How to Become a Trauma Specialist

trauma specialists Mar 03, 2023

By Jamie Sedgwick, LCPC, NCC 

EMDRIA Approved Consultant


An increase in information about trauma, PTSD and C-PTSD has led to an increase in the demand for Trauma Therapists. However, there are no clear guidelines on what is actually required to be a Trauma Therapist. There are plenty of training programs that promise a “Certification” once completed and all these programs and trainings contain different information and different levels of engagement. Ultimately, pretty much anyone can call themselves a “Trauma Therapist” meaning that Trauma Therapists and their skill sets vary greatly. 

So how do you become a Trauma Therapist that is truly equipped to help clients heal from trauma? 

Take Time to Become Trauma-Informed 

Trauma-Informed treatment approaches consist of three elements: realizing the prevalence of trauma, recognizing the impact of trauma and responding in a way that puts this knowledge into action.1In layman’s terms,...

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The Top 3 Traits a Trauma Specialist Should Have

trauma specialists Oct 25, 2022

By Jamie Sedgwick, LCPC, NCC

EMDRIA Approved Consultant


Five years ago, I made the decision to get trained in EMDR therapy as a way to treat PTSD as a certified trauma specialist effectively. When I signed up for EMDR training, I viewed it as a potential tool to add to my therapist toolbox that I could pull out when needed. Instead, I received training in a modality that completely changed my treatment approach regardless of the diagnosis. 

As an EMDR therapist that works primarily with complex trauma, I have learned to conceptualize my role as the therapist in a very different way than I had previously. I am no longer expected to have all the answers or be the expert. However, this does not mean how I show up in the therapeutic relationship has lost value. I have come to realize there are three trauma specialist traits that every trauma specialist should bring to the therapeutic relationship. 

Unconditional Positive Regard

Unconditional positive regard, the acceptance,...

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Why Trauma Specialists Should Consider More Training

trauma specialists Jul 21, 2022
 

By Rachel Harrison, LCPC

EMDRIA Approved Basic Trainer and Consultant


 Almost weekly, I have a conversation with a therapist that goes something like this:

Me: I am so glad to hear you treat trauma. I’d love to learn more about your approach!

Therapist: Well, you know, as we are working in session, my clients talk through their traumas and we find new insights.

Me: Oh, okay, I was hoping to find therapists that use modalities other than talk therapy.

What I am thinking and want to say is, “Wrong answer!” We know trauma is stored in the limbic brain, so we need a method other than talk therapy to access the trauma.  

Don’t get me wrong, I love therapy, and I love therapists! I believe all therapists do the best work they know how to do with their clients. But that’s just it: you can’t know what you don’t know.

The bottom line is talk therapy does not work to treat trauma. Trauma is stored in a different area of the...

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