Counseling Trauma Survivors

“A” of the ABC model of crisis intervention, is developing and maintaining a rapport. Structuring a rapport state of fathoming, a console between the counselor, and client the base of the healing process. This phase of the three-stages is critical in forming reliance with the client. The client will have a complexity being open with the client until he or she feels implicit and putative by the counselor. Therefore, the counselor should presence attending behavior skills such as: direct eye contact, body language, vocal qualities, and verbal following. These attending behaviors “demonstrate to the client that you are with him, or her, and indeed are listening,” enabling the client to talk more freely (Ivey, 2015). In addition to the informational material, the counselor should personally be cultural sensitive.

This paper will define The Effects of Trauma and Crisis on Clients and Mental Health Counselors and give a brief overview on how these Natural and man-made disasters, crises, and other trauma-causing events have become a focus of the clinical mental health counseling profession. Due to the extreme trauma that children, adolescents and adult experience after a traumatic event it, is noted that most individuals that are exposed to traumatic experience usually develop major depression, generalized anxiety, and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) later in

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) is a conjoint child and parent psychotherapy approach for children and adolescents who are experiencing significant emotional and behavioral difficulties related to traumatic life events. This online TF-CBT course shows step by step instruction in ten modules for each component of therapy. According to the introduction on the Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy website it states that, “There is strong scientific evidence that TF-CBT helps children, adolescents, and their parents overcome many of the difficulties associated with abuse and trauma.” This is a very detailed online course that gives live video examples on how each process is done.

Anyone who deals regularly with victims of trauma or is exposed to graphic pictures or text of trauma, can experience the effects of secondary or vicarious trauma. Vicarious trauma (VT) will affect thinking, while secondary traumatic stress (STS), or compassion fatigue, affects feelings and behavior of the counselor. The purpose of this paper is to discuss man-made or natural disasters as well as personal trauma, and the counselor’s role in these situations. Skills to help the counselor deal with the effects of vicarious trauma will also be discussed in this assignment.

The article Life-Review and PTSD Community Counseling With two Groups of Vietnam War Veterans is a research on the essence of integrating a lifespan perspective in treating Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) among the aging population to safeguard optimal aging. Successful aging ensures that one functions with behavioral flexibility when subjected to a supportive environment in the latter stages of life. The process guarantees the development of new relationships, maintenance of social support, adaptation to change, and learning techniques essential in reducing stress among the aging population.

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) will be used to meet the treatment goals for Neveah’s case. According to Child Welfare Information Gateway (2012), TF-CBT is an evidenced-based treatment approach for children and adolescents experiencing trauma-related mental and/or behavioral health difficulties. The treatment approach is applicable to a variety of clients as it is designed to be used with children ages three to eighteen (Lawson & Quinn, 2013). TF-CBT utilizes individual and family sessions to reduce negative emotional and behavioral responses from youth who have experienced a traumatic event(s) (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). Furthermore, the treatment addresses maladaptive beliefs regarding the trauma and provides skills training and support for parents (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). TF-CBT is effective for a variety of trauma’s including sexual abuse, domestic violence, and a traumatic loss (Child Welfare Information Gateway, 2012). According to Lawson and Quinn (2013), TF-CBT is the best-known approach to treatment trauma in children and adolescents. It is also an evidenced-based approach for treatment complex trauma in youth (Lawson & Quinn, 2013).

The Trauma Informed Mastery activities were helpful throughout the semester working with my clients at Hamilton Center. I utilized the activities that my supervisor and I discussed were most beneficial towards the client population I was counseling at the time. Many of my clients suffer from PTSD, Substance Use disorders, or other mood disorders. The majority of my clients are also middle aged men who politely refused any yoga activities. One client heard the choice, looked around my small office and shook his head grinning.

