My Approach as a Trauma Therapist in Austin, TX
Trauma Focused versus Trauma Informed
Trauma is a broad topic, making it sometimes confusing to understand what a trauma therapist does or how to know who is a trauma focused therapist vs a trauma informed therapist. This page will help narrow it down to the key concepts in the approach and training involved. It begins with a fundamental knowledge base and then translates into a working model of evidence based therapies and strategies to help heal trauma over a long-term time frame.
Trauma Informed
The research on Adverse Childhood Experiences conducted by Felitti et al. showed a clear relationship between childhood trauma and a myriad of mental, emotional, behavioral, and physical health problems later in life. We often think of trauma as something that’s “in our heads” from the past, but the reality is that it changes the brain and body in ways that can continue to manifest in present time unless addressed. Trauma can manifest in a wide range of issues in a person’s life that sometimes may not seem immediately related to the past. Understanding the connection between developmental trauma and the problems that bring adults into treatment or therapy is a key part of being trauma informed.
Trauma Focused
Having worked in acute settings helping people stabilize from mental health and substance use crises, I know the importance of focusing on the immediate issues in a person’s life to achieve stability. But as a trauma therapist who has gathered the histories of hundreds people and worked with many of them long-term, I also know how much transformation and growth is possible when a person commits themselves to doing the deeper work of trauma healing. Having the specialized skills and training to assist someone with engaging in trauma therapy over the long-term is a key difference in what makes a trauma focused therapist.
From this perspective, my philosophy is two-fold:
The immediate issues in a person’s life that are causing them distress should be focused on until a sense of safety and stability is achieved. This may involve other professionals and services that are not specific to trauma therapy. It’s akin to treating someone in the hospital in a hypertensive (high blood pressure) crisis. We need to prioritize immediate needs to reduce the current risk and distress level and bring the person back to baseline.
Many people stop here, some will be ok, some will find themselves in crisis again. While I support each individual’s autonomy to choose what is right for them, I believe doing the deeper work of trauma healing gets to the roots of the surface level symptoms and ways of coping for long-term relief and freedom. This is akin to getting to the root of why a person is having high blood pressure and treating the underlying issue.
If you’re looking for a trauma therapist in Austin, TX, it’s important to understand the difference between a “trauma informed” generalist versus a “trauma focused” specialist. A trauma informed therapist knows about the impact of trauma, a trauma focused specialist has committed their practice to deliver trauma therapy.
The training of a trauma focused specialist includes:
Advanced knowledge of the neurobiology of trauma, the nervous system, dissociation, and the effects of trauma on the body.
Ability to assess and differentiate between single event PTSD, complex PTSD (C-PTSD), dissociative disorders, and Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID).
Training beyond one modality or basic EMDR.
Working within a 3 phase model:
Safety and Stabilization
Memory Reprocessing
Reintegration
I take an empathetic and warm approach to my clients with the utmost respect for their judgment. When it comes to how fast to move, how much you can tolerate to process, and what your goals are as versus the goals of treatment, I listen to you first and foremost.
“There are wounds that never show on the body that are deeper and more hurtful than anything that bleeds.”
The Three Phase Approach to Trauma Recovery
Phase 1: Safety and Stabilization
Focus: Establishing safety and stability in daily life.
Techniques: Working through attachment injuries and striving to build a secure working relationship. Developing coping skills, establishing routines, creating a safe environment, learning to set boundaries and hold them, and fostering a sense of control over one’s emotions and nervous system. Building support systems and resources. Making referrals to nutritional, medical, and psychiatric professionals to ensure physical and psychiatric health are being addressed concurrently. Identifying and addressing any compulsive behaviors or addictions that should be stabilized prior to working with memories. Ensuring that parts of the personality having suicidal thoughts or engaging in self-harm are met with and will allow trauma work while attempting to use other means of regulation. Working to build greater communication, collaboration, and compassion between parts of the internal system.
Therapies: Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Ego State Therapy, Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS), Somatic Experiencing (SE), grounding techniques, breathing techniques, embodied movement like yoga, exercise, martial arts, and mindfulness practices.
Phase 2: Memory Reprocessing
Focus: Activating and reprocessing traumatic memories at a pace and quantity the individual can tolerate.
Techniques: Gradual exposure to traumatic memories, emotion processing, and instilling new healthy beliefs.
Therapies: Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR). EMDR can be titrated and modified into smaller doses, focused processing, and woven in with phase 1 work to maintain stability.
Click here for frequently asked questions about EMDR.
Phase 3: Reintegration
Focus: Building a future and integrating the trauma into one's life narrative.
Techniques: Enhancing life skills, fostering healthy relationships, clarifying personal values, and developing a sense of identity and purpose. Assisting with the challenges of tolerating positive emotions, allowing oneself to have hope, and maintaining stability through attempts to grow outside previous comfort zone.
Therapies: Person centered therapy, narrative therapy, life skills counseling, vocational counseling.
Posttraumatic Growth
Living with the enduring effects of trauma can feel isolating and restrictive, often hindering personal development. As you begin to heal and build confidence, new opportunities for growth can be both exciting and overwhelming. When your brain starts to perceive life as something to explore rather than merely endure, the focus shifts to navigating this new landscape while preserving the stability established in earlier phases. Phase 3 is all about post-traumatic growth. Instead of returning to who you were, you may evolve into a more intentional and harmonious version of yourself. Given that complex trauma often begins in childhood, this phase offers a unique chance to develop or redefine your personal identity in a way that feels positive and empowering. This might lead to new hobbies, career paths, relationships, or surprising self-discoveries. Witnessing my clients reach this stage is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work. If you’d like to learn more about me and my approach consider reading my home page and frequently asked questions. If you’ve been looking for a trauma therapist in Austin, TX schedule a free consultation to learn more about how I can help you.
- Alex Penrod, MS, LPC, LCDC
