10 Facts About Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles

If you are seeking trauma therapy in Los Angeles, or simply looking for support to maintain your symptoms, you may be wondering, “How does trauma therapy in Los Angeles work?” Continue reading to learn what to expect in trauma therapy with Cheryl Groskopf, LMFT, LPCC.

| To learn about Complex PTSD  therapy in Los Angeles, click here. 

1. 1. You Will Collaborate with Your Trauma Therapist on Goals

      When you begin therapy, the trauma therapist should be collaborating with you on your treatment goals. Treatment goals simply refer to what you would like to achieve throughout the course of your trauma treatment. When I have consultation calls, I often ask prospective clients what their lives would look like in 3 months, 6 months, or even 9 months if trauma therapy did exactly what they wanted to. I view this as a less clinical way of identifying what you want to achieve, in addition to ways you can measure the goals.

   2. You Can Set Your Own Boundaries
      

      As a trauma therapist, I will always respect your boundaries. Period. End of story. If there is a topic that you are not ready to talk about, I will never push that topic. Boundaries can also mean different things. For example, if you have an event planned after your therapy session, and don’t want to be left teary-eyed with a bright red & shiny nose, you can set a boundary that day with me to keep the session more lighthearted. Setting boundaries with your therapist is a great way to practice advocating your needs + a fantastic place to practice saying “no.”

   3. Trauma Therapy Teaches You How to Sit With Multiple Feelings (at the same time!)
      

      It’s easy to determine when you’re feeling angry when you feel like steam is coming out of your eyes, your fists are clenched, and you’re clenching your jaw as hard as you possibly can to not scream. It’s also easy to identify happiness if you’re feeling cheerful, have a big smile on your face, and feel present in the moment. But what if you’re angry and happy at the same time? That can make it really difficult to identify your feelings and what you’re experiencing. It can also make you second guess yourself and the reality around you. Throughout therapy, I work with you to help you determine what you are experiencing by having you pay attention to your body and the different “parts” of you that feel different emotions.

   4. You Will Have More Empathy and Self-Compassion for Yourself

      One risk of therapy is that you may feel worse before you feel better. This is because we will be processing some traumas and discussing topics that can make us feel pretty down. However, this process has a purpose. The more that you process issues from the past, the more you can see and understand the behaviors that you are engaging in today. This process focuses on giving yourself grace and empathy, which reduces the negative self-talk and the mean internal dialogue that takes over your thoughts. Self-compassion + quieter inner critic = less anxiety.

      

   5. You May Understand Your Parents More
      

      Will we be talking about your parents? Yes. As a trauma therapist in Los Angeles who incorporates somatic mind & body integration,  it’s important to discuss your relationship with your parents to help you make sense of how you relate to people in your current relationships. It may also help increase insight and even empathy for some of the parenting choices that they have made, while at the same time, acknowledging the pain it may have caused you. 

      | To learn about Somatic therapy in Los Angeles, click here. 
      | To learn about Holistic Therapy in Los Angeles, click here. 

   6. You Will Learn How Set Your Own Intentions in Trauma Therapy
      

      Have you ever had a Netflix binge and came out of it feeling like a total schlub? Have you ever had a Netflix binge and came out of it feeling like you accomplished a goal? The first one increases the likelihood of feeling guilt or even shame. The second one increases the likelihood of feeling confident and fulfilled. It may sound counterintuitive, but sometimes we need to set our intentions to do nothing. If you feel like you are on the edge of burning out, and your body is screaming at you to relax, then “I intend to do absolutely nothing this weekend” may be the most appropriate goal for you that week.

   7. Some Trauma Therapy Sessions You May Leave Feeling Worse
      

      Some sessions will be light. Some sessions will feel good. Some sessions will induce tears, and some may make you feel worse than how you did before coming into the session. If you began therapy and feel worse, this does not mean that you are regressing. It means that you are doing the work. And sometimes that work includes discussing things that are not easy to talk about.

   8. Your Trauma Therapist is Not Always Right
      

      I will always have the best intentions for you within our sessions, and often give feedback or recommendations based on what I hear. I am not a “sit-and-not” therapist. I take an active role in your treatment, and collaborate with you on your anxiety treatment goals. But sometimes, I may be totally off! I may even recommend an intervention that you know you are not going to do. And that is okay. The only person in the world who can truly tell you how you feel is yourself.

   9. Your Trauma Therapist is an Actual Human
      

      If you find two therapists in Los Angeles that both treat anxiety, you may find that the way that they treat anxiety are completely different. In addition, each therapist adds their own unique perspective and personality in their sessions. Finding a therapist that you feel safe and comfortable with is absolutely crucial, so pick one that feel you can personally connect with. Authenticity is important to me, and sometimes I may drop the occasional “F bomb” in our sessions. F*ck it, I’m human.

   10. Trauma Therapy in Los Angeles is Pretty Damn Great

       Clients have told me that therapy with me has left them feeling lighter, insightful, and understand how their brain and body work. I absolutely love therapy and what it can do…and I hope you will, too.