How To Talk About Trauma In Therapy

Opening up to someone can be challenging for many individuals, and this difficulty intensifies when entering the realm of therapy. Addressing and overcoming trauma is crucial, as many individuals carry the weight of such experiences. For some, therapy becomes an essential pathway to healing, requiring them to share their traumatic experiences openly, despite the process being gradual and often difficult.

What Is Trauma?

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Trauma manifests as an emotional reaction to deeply distressing or disturbing events, leaving a lasting imprint on a person’s mental well-being. It’s critical to acknowledge that trauma impacts everyone differently, making it impossible to have a universal definition.

The origins of trauma vary widely, including experiences such as witnessing a distressing incident, surviving an attack, enduring abusive relationships, or the loss of a loved one. This list is not exhaustive; trauma is as diverse as the individuals it affects.

It is vital to recognize and give proper weight to the causes of trauma, acknowledging that each person’s experience is unique and significant.

There may be someone who is traumatized by witnessing a death, and someone else who is traumatized from being bullied. Both of these reasons differ yet are both just as vital as the other.

Why Is It Difficult Talking About Trauma?

Opening up about a traumatic experience is no easy task. Not only is it opening up wounds shoved deep down, but it is forcing that person to become vulnerable and completely exposed.

With trauma, many people unknowingly push that pain deep down, but this is very unhealthy.

By not speaking up, that trauma will always eat away at that person so it is essential to speak about it.

Of course, opening up at your own pace is key, however soon enough it needs to be revealed. Only by speaking can that person grow.

Signs Of Trauma

Not everyone will know they are experiencing trauma, especially if that trauma has been hidden away for so long (this can last for years). However, there are some clear signs to look out for which will make this clear.

Some signs of trauma include…

Trouble concentrating
Trouble sleeping
Anxiety
Social withdrawal
Mood swings

Talking About Trauma

When talking about trauma, this is more than opening up to a therapist.

When talking about the traumatic experience, you will be met by a wave of emotions you didn’t know you had, and this may make a person angered, pained, nervous, or refreshed and relieved.

There is no determining how opening up will make a person feel, but eventually it will happen. So, what is the right way to go about speaking to a therapist?

Prepare Yourself

Mustering up the courage to speak openly to a therapist can be hard, so a helpful way to do this is to prepare first.

Take a piece of paper, a pen, and write down all of your thoughts and feelings. Write about the traumatic experience itself, the way it made you feel, what you wish you could change.

Write about your hopes for the future, what you want to achieve from your therapy sessions. How does this trauma affect you in your daily life? Are you happy? By answering these questions, you will be training yourself to open up.

Even though you are not speaking to a therapist, this is the first major step in the right direction. Your therapist will understand if this makes you more comfortable.

If you want, you can even give this handwritten note to your therapist instead of speaking. This way your therapist will get a grasp of your condition and you will feel more comfortable.

Express Your Emotions

If you are struggling to speak openly about the traumatic experience, you can take baby steps and just open about how you are feeling instead.

Talk to your therapist about the way you felt during the event, how it makes you feel now, and how you want to be feeling in the future.

You can also tell your therapist how you are feeling about attending these therapy sessions. Are you feeling embarrassed? Ashamed? Anxious?

By doing this, you are allowing the therapist to understand your character and also go at your own pace.

Remember, This Is A Slow Process

This brings us to our final point. It is vital to understand that opening up about trauma is not something that can be rushed and to go at your own pace.

There is no one forcing you to speak about your traumatic experience, especially not your therapist, so do not be intimidated by their presence.

Simply attending therapy is a great start and you should feel no shame in waiting for as long as you need to before speaking of the traumatic event.

It may be that you do end up opening up about the trauma, but it suddenly becomes too much for you. If this is the case, remember that you can stop whenever you want to.

Your therapist will understand and either end the session or talk about something else. What is most important is your health and wellbeing and your therapist will always put this first.

Do not feel pressured to reveal things you don’t want to – this is not what therapy is. Therapy is supposed to be a slow process. Therapists are there to listen, not to rush. You are in control.

Final Thoughts

Trauma affects individuals in a number of ways and this trauma can be caused by anything. When trauma is present, the best solution is to go to therapy but this is nothing to fear.

In therapy, you are in control and there is no need to rush into speaking about the topic. Make sure to prepare yourself, gain a bond with your therapist. Only then will you be able to open up and cure your trauma.