Unconventional Therapy for Unconventional People

Mind by Design

Restorative Online Trauma Counseling
in New Jersey

Find Relief from PTSD & C-PTSD Symptoms.
Reach out to a trauma therapist today.

Trauma Counseling serves as a valuable tool for individuals struggling with symptoms related to PTSD & stress. Whether you work with a therapist for trauma counseling or a different mental health concern, you can expect that your treatment at Mind by Design Counseling is understanding, comprehensive & supports your unique journey towards mental wellness.

 

As described in many of blog postings on mental health & trauma, we find it important to emphasize that the symptoms & effects of trauma do not define who you are but rather reflect how your brain processes stress and fear. Therefore, Mind by Design trauma counselors focus on integrating the body & mind to facilitate healing & effective symptom reduction.

How Does Trauma Counseling Help?

Irrespective of the chosen technique in trauma counseling, the ultimate aim remains constant: to help you reclaim your sense of self and well-being. The goals we often work towards in trauma counseling include:

Developing Coping Skills

Essential coping skills are taught to clients to help overcome challenges and prevent regression.

Understanding & integrating the traumatic event

To facilitate a comprehensive understanding of the past traumatic experiences.

Shifting focus to the present

Counseling encourages a shift in attention from the past event(s) towards the present moment and future possibilities. 

Alleviating or resolving symptoms

The primary aim is to lessen or eliminate the distressing symptoms associated with trauma

Identifying & Restructuring Negative Thought Patterns

Therapy targets negative thinking patterns related to the traumatic event, aiming to restructure distorted thoughts.

Exploring Intergenerational Trauma

Education is provided about the impact of itergenerational trauma, examining how it trauma can be passed down through generation.

Addressing addiction & Adverse Experiences

Counseling address addiction and/or negative life experiences that may exacerbate symptoms related to trauma

Ketamine Treatment for
Trauma & PTSD

Psychedelic experiences can facilitate a deep exploration of your self and amplify your consciousness. However, without the right support, these experiences could potentially escalate psychological pain and fear of transformation. Adequate preparation and post-experience integration, facilitated by trained therapists, are crucial to creating a healing psychedelic journey.

techniques used in trauma counseling

Whether you are in the process of overcoming past trauma or navigating life after a recent traumatic incident, reaching out to a trauma therapist is a significant initial step. Trauma-focused therapy provides a safe space for processing past events, addressing memories, and empowers individuals to pursue their envisioned lives. Although it may be challenging, it is possible to move forward from traumatic events and refuse to let them define one’s identity.

 

Below are some of the most common techniques used in therapy for trauma and PTSD:

Emotional & Psychological Symptoms
addressed in trauma counseling

Therapy for trauma and PTSD may look different for many people due to the varying degrees of the trauma impact. Although many people experience anxiety about starting therapy, it is important to understand that a trauma counselor recognizes the emotional psychological symptoms that you may experience, and works carefully to ensure that the therapy room is a safe and comfortable space.

It is important to note that both emotional and psychological trauma arise from enduring periods of intense and prolonged stress, or a single event that induced fear, anxiety or a sense of losing control. Furthermore, these events or experiences completely disrupt your sense of safety and leave you feeling helpless, as if you are existing in a perilous world.

Moreover, psychological trauma can leave a lasting impact, manifesting as distressing emotions, persistent memories, and anxiety that cannot be easily resolved. It may lead to feelings of numbness or detachment, making it challenging to establish trust and open up to others.

Above all, it is important to understand that, when it comes to therapy for trauma, the subjective experience of an event holds greater significance for your mental well-being than the objective circumstances. 

Causes of Emotional & Psychological Trauma

Single traumatic events

In these cases, we are referring to accidents, injuries, or acts of violence. Childhood experiences or unexpected incidents can be particularly traumatic. These single events are what many people commonly associate with PTSD and trauma-realted issues.

Ongoing & repetitive stress

Here, we are referring to examples of ongoing and repetitive stress include struggles with substance abuse or addiction and enduring multiple traumatic incidents, such as domestic violence, bullying, or childhood neglect.

Indirect Trauma Exposures

Unlike what many of us typically think of when we refer to trauma, however, indirect trauma includes exposure to traumatic events that does not directly involve us. This may be witnessing a traumatic event or hearing of a traumatic event, or caring for someone after a traumatic event.

