Written by: THE BALANCE
Medically reviewed by Dr. Sarah Boss, MD
Last updated: January 20, 2026
Fact checked
Quick Summary
  • Seeing someone you deeply care about struggle to overcome a traumatic past can be challenging.
  • You may worry about their well-being yet feel helpless when confronted by their emotional reactions to the traumatic event.
  • People experiencing continuing difficulties following a distressing or traumatic event usually become distant or shut down, causing you to feel shut out.
Reading time: 8 min

Seeing someone you deeply care about struggle to overcome a traumatic past can be challenging. You may worry about their well-being yet feel helpless when confronted by their emotional reactions to the traumatic event.

People experiencing continuing difficulties following a distressing or traumatic event usually become distant or shut down, causing you to feel shut out. This occurs as individuals try not to rethink the trauma or attempt to block out the stressful memories. Others may develop feelings of numbness or sadness due to past trauma and feel out of energy all the time. It is important to remember that all these reactions indicate that your loved one might struggle to cope and require ongoing support. In such circumstances, referring them to a trauma recovery center is the best thing to offer.

It is essential for patients undertaking trauma recovery treatment to be able to separate their identities from their symptoms. All patients are encouraged to support each other through their recovery processes. The staff appointed to look after the patients aims to help all patients develop compassion by adopting compassionate attitudes themselves.

Most patients that join a trauma recovery center have underlying issues with belonging and acceptance, particularly because they have been living in isolation, both physically and emotionally, for a long. Hence, trauma recovery for such patients involves breaking this isolation as the first essential element. For people with sexual traumas, efforts are put towards helping them develop self-worth and self-esteem once again. These programs also encourage them to participate in their spiritual, sexual, physical, and psychological growth while supporting them in creating effective coping mechanisms and better ways of thinking.

Different trauma recovery programs have different tracks, and each client is assigned a route depending on their specific needs. One of the most critical parts of these programs that cannot be stressed enough is the need to conduct all therapies in a safe environment to maximise healing. For this purpose, the highly-trained staff members are appointed for round-the-clock supervision and care.

While each treatment facility focusing on traumatic recovery will have its own set of rules, principles, treatment modalities, and schedules, mentioned below are the components of a standard regimen commonly followed by most of them:

  • Therapeutic group to participate in holistic activities like equine-assisted therapy
  • Expressive arts group to overcome traumas and balance emotions using arts
  • Grief group with individuals sharing similar issues
  • Experiential therapy workshops help patients re-enact past traumas to release the emotional burden associated with them
  • Exercise and nutrition plans to promote physical wellness
  • Pain management
  • Educational programs, including sessions on forming boundaries, PTSD, neglect, domestic violence, developing a healthy sexuality, relapse prevention, and more
  • 12-step meetings held on-site at the trauma recovery facility
  • Individual, family and group psychotherapy for a wholesome recovery

Many private mental health recovery centres across the UK offer specialised recovery programs for women who have previously undergone traumas. Most clients enrolled in these programs are women who are sexual assault survivors. In most facilities, the program is offered in a residential setting with a duration of up to 60 days or even more, depending on each client’s needs. It focuses on helping all patients on the following two grounds.

  • To develop interpersonal skills necessary to continue living life in a normal way.
  • To develop intensive skills who may feel that the path to recovery is too rigorous.

Extensive psychological and psychosocial assessments are conducted during the initial days of the program, based on which comprehensive treatment plans are developed.

Women who often come seeking help through this specialised trauma recovery program are often at the edge of disaster and overwhelmed with pain, shame, and humiliation. Through this program, they can share their experiences and bond with other women facing similar issues and come out as a more self-assured and confident version of themselves.

A trauma therapy program offered by a specialised rehab can bring transformation for those battling with the weight of untreated traumas of the past. Seeking trauma-focused therapy can allow them to work through their past so that all pending issues can be dealt with. Clients are expected to work with highly-trained professionals to devise treatment plans. Through these carefully-created plans that incorporate several evidence-based therapeutic methods, they can learn to acquire healthy coping skills and let go of the burden of past traumas.

Our trauma treatment center aims to provide you with therapy that you truly deserve so that you can finally move forward in life. When you commit to healing in our facility, you can come in an empowered position to choose the proper treatment that meets your needs.

You cannot erase a traumatic memory, but with the right support, reducing its impact on your current life is possible. Contact us now to speak with a trained representative who can discuss how to address your trauma and develop a treatment plan personalized to work for you.

FAQs

I have tried a lot of things to feel better. How do I know if joining a trauma recovery institute is going to work?
Trauma can be stubborn, confusing, or frightening, and many people try different things to work through it. Talk therapy, one of the most sought treatments for trauma, cannot help you gain progress on its own. This is because trauma resides in both the mind and the body, and talking only engages the thinking part of the brain, leaving the body out.
The most effective way to get over a traumatic event is through a combination of eye movements, sensation, talk, and other means that help access the traumatic material. This is what most trauma rehabilitation centres strive to achieve to help clients become stronger.
While no center can promise guaranteed success, most of them have helped hundreds of people release their traumas and become more capable of living their lives by simply undertaking the plan they offer. These plans can be tailored to each client’s individual needs to make them more effective.
Will I have to go back and re-experience every painful thing that happened to me?
Only if this is what you want. As a client, you will be the one to set the pace of therapy. The goal of trauma recovery programs is to help you feel better in whatever way you like. Some people like discussing their pasts while others do not. The therapists at the recovery centres work in ways that feel best for you. The entire plan of care is to clean out the wound from the past as gently as possible and create healing for you to move forward in a planned and structured way and per your choices and desires.
I have tried therapy once, but it didn’t work. How is a trauma therapy center any different?
This is one of the most commonly asked questions about trauma and recovery. While many treatment plans are available for trauma management, certain modalities are required to help release it in the best way possible. For example, somatic therapies might be used to bring the body into focus as you talk and self-soothing techniques can be taught to control any abnormalities in the physical parameters, such as blood pressure and pulse rate, due to talking about trauma. Similarly, EMDR therapy can help you put the painful past memories back into the past where they belong so that they do not interrupt you in your current life. Brainspotting is another commonly used technique in many trauma rehab centres. It helps you reach the subcortical areas of the brain that hold trauma to take away its power and control over you. These unique modalities are rarely incorporated in standard therapy sessions; hence, failure often occurs. Choosing a specialised program at a rehab dedicated to trauma recovery can be a different experience with high chances of success.
What life strategies can I learn in trauma therapy?
As you begin trauma therapy, you will slowly develop a bond with your therapist time. You can easily discuss your past trauma with them in steps you can easily handle. At the same time, the therapist will help you learn a couple of life strategies and skills, such as:
How to decrease your level of sensitivity to the trauma
Attending group meetings to connect with peers with similar issues
How to develop coping skills and mechanisms
Exercises that help you relax recuperate, and sleep
What is EMDR?
Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a therapeutic method that has successfully overcome past traumas. It is an innovative type of psychotherapy that aims to desensitise you towards trauma and then reprocess your memories through the use of bilateral stimulation and eye movements. The sessions of EMDR are routinely offered at every PTSD recovery center and are held every week for a duration of one hour per session.
Under the supervision of a trained EMDR therapist, you can work to overcome the past trauma while living in the present. An essential element of this therapy is the provision of a safe environment to ensure beneficial outcomes without posing any risks. The treatment has been proven successful in treating not only PTSD but also other issues, like anxiety and panic disorders, associated with an overwhelming event.

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