What You Should Know About Becoming a Trauma Therapist
by Michelle Deeg-Davis, PhD, LPC, CCMHC, NCC, ACTP
Drawing in part from her dissertation: Exploring the Lived Experiences of Women Trauma Counselors: Two Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis Studies Making Meaning of Specialization and Resilience
Experiences of trauma are part of the human condition. While often uncomfortable to recognize, people may encounter natural disasters, violence in the community, and car accidents throughout their lifetime. Others may experience trauma within their own homes, being a victim of domestic violence or child abuse.
The good news is that most (approximately 80%) of these individuals will go on to heal from these traumatic incidents (Posttraumatic Disorder Alliance, 2018). However, a significant number of these survivors need professional support in healing from the psychological effects of trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy is the professional support provided by a trained mental health clinician to mitigate the effects of PTSD (American Psychiatric Association, 2022).
While all mental health providers should be equipped to provide essential survivor support, advanced professional specialization is needed to move a client through the often complex healing process.
How to Become a Trauma Therapist
The path to supporting trauma survivors through therapy begins with earning a master’s or doctoral degree in a mental health field such as counseling, social work or counseling psychology. Students of CACREP-accredited counseling programs can expect their master’s degree programs to build professional competence in trauma because the organization added trauma as a required focus in 2009. Whichever educational path you choose, taking elective courses focusing on trauma can begin to build skills and confidence even in your early career.
Earning an advanced degree in mental health is only the beginning of professional trauma therapy. Regardless of the field, beginning clinicians will be expected to engage in supervised practice for two to three years until they reach full licensure.
Supervised practice can be an excellent opportunity for new trauma therapists to seek the mentorship of seasoned trauma professionals and build relationships with colleagues who can support their work after formal supervision ends. This was emphasized by a study participant who looked to a colleague to “gently hold me accountable. If I’m … heading in a direction that isn't right or isn’t healthy or isn't safe … they’ll pull me back and say, ‘Hey, are you taking care of yourself?’”
Engagement in continuing education is expected across the mental health professions. New clinicians can begin engaging in continuing education focusing on trauma-specific interventions even before licensure. Unlike degree programs where coursework is set, continuing education can be personalized to the needs and interests of the clinician and the needs of the clients being served.
Clinicians can receive training in various trauma-specific interventions, including but not limited to:
- Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)
- Somatic Experiencing (SE)
- Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
- Equine (horse) Assisted Therapy
In addition, trauma therapists can choose to specialize in supporting a particular group of clients, such as law enforcement, veterans, survivors of domestic violence or even perpetrators who may have wounds of their own.
Trauma therapists understand the career-long commitment to learning and are dedicated to continuing growth in their professional skills. Many study participants noted that through engagement in continuing education and further self-application of the tools and techniques gained, they furthered their personal growth and healing and developed their professional skill set.
Dealing with Personal Trauma as a Therapist
Many of the therapists who feel called to trauma therapy are themselves survivors of trauma or have witnessed the trauma experiences of close family members. In my research exploring the experiences of trauma-specialized counselors, all eight study participants shared that they had engaged in personal healing journeys, often with the support of their own therapist.
Of course, experiencing trauma is not a prerequisite to becoming a trauma therapist. However, one participant noted, “If I’m not willing … to look at my past and lean into what I’m asking the clients to do, then I’m not going to be a very good guide in that. So … I have to take care of my stuff.” The willingness to look into your own past life events and explore the emotions, thoughts, and impact these experiences have had may be the first step to extending similar help to others.
While admirable, personal healing and the desire to help others are not enough to provide the deep healing that can occur in trauma therapy. Helping someone explore their trauma without professional training can be risky for both the helper and the individual being helped. Retraumatization of the person affected and vicarious trauma of the helper (in which someone experiences the effects of trauma from being a witness to someone else’s trauma) are both outcomes that have been documented in trauma research.
These have been noted as challenges even for the most seasoned and trained trauma therapists. However, with education and training, these challenges can be mitigated, and working with trauma survivors can even have the surprising effect of furthering a clinician's personal resilience (Hernandez et al., 2007; Hernandez et al., 2010). One study participant explained her experience of vicarious resilience: “Sometimes they do tell you something that tells you that you really helped them, like you said something that got to them in a way that they reframed everything. And when you get those little nuggets to remember those and say, ‘Good enough… I'm doing OK, keep going.’ And then I’m energized again.”
Success in the field of trauma therapy is both personal and professional. As mentioned, trauma specialization requires the clinician to be willing to look at their own wounds, actively engage in healing, and develop ongoing awareness of when and how personal trauma may be experienced. This includes understanding when vicarious trauma is experienced and taking the necessary steps of continuing healing through having an intentional work-life balance, engaging in self-care, and continually going to personal therapy. Trauma therapy requires deep interpersonal compassion, empathy, and an understanding of how trauma impacts us and our clients.
The work of trauma therapists is complex, complicated and challenging. However, it’s also personally and professionally rewarding in surprising ways.
Judith Herman, a renowned psychiatrist in the field of traumatology, sums up the work of supporting trauma survivors best in her book Trauma and Recovery:
“... moral neutrality in the conflict between victim and perpetrator is not an option. Like all other bystanders, therapists are sometimes forced to take sides. Those who stand with the victim will inevitably have to face the perpetrator’s unmasked fury. For many of us, there can be no greater honor.”
The work of supporting trauma survivors in their healing is truly an honor.
Learn more about trauma counseling training at George Fox University