Frequently overlooked causes

Furthermore, events such as surgical procedures, the sudden loss of a loved one, the dissolution of a significant romantic relationship, a humiliating experience, or life transitions can easily result in trauma.

Symptoms commonly treated in
trauma counseling in New Jersey

Therapy for Trauma to Treat Emotional/Psychological Symptoms

  • Insomnia or nightmares
  • Fatigue and excessive sleepiness
  • Racing heartbeat or tightness in your chest
  • Being easily startled
  • Body aches and pains
  • Muscle tension
  • Headaches 
  • General irritability and agitation

Factors Increasing Vulnerability to Trauma

  • Experiencing a prolonged period of high stress
  • Recent losses or a series of losses
  • Previous experiences of trauma
  • Adverse childhood experiences
  • Substance misuse
  • Lack of a support system
  • Poverty and/or financial hardship

Therapy for Trauma to Treat Physical Symptoms

  • Difficulty concentrating or confusion
  • Shock, denial, or disbelief
  • Anger, irritability, and mood swings
  • Guilt, shame, and self-doubt
  • Fear and anxiety 
  • Feeling sad, hopeless, disconnected or numb
  • Flashbacks of vivid memories
  • Avoidance of reminders of the trauma

How Trauma Counseling In NJ Can Provide Support

Although you  may experience periods in which you feel relatively better, trauma symptoms may resurface and bring back distressing memories and emotions, particularly when triggered by certain circumstances. For instance, the anniversary of the traumatic event might intensify your trauma symptoms.

If your psychological trauma symptoms persist or worsen over an extended period, it’s possible that you are experiencing Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). PTSD entails being trapped in psychological shock, struggling to comprehend the event or process emotions. With that being said, seeking assistance from a therapist specializing in PTSD can be beneficial.

How Can A Trauma Therapist Help You?

Therapy can increase distress tolerance, coping skills and build a strong foundation for mental and physical well-being. In addition, therapy builds a strong foundation for future happiness. 

 

Your therapist may use one or more of the following during counseling for trauma:

Integrating KAP in Trauma Therapy

online and in-home ketamine therapy NJ

Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP)

KAP is a holistic modality in which ketamine is used as a complement to psychotherapy to help eligible patients experience more frequent breakthroughs and sustained improvement in symptoms. Furthermore, KAP assists clients in working through mental, emotional and psychological challenges that may be resistant to traditional treatment, like talk therapy. KAP is commonly used to treat: PTSD & Trauma OCD Chronic Pain Major Depression Panic Disorder Sleep Disturbances Substance Misuse & Addiction

Trauma Therapy Using Art Therapy Supports

Alternative wellness in mental health through expressive art therapy in NJ

Expressive Art THerapy

Alternative Therapy that supports the healing process includes play therapy, art therapy, mindfulness, and calming techniques offers art and play therapy for children and teens to include fun interactions while accomplishing goals.

Virtual Reality Therapy supports in Trauma Treatment

Exposure therapy to overcome your phobia using virtual reality therapy in new jersey

Virtual Reality Therapy

Virtual Reality Therapy has a wide variety of uses, and can be particularly helpful for individuals with trauma and PTSD engaging in exposure therapy, mindfulness practice and somatic healing.

Somatic-Experience Therapy supports in Trauma Treatment

woman trying to destress with somatic experiencing therapy and stress management techniques

Somatic Experiencing (SE) Therapy

SE operates on the principle that trauma symptoms arise when our natural fight, flight, or freeze responses are thwarted. By gently guiding clients to become aware of these trapped physiological responses, SE helps them process and release this energy, facilitating deep healing therapy (Sutini et al., 2022).

Expert Trauma Therapists Are Here for You
Find Relief today

Mind By Design Counseling in New Jersey offers trained therapists who can work with you through an assessment and provide online treatment for your child or teen. You can contact us online with an inquiry or by phone to move forward to see if it’s a good match for everyone. Our care coordinator will provide assistance and arrange an appointment for you. 

Get In Touch With An Online Therapist Today!

FAQ's: Therapy for Trauma in New Jersey

Where are you located? I need a therapist near me

We are fully online, which means that your therapy sessions will be help via video call on our HIPAA compliant Platform. Anyone in New Jersey can access our therapy services

How do I get started as a new client?

