Seeking Safety: How to Jumpstart Your Trauma Journey
When you’ve been through a traumatic experience, getting the right kind of help and support is crucial.
Seeking Safety is an effective type of therapy that can help to target the issues you’re facing with PTSD.
If you’re experiencing a lot of stress and fear after a traumatic event, feeling some kind of peace can make a big difference.
But, it isn’t always easy. That’s why Seeking Safety hones in on some of the unique problems people with PTSD often struggle with.
After you’ve been through something traumatic, feeling safe and secure is one of the best ways to move on. Seeking Safety helps you to do so in a unique way that can be a great way to start your trauma journey.
What Is Seeking Safety?
Seeking Safety is a type of cognitive-based therapy that is often used with patients suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). While it’s often done in group settings, it can also be done individually with a therapist.
So, what makes Seeking Safety different from other forms of trauma therapy?
The biggest difference is that it doesn’t require you to dive into the memory of the traumatic experience right away. So, you don’t have to worry about telling and re-telling the story of what you’ve gone through in great detail. That can be a serious trigger for some people.
Because you can feel safe and secure in this type of therapy, it’s a great place to start. Over time, you can use that safety to feel more comfortable sharing what happened to you.
Keep in mind that if you practice Seeking Safety in a group setting , everyone there is in a similar situation. Some people like the feeling of not being alone in what happened to them. Others would rather work on their therapy privately. It’s up to you to decide which one you prefer.
What Is the Goal of Seeking Safety?
Different therapists and counselors will adjust the model of this type of therapy as they see fit. But, the main goal is always this: Safety.
It’s a therapy designed to make the victim of a traumatic event feel safe no matter what, so they know they have a secure environment for faster healing.
The goal of safety surpasses the therapy sessions. Seeking Safety aims to help patients feel secure in relationships, friendships, around their family, at work, etc. You should even feel safe when it comes to your own behaviors and emotions.
Eventually, when you do feel safe, you can take back your own life. You will start to feel more powerful and comfortable in your own skin. That’s when healing can really start to begin.
A Different Type of Trauma Therapy
One great thing about this type of therapy is that there is no “ideal candidate” for it. Patients don’t have to meet any kind of specific criteria when it comes to PTSD to prove they need this therapy. It’s effective for everyone from homeless individuals to veterans.
The hardest part of getting through a traumatic experience is knowing where to start your journey. The idea of therapy (especially group settings) can be extremely intimidating for some people.
Seeking Safety helps to get rid of those nerves and fears. It takes away the scariest part of what you’ve been through by not forcing you to talk about it right away. The more secure you feel, the more likely you are to share things in your own time.
—
If you want to get over your negative thoughts and feelings from a traumatic event, feel free to contact me. We can talk more about Seeking Safety, and why it could be the perfect fit for taking the first steps on your trauma journey.
