OUR SPECIALTIES
Trauma Therapy
The therapists at We Rise Therapy & Wellness use verified methods to help clients overcome the effects of intergenerational, systemic, and individual trauma.
Are You Living In The Shadow Of Intergenerational Trauma?
Do you struggle with negative self-perception?Are you more likely to people-please than put your own needs first? And do you come from a family where there was a history of abuse, neglect, violence, poverty, or other life-altering stressors?
While trauma is typically thought of as a single-incident event that only affects the individual who survived it, the truth is that trauma is much more complex, far-reaching, and intergenerational than we think. Specifically for those of us who come from immigrant backgrounds and/or communities of color, there are systems and structures in place that perpetuate the cycle of trauma in our lives.
What Is Your Experience Of Trauma?
Our response to distress is created in childhood, during the formative years in which we are establishing a relationship with our caretakers, ourselves, and the world around us. If we grew up in stressful or emotionally or physically unsafe environments, we developed coping mechanisms to protect ourselves that can become unhealthy over time. That is why common symptoms of anxiety and depression, like hypervigilance and low self-esteem, actually have trauma at their core.
If you often don’t feel safe or secure just simply being yourself, it’s possible that unprocessed trauma has impacted your mindset. You may go out of your way or bend over backwards to ensure that the needs of everyone else in your life are met. Yet, when it comes to your needs, you may feel undeserving or self-critical. Instead of behaving in response to how you really feel, you may bottle up and avoid your true emotions.
Maybe your relationships are where trauma shows up the most. Perhaps you have anxious or avoidant attachment patterns, which can cause you to withdraw from your relationships, lack trust, or experience frequent conflict with others. Unable to identify the exact source of your emotions, you might often project feelings of anger, sadness, or disappointment onto those around you. If you have children, you may have noticed yourself repeating the same unhealthy patterns of communication and discipline that your parents demonstrated.
Trauma has a way of seeping into our lives and making us feel unlovable, incapable, and as though things will never change. But therapy is a deeply meaningful space where you can process your trauma. In counseling for trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) at We Rise Therapy & Wellness, you can transform your pain into peace.
Immigrants And People Of Color Experience Unique Traumas
Whether our families are native to the US or we’re first-generation Americans, there is no shortage of stressors that create unique obstacles for minorities, immigrants, and people of color (POC). Many of our parents or grandparents survived extreme circumstances, including war, poverty, political instability, and violence, risking their safety to create new opportunities in the United States.
Yet, when they arrived, it’s not as if their circumstances suddenly and drastically improved. Beyond having to find work, learn a new language, and raise a family in a foreign environment, many immigrants must contend with the xenophobia and racism that is prevalent throughout American culture. Alongside previous generations, we as POC are likely to internalize the message that we are inadequate, unworthy, and unwelcome.
This has been particularly true of Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) communities since the onset of Covid-19. Mental Health America estimates that at the height of the pandemic in 2020, “there were nearly 1,500 reported incidents of anti-Asian racism in just one month.
A Mental Health Stigma Keeps People From Getting The Help They Need To Break The Cycle
Trauma passes down through generations, which is why patterns of injured attachments, abuse, and substance use continue if left unprocessed. And when we experience individual traumas ourselves—which can include assaults, accidents, medical emergencies, a breakup, or the death of a loved one, among others—we may revert back to the same unhealthy coping strategies that were modeled to us early in life. The emotional stress often becomes so deeply ingrained that treatment is needed to meaningfully address the effects of trauma and PTSD. Unfortunately, however, the mental health stigma remains, especially among communities of color, where seeking therapy may be viewed as a sign of weakness or for those who are “unfit.”
Yet, our therapists are here to support you as you process your trauma. As South/East Asian women ourselves, we can relate to your experience and help you find new ways to cope.
Trauma Treatment At We Rise Therapy & Wellness
Many people living with unresolved trauma struggle to feel emotionally safe, but our therapists create a warm, nonjudgmental atmosphere where true healing can take place. After getting a better sense of your symptoms and goals for treatment through your intake paperwork, we will match you with a skilled, trauma-informed therapist who will get you started in counseling.
Our Approach
The main function of therapy for trauma is to adjust your emotional processing and stress response. You will do this by paying attention to your body and learning more about your specific triggers. As you engage helpful coping skills through mindfulness and regulation techniques, you will feel more in control of your stress response. Not only will this practice improve your relationship with yourself, but you are also likely to see improvements in communication and interaction with those around you.
While therapy is individualized to meet the needs of each client, there are some approaches we use that are particularly useful for targeting trauma. A few examples are Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which are used in treatment to adjust your response to the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors associated with trauma. We are also likely to use mindfulness so that you can become aware of your triggers and how you feel when activated. And because we are a culturally aware and affirming practice, we will work with you on developing your own identity within the layers of influence and conditioning that have shaped your understanding and experience of trauma.
Therapy for trauma offers unparalleled insight into yourself and your behaviors as you improve your outlook, relationships, and everyday life. You may feel as though you have been living in the shadow of trauma and distress, but the help and support you receive in therapy will allow you to reclaim your life.
Still Unsure If Therapy Is Right For You?
My parents were well-meaning—I don’t think they traumatized me, and I don’t want to blame them for how I feel.
There are many misconceptions surrounding childhood trauma, including the idea that you must have been abused or neglected if you are suffering from trauma. The truth is that there may have been hardships entirely out of your parents’ control that exposed you to trauma at a young age. When these challenges combined with your parents’ own maladaptive coping techniques, intergenerational trauma was almost certainly perpetuated. Therapy is not meant to be a time to simply sit around and blame your parents for your trauma. Rather, by developing a stronger understanding of your emotions and coping strategies, you can start to meaningfully process and heal your trauma. This will help you be more present, compassionate, and aware in all of your relationships.
Talking about my trauma with a therapist will just make me feel weak, crazy, or even more ashamed of what happened.
The mental health stigma in our culture is prevalent, especially within communities of color and immigrant communities where there is a high expectation of resilience. Therapy is an opportunity to let go of those expectations so that you can achieve a happier, healthier, and more aware existence. Our therapists use verified trauma-informed counseling methods that are designed to not retraumatize clients, and we will remain nonjudgmental and empathetic throughout the therapeutic process.
I am concerned about the cost of trauma treatment.
Counseling is an investment in yourself and a brighter future free of the lingering effects of trauma. Tailored care from a skilled therapist of color who can identify with your point-of-view is likely to offer you more relief than a one-size-fits-all treatment approach or ignoring your trauma altogether. While we don’t generally take insurance out of a desire to customize treatment and maintain the privacy of our clients, some of our clinicians are partnered with United Healthcare, and we accept HSA and FSA credit cards. Contact us to find out more.
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