Talk therapy is a good place to begin PTSD healing. If we can’t communicate what’s wrong, if we don’t have a vocabulary or language to express what happened to us, what’s troubling about our symptoms, and how we feel then it will be difficult to get the help we need. It is not necessary to engage in talk therapy in order to discover how to communicate – many practitioners can guide you through the evolution to speech – but should you wish to address trauma from the standpoint of its relation to your whole self, talk therapy is a good place to get going.

First, let’s get a little clinical in our understanding of psychotherapy and its place in the healing mix. A definition of psychotherapy provided by MSN Encarta is as follows:

“…treatment of individuals with emotional problems, behavioral problems, or mental illness primarily through verbal communication. In most types of psychotherapy, a person discusses his or her problems one-on-one with a therapist. The therapist tries to understand the person’s problems and to help the individual change distressing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.”

A few stats about psychotherapy:

–According to one study summarized by the APA online, 77% of people who entered therapy were better off than those who didn’t.

–91% of Americans are likely to consult or suggest that a family member consult with a mental health professional

–50% of Americans believe the stigma surrounding mental health services has decreased

–Long-term psychotherapy accounts for only 15.7% of psychotherapy

In order to heal we have to break the silence. With the right therapist, psychotherapy gives us tools for learning to how do that.

For further reading:

1 – An overview of psychotherapy on Encarta

2 – ‘The Risks and Benefits of Psychotherapy’ - a great (and short) summary by Joyce Nash, PhD.

3 – ‘To Reap Psychotherapy’s Benefits, Get a Good Fit’ – A terrific article by Howard Friedman in the New York Times about the importance of finding the right therapist.

4 – American Therapy: The Rise of Psychotherapy in America – This new book by Jonathan Engle traces the evolution of American mental healthcare covering contributions of personalities, theories and techniques in psychiatry, psychology and social work.

 5 – To read about one survivor’s positive experience with talk therapy visit our blog to read Why I Believe Psychotherapy Is An Integral Part of PTSD Treatment.

Coming soon: how to find the right psychotherapist for you.

 

(Photos: SCSSAPICS, Pascale PirateChickan)

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