Safe haven Recovery
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Trauma Informed Therapy
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Many people with alcohol or drug addiction have a history of trauma. Whether it was a single event or occurred repeatedly over an extended period of time – either recently or in the more distant past. Trauma can have a severe impact on the primary victim and on family members, friends and helpers as well. The Safe Haven integrated trauma informed therapy program was developed to address the cross-effects of trauma and addictions, along with other co-occurring conditions.
Common Forms of Trauma
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domestic violence
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serious accidents
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natural disasters
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physical attack
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abandonment
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sexual abuse
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verbal abuse
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neglect
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Safe Haven Recovery Approach
Trauma-informed care has to do with a philosophy and an approach to treatment that is based on an understanding that many individuals receiving services in the addiction recovery system have a history of trauma that is related to their past. Hence, it is necessary to attend to the possibility of a trauma history in clients’ backgrounds.
Trauma Informed Care approaches clients from a perspective of respect for them as individuals, for their survivor skills and for their resilience. Clients are encouraged to actively collaborate on and participate in their treatment to break the pain and to re-establish a sense of accomplishment and personal pride. Trauma-informed care also attends to the client’s well-being as part of his or her individualized needs and offers real hope for healing and recovery.
Many of our addiction treatment staff have received specialized training in understanding the role that trauma may play in addiction and in the full range of mental health and addiction conditions. They have learned how to ask about and discuss trauma as part of the treatment program and how to determine when specialized trauma-focused approaches are needed.
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To treat drugs addiction and trauma, we first:
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Seek physical and emotional safety for all patients.
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Maintain appropriate boundaries always.
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Prioritize patient empowerment and skill-development to maximize the individual’s choice and control.
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Create open and genuine collaboration between staff and patients.
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Benefits of Florida Informed Trauma Therapy Treatment
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Less Risk of Re-traumatization
When an individual has suffered trauma, she is more likely to experience harm again through any experience that in some way repeats or recalls the feelings of that trauma. This is similar to a bodily injury, like a concussion. While an individual is healing from a concussion, she should be protected from further harm to that part of her head to prevent a worse injury. It is unlikely that the therapist or other care-providers would cause such harm on purpose, but an ignorance of the signs and impact of trauma can lead an uninformed counselor to minimize or clumsily probe the traumatic experience leading to re-traumatization. A trauma-informed therapist will treat the traumatized client with expert care and gentleness to avoid further harm.
Ability to See beyond Diagnoses
It is not uncommon for diagnosis to be confused with the effects of sexual, emotional, or physical trauma. While many care-providers make assumptions about their client based on a previous diagnosis, the trauma-informed therapist stays vigilant to signs of trauma within each client, creating the possibility of adequate care and healing.
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Whole Body Care
Trauma-informed therapists understand that healing from trauma requires a holistic approach that incorporates body movement along with traditional talk therapy. There are a range of body-focused therapies that are appropriate for clients who have suffered trauma including trauma-informed yoga and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing. Therapists with knowledge of trauma treatments can either become certified in these methods themselves or can refer clients to other providers who will be able to do the necessary work with the client.
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Depth of Compassion
Clients who have experienced trauma often feel isolated and misunderstood. There are few places where they can talk about their experiences without fear of judgment. Unfortunately, therapy offices have far too often been places where clients continue to feel this isolation when attempting to talk about traumatic events in their lives. Trauma-informed therapists understand the depth of what the client has experienced and seeks to create a open environment where the client is met with compassion and understanding.
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Sense of Safety
Trauma-focused therapies hone in on creating a safe environment for the client and empowering the client to live life with a sense of personal safety. As such, trauma-informed therapists do not push the client to do or say too much too quickly. Instead, they respect the client’s own pace towards healing. Understanding trauma deepens a therapist’s empathy and knowledge for working with troubled clients. Trauma-informed therapists can be a crucial factor in facilitating successful recovery.
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