauma-related events under safe and controlled conditions, so that you can learn that your trauma-related cues or memories are not dangerous and need not be avoided.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR involves moving your eyes in a certain way, known as the bilateral left-right stimulation, to process traumatic memories and heal from them.

Focusing-Oriented Psychotherapy (FOT)

In FOT, you tap into your bodily sense of a traumatic event/experience to understand what your body is saying and open up a doorway to different paths to healing.

Trauma-focused therapy can help you heal from acute, chronic, complex, and secondary trauma, and PTSD. To elaborate:

• Acute trauma is the result of a single stressful or dangerous experience.
• Chronic trauma is repeated, prolonged exposure to traumatic events or experiences.
• Complex trauma is the result of exposure to multiple stressful or dangerous events.
• Secondary trauma or vicarious trauma is when you witness or are in close contact with someone who is experiencing a traumatic event.
• PTSD is a mental health condition that may occur after a traumatic event. Symptoms commonly linked with this condition are intrusive, distressing thoughts, flashbacks, and nightmares.

Generally speaking, trauma-related events or experiences can be (but are not limited to):

• Bullying
• Abuse
• Domestic abuse and violence
• Sexual assault
• Crime and violence
• Neglect
• Abandonment
• Death of a loved one
• Chronic illness
• Injury/accidents
• Life-threatening or near-death events
• Natural disasters
• Wars
• Witnessing traumatic events or experiences.

Linda Whiteside says, “The thing about trauma is that it is very difficult to define. Typically, it is associated with natural disasters and wars, but what counts as trauma is subjective to you. Healing from trauma requires recognizing these experiences, their impact on your life, and reaching out for help.”

Trauma-focused therapy works best when it is tailored to your personal experiences and needs, which involves a combined approach of:

• Education: Psychoeducational sessions help you understand what trauma is and how it affects your mind, body, and spirit.
• Cognitive Restructuring: You identify unhelpful thoughts/beliefs regarding traumatic events and experiences to replace them with healthier, productive patterns.
• Exposure: You safely revisit the source of your trauma that you have been avoiding, to reduce fear-related emotions and reactions
• Coping Skills: When you recognize distressing thoughts and emotions and how you react to them, you learn to use alternative, albeit healthy, coping skills like emotion regulation, relaxation, mindfulness, and so on.

One in five people in Los Angeles struggles with a mental health condition each year, while over a million live with a substance use disorder in the county. As we understand from the concept of trauma-informed care, trauma needs to be a potential consideration when it comes to treating substance use and co-occurring mental health conditions.

Moreover, given that 60.7% of men and 51.2% of women experience at least one traumatic event in their lifetime, the need for trauma-informed therapy in Los Angeles and California has never been greater.

Some of the benefits you will stand to gain by opting for trauma-focused therapy in LA are:

• Increased understanding of trauma and its impact.
• Reduced trauma-related symptoms.
• Decreased fear and/or avoidance.
• Helps overcome substance use disorders.
• Develop productive coping mechanisms.
• Reduces self-destructive behaviors, including self-harm and suicidal behaviors.
• Enhances the quality of life.

In fact, in trusted and accredited treatment centers like NuView, we integrate trauma-informed care and trauma-focused therapies into broader recovery options that treat substance misuse and mental health concerns for a comprehensive, empowering healing experience.

At NuView, we understand that not all wounds leave scars - some can leave flashbacks, nightmares, and be re-experienced over and over again. You deserve to heal from this pernicious cycle and reclaim control over your life.

Our expert team is trained and experienced in recognizing trauma as it is as well as the deep-rooted patterns that often show up beneath substance use and mental health struggles, so that you can heal from the mind, body, and spirit toward lasting recovery.

Please contact us at (323) 307-7997 to speak with our experts today!

1. How is trauma-informed care different from other options?

Trauma-informed care recognizes how traumatic events and experiences can underlie substance use and mental health struggles for a wholesome healing experience.

2. Is trauma-focused therapy effective?

Yes, trauma-focused therapy is very effective in that it reduces trauma-related symptoms/behaviors and enhances the quality of life.

3. How long does trauma-focused therapy last?

The duration of trauma-focused therapy typically lasts for 8-16 sessions. However, depending on the severity of the condition and other unique factors, it can take longer.

4. How much does trauma-focused therapy in Los Angeles cost?

The cost of trauma-focused therapy can vary depending on the number of sessions and other factors. However, treatment centers in Los Angeles, like NuView, offer insurance-covered and cost-effective care options so that finances are not a barrier to your recovery.

5. How can I get started with trauma-focused therapy in Los Angeles?

You need to reach out to treatment centers that specialize in trauma-informed care - you can look up online or ask your primary healthcare provider and trusted family/friends for references. You can also call NuView at (323) 307-7997 to receive trauma-informed care options like trauma-focused therapy.