One-on-one counseling or individual therapy can be an effective approach to heal from trauma. Commonly known as “talk-therapy,” individual therapy allows a person to open up to only one person in a private setting. When discussing sensitive details or painful emotions from the past, a person may feel more comfortable in this setting before entering group sessions or opening up to others. Sometimes, we may need to learn how to be vulnerable again to restore our relationships outside of treatment. Individual therapy provides us with the opportunity to learn to express our emotions to another person. A therapist will listen to us without judgment and help us learn more about our emotions. We can also learn how to trust others again, as we need to build rapport with our therapist for the experience to be effective.
For individual therapy to be useful, we need to find the right person. The search for a good therapist is entirely subjective. One therapist’s approach may be helpful to some people, yet not others. Therapy is an individualized experience that cannot be viewed as a “one size fits all” modality of treatment. Consider some of the following when searching for a therapist:
- Gender: Will you be comfortable opening up to a therapist of the opposite sex? Do you feel more at ease in the presence of a particular gender or does the gender of your therapist not matter at all?
- Specialties: Some therapists specialize in specific issues, like sexual trauma, anxiety, or relationship struggles. If you can narrow down the root of your issues to something specific, you may want to consider finding a therapist specializing in these issues.
- Methods: Therapists can also specialize in methods of treatment. Some may use techniques like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) or Brain-spotting to treat mental health issues. If you feel like you may be more responsive to one treatment over another, think about finding a therapist who is an expert in this method.
Therapy can help those suffering from trauma by teaching them the skills they need to cope with stressors in life. For individuals suffering from trauma, one-on-one therapy or counseling may be helpful as a stepping stone to other types of treatment. Some people may feel more at ease in the private and intimate setting of individual therapy. They may feel more comfortable opening up to one person to learn to communicate their emotions before entering group sessions or repairing relationships. The Guest House can help you with our residential inpatient and intensive outpatient services. Call us at (855) 483-7800 to get started.