New Clients can reach out to us directly via call, text or email here:

CLICK to CALL 📞

CLICK to TEXT 💬

CLICK to EMAIL ✉️

SCHEDULE A CALL HERE 🗓️

 

Does my insurance cover my visits?

We provide”Courtesy Billing” for clients who are using the Out-of-network insurance benefits.

Our Insurance Page shares a small blurb about Why We Left Insurance Panels

What are out-of-network benefits?

When using OON benefits, patients typically pay the full cost of the treatment upfront and then file a claim with their insurance company for reimbursement. The amount of reimbursement can vary depending on the plan, but it can sometimes be as high as 90%.  Call your insurance to see if you have OON benefits or click here to call us and we can check for you!

 

Is Online Therapy As Effective As In-Person Therapy?

Online therapy is essentially face-to-face counseling, just conducted remotely. Studies show that teletherapy is as effective as traditional counseling. Professional organizations and state governments recognize its benefits and have set regulations for it. However, like any therapy, its success in achieving your goals isn’t guaranteed. It’s important to discuss with your therapist whether teletherapy is working for you.

How Should I Prepare for My First Session?

Showing up is all that you need to do! But if you really want to get the most out of session, it could help to take some time to think about what you want from therapy. It helps to write down your goals, questions you have or things that you feel are important to share. 

Do you offer traditional talk therapy?

of course! though we have some unconventional therapy approaches, we are rooted in evidenced based practices. Talk therapy is a major player in the therapy room! See What we Treat and Integrative Services for more information

Is Virtual Counseling Suitable for Everyone?

Online therapy might not be as effective for individuals with chronic suicidal thoughts, severe trauma, significant mental health history, or those recently in intensive care. Such cases often benefit more from traditional, in-person counseling. We’ll help you decide if our online services are right for you during your intake and evaluation.

Can I Change Therapists If I'm Not Happy?

Yes, you can switch therapists to another provider within the practice, or we can provide you a referral if preferred. We want to ensure that your time and effort are well spent, and that you are getting the relief you need, that’s why we work collaboratively with each other in the practice, as well as outside therapists who we know and trust.

How Do I Know If Therapy Is Helping?

You should feel like you’re making progress. Signs it’s working include:

Feeling comfortable talking to your therapist
Your therapist respects boundaries
You’re moving towards your goals
You feel listened to
You’re doing better in life
Your self-esteem is getting better

What is your cancellation policy?

We ask that clients provide at least 24 hours notice in the event that they need to cancel to avoid the 50% cancellation fee. we understand that life happens and do our best to be flexible & reschedule.

What Geographic Areas Are Served?

Currently, we serve clients in New Jersey and are expanding to other states as telehealth laws evolve. While telehealth offers the convenience of attending sessions from anywhere, state laws require clients to be in-state during their session.

Is Online Therapy Easy to Use for Non-Tech-Savvy People?

Yes, it’s pretty simple to access sessions. You’ll need basic internet skills, such as opening and visiting the patient link sent to you via email. It’s similar to video chatting like Facetime or Zoom. We can also walk you through it on the phone the first time to ensure a strong connection

What Questions Should I Ask My New Therapist?

Feel free to ask anything. Some good questions are:

  • How often will we meet?
  • What do you specialize in?
  • What experience do you have with my issue?
  • What outcomes can I expect?
  • How will I know I’m progressing?
  • How long do you usually work with clients?
  • How will we set my treatment goals?

What is the difference between associate therapists & fully licensed therapists?

Our Qualifications:

Our founder, Rebecca Sidoti, is a highly qualified, state-licensed therapist and supervisor with extensive training in anxiety related disorders and innovative treatment such as Ketamine Therapy. Mind by Design Counseling adheres to standards set by the our governing counseling boards.

To see each providers credentials, training and licenses, visit our “Meet the Therapists” Page to learn more.

 

  • LAC/LSW are therapists who may practice clinical work under the supervision of a fully licensed therapist.
  • LPC/LCSW are therapists who have completed the necessary clinical hours post-graduation under supervision and can practice clinical work independently.

Speak with a Trauma Therapist
& Start Healing Today

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