Much of the literature in this review points to provider training and awareness as a cornerstone to building trauma informed service delivery environments. Several studies found that development of TIC culture was only possible when staff were confident and competent in the knowledge of the prevalence and impact of trauma on patients, and the understanding of their responsibilities in mitigating retraumatization (Elliot et al. 2005; Gatz et al. 2007; National Center for Trauma-Informed Care 2011). However, training in TIC is not routinely incorporated in nursing or medical education, and clinicians vary in their comfort level with addressing trauma exposure in their patients. For example, Zatzick et al. (2005) found that 86% of emergency physicians incorrectly believed injury severity to be a risk factor for PTS symptoms. Other studies have found that many providers report discomfort discussing trauma and its health effects (Shulberg & Burns, 1988; Von Korff et al. 1988), in part because providers didn’t want to “open Pandora’s box” by addressing trauma when not adequately trained to respond to it. In addition to lacking confidence in their ability to address traumatic exposure, many providers may be triggered by own trauma histories (Moses, Huntington, & D’Ambrosio, 2004). More work is needed to identify the degree to which providers’ own trauma exposure may influence their ability to competently provide trauma informed care, and how compassion fatigue or secondary trauma

At the counseling center that I intern at, the center does not handle crisis situations. There is a crisis center about a couple of miles from where the center is, so clients generally go to the crisis center, if they need crisis counseling. However, we do handle some trauma here at the center. However, the trauma that people have gone through can range from abuse, to molestation. The counselor makes sure that all clients are safe, and have a safe place to go to if they are in a serious situation.

Strategies from the Ten Essential Shared Capabilities can be used for crisis intervention such as promoting recovery and identifying individual’s needs and strengths. It also believes that however vulnerable, the individual should share in decision-making; that they are knowledgeable about themselves and the effect their conditions may have on their lives; and that they should be empowered and enabled to inform their own recovery. (DOH,2004).

Leading into the final point which drew interest from me from Marina’s memoir, upon release from prison, Marina seemed disappointed that the normalcy she dreamt of returning to was no longer there, evidently because the trauma had changed her. Further, her family seemingly wanted to avoid talking about her 2-year imprisonment all together, as apparent in the first dinner conversation about weather. As Marina wrote, it seemed easier for everyone to pretend like she had never been to Evin, but it was more about a need to protect themselves, rather than protect her. This trauma affected everyone, yet the one who lived it out personally was unable to share anything about her experience, and process it with her loved ones, because no one ever

Next, with a mezzo level approach, there are peer support groups that are available for those who experienced a major life event. It is helpful to talk and discuss with others who are facing similar challenges. We all learn to develop our self-confidence by interacting with others and observing how we respond to challenges. By encouraging those who have been impacted by trauma or a traumatic event, a peer group would help support a person by sharing experiences, learning new coping skills, feeling more in control and gaining support by those who are facing similar experiences (Trauma Support Network, 2017). In EP’s case, a treatment plan, such as a therapy group, would benefit him to talk to others and learn about their coping skills and

In Judith Herman’s book, Trauma and Recovery, she discusses her research and work with trauma survivors. In her book, she writes that, “traumatic events are extraordinary, not because they occur rarely, but rather because they overwhelm the ordinary human adaptations to life” (Herman 24). She explores the idea that trauma is as individual as it is common, with reactions and the journey to the post-traumatic self similar despite differences in events. In the case of Barbara Gordon, while the event may vary, her physical and mental trauma can be compared to America’s fear of its forfeiture of power to terror and the loss of the towers after September 11, 2001. Trauma is about more than just the physical ramifications; when the physical aspect is fixed, Barbara’s legs and the building of the 1 World Trade Center, the mental and emotional trauma still remain.

Before I can even counselor anyone in this area, I need to understand trauma. I need to recognize the signs and learn about everything that goes along with trauma. I need to educate myself on what I can do as a professional when clients come to me with issues dealing with trauma. That is how I will become competent in this area of expertise. Also, there are times where professionals may know ahead of time that a child may be coming to you for issues with trauma, but that is not always the case. There might be times where as a counselor, I need to figure out what is going on with them and I might not really know much about them in the very beginning.

Some of the initial crisis intervention strategies were based on immediacy, proximity, expectancy, and brevity. These strategies were adopted to achieve four major goals i.e. stabilization, mitigation, and restoration. Stabilization focuses on stopping escalating suffering while mitigation is lessening acute signs or symptoms, and restoration is promoting adaptive autonomous functioning or facilitating access to high degree of care.