Dialectical Behavior Therapy + Prolonged Exposure
Maximixing Effectiveness with Compassionate Care in Trauma Recovery
Traumatic experiences can lead to a variety of emotional challenges, such as:
- Feeling "stuck" in feelings that you associate with trauma memories,
(such as fear, anger, disgust, guilt, or shame)...
- Dealing with unwanted memories or suddenly feeling as if the trauma were happening all over again...
- Feeling afraid, even in safe situations...
- Difficulty regulating emotions leading to unpredictable mood swings...
- Feelings of worthlessness or insecurity in relationships...
- A distorted sense of self as incapable, damaged, disgusting, or other unjustified beliefs.
You do not have to be stuck in your feelings.
How Does Exposure Therapy Help With Trauma?
Traumatic memories are often painful. Many people fear that bad things will happen if they allow themselves to think about the past or feel their feelings. Unfortunately...
... trauma is maintained by avoidance.
Imagine:
You fear that there is a monster under the bed, so you never check. Instead, you hide under the covers and feel more and more afraid of what could happen. You are not actually aware of what is happening in this scenario because fear gets in the way.
Avoidance perpetuates the fear that came with the initial trauma, making it feel like it is happening over and over again. You might be tempted to avoid your own thoughts, memories, feelings or reminders of the past in the hopes that trauma will just go away. Sadly, (as you most likely have already figured out): Trying not to think about trauma makes trauma memories come back even stronger.
Trying to block out your trauma doesn't work because avoidance makes you lose touch with yourself.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy - Prolonged Exposure combines research-backed coping skills with targeted trauma therapy to help you confront and process traumatic memories. Exposure therapy is designed to give you a more integrated sense of self by debriefing the trauma in a safe space. You will train your mind and body to understand that the trauma is in the past and that it is safe to talk about in the present.
Looking more closely at traumatic experiences in a strategic way can give you a greater sense of control over your own thoughts and help you tolerate challenging feelings. Your therapist will help you plan how to use these skills to build a life that is meaningful to you - one that centers around your personal values, joy and connection.
71% of clients who complete DBT-PE show full remission from
PTSD.
DBT-PE is a highly effective tool to help regulate long-standing emotional patterns resulting from trauma, such as unjustifed guilt, shame, and self-loathing. DBT-PE combines exposure skills with coping skills to help you balance change and acceptance strategies in pursuit of posttraumatic growth.
Take control of your own life story.
What Is Involved?
Your therapist will model how to build comfort with difficult memories by helping you process old beliefs in a more adaptive way. You will learn how to incorporate your learning from session into skills that foster joy and connection in every day life. You will learn how to better understand and respond to your emotions using research-backed self-care skills. Your therapist will support you in a process to accept reality as it is and take action to build the life that you want.
DBT-PE teaches three core exposure skills to help you interrupt longstanding reactions to trauma.
Pursue joy and connection
in everyday life with
In Vivo Exposure
In Vivo Exposure helps you challenge old habits and stuck feelings through a series of intentional "experiments." These mini learning trials are designed by the client as part of a process to build "a life worth living." In vivo exposure helps you integrate new learning from session into your daily life. Your therapist will teach you how to approach safe situations that you might otherwise avoid. You will set intentions as you build a hierarchy of goals. Your therapist will help you lay out a plan of realistic steps as you approach safe, but scary situations - in order to build a life that is meaningful to you.
Build comfort with emotions through
Imaginal Exposure
DBT-PE teaches you how to interrupt the trauma cycle by helping you approach difficult emotions safely. Better understand your emotions to build a sense of safety and self-understanding. Your therapist will help you disrupt any myths that you have about your emotions, such as emotions being "bad", dangerous, or to be ignored. Learn how to respond to your emotions in a way that helps you heal your trauma.
Process old beliefs
in a safe space
to build a new understanding
Traumatic experiences can change the way we think about ourselves, other people, and the world more broadly. Sometimes our reactions to a traumatic event -
(eg. "Ouch! That stove is hot!") - can go a little too far and interfere with life goals - (eg. "I'll never cook again!")
DBT-PE empowers you to build awareness of habit-forming narratives that make you feel stuck. Your therapist is trained to help you to process your feelings and reactions in a
healthier way. You will develop a skillset by the end of therapy to challenge your own problematic thoughts and cope with difficult feelings rather than avoiding
them.
What would be possible if avoidance didn't rule your life?
What To Expect
You and your therapist will begin with an assessment of your needs. You will then build a foundation of research-backed coping skills tailored to your goals. Your therapist will help you plan the best time to start trauma-focused processing and support you in the decision-making process.
One 90 min. exposure therapy session
+ one 25 or 50 min skills coaching call per week.
* Beginning: Establish a self-care routine.
* Middle: 12 - 16 exposure therapy sessions.
* Closing: Make the skills your own.
Solidify learning with weekly practice exercises + meditations on building the life you want.
Make a list of questions to bring to your first consultation call. Your provider is here to guide you and help you tailor the process to the demands of your life. You can help yourself build readiness to begin therapy by allowing yourself to imagine what you hope to get out of the process.
Your Provider: Compassionate + Effective
Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LICSW, LCSW
Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW, LICSW has dedicated her career to deliverying effective and compassionate trauma recovery services. She draws from expert training and personal experience to support individuals as they adapt research-backed strategies for their own lives.
Anna has training and experience working with survivors of:
- State-sponsored torture and gender-based violence,
- Intimate partner violence, domestic violence, sexual assault, incest, and relationship boundary crossings,
- Child abuse, sexual abuse, and abuse of power,
- Traumatic experiences while incarcerated,
- Workplace trauma or harrassment,
- Racism, sexism, fatphobia, ableism, and other forms of discrimination,
- Gun violence, exposure to crime/violence, and unsafe environments,
- Bullying, shunning, and prolonged isolation,
- Traumatic invalidalition, emotional neglect, and abandonment, and...
- "Lower case t" - traumas...
You might wonder...
"Was it that bad? Do I need to talk to someone?" If you are not sure... Then the answer is likely - "Yes."
You should definitely talk to someone if a traumatic experience from the past continues to make you feel unsafe. Effective treatments are
available.
You deserve to feel a sense of balance after a difficult life
experience.
Message Therapy For Real Life
Contact Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW, LICSW to ask about DBT-PE and other therapy options.
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Trauma-Informed Consultation Services
Therapy For Real Life offers consultation to support trauma-informed leaders, teams, and workplaces.
Learn about research-backed self-care trainings and Burnout Prevention Hack-A-Thons available through WorkshopsForRealLife.com .
Contact Therapy For Real Life Founder, Anna Lindberg Cedar, MPA, LCSW, LICSW, to discuss your training and consultation needs.
Email: therapy@annacedar.com
Phone: 510-606-5356
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