What is trauma therapy at Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon?

At Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon, trauma-informed therapy helps individuals process events like abuse, violence, loss, or emotional trauma. It’s offered as part of their addiction and mental health treatment, providing a safe environment to resolve past trauma and develop healthy coping skills.

How does Crestview Recovery in Portland identify and understand trauma?

They assess how the brain processes fear, violence, loss, or emotional abuse—traumas that can leave the nervous system stuck in fight-or‑flight mode. Therapy aims to help the brain properly process these events to reduce anxiety, depression, anger, and other trauma-related responses.

What types of trauma‑informed therapy methods are used in Portland’s program?

Crestview Recovery uses evidence-based trauma therapies in Portland such as somatic experiencing, mindfulness training, art therapy, cognitive-behavioral techniques, dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), and EMDR to help reset the nervous system and support trauma resolution.

What is the goal of trauma therapy at the Portland facility?

The goal is to create resolution—through forgiveness, acceptance, or emotional integration—and equip individuals with healthy coping strategies to manage stress, anger, anxiety, and isolation that result from trauma.

Who can benefit from trauma‑informed therapy at Crestview Recovery in Portland?

Anyone with a history of trauma—whether from early childhood events or more recent exposures—can benefit from trauma-informed therapy in Portland. It’s especially helpful for those whose addiction or mental health issues stem from unresolved trauma.

Trauma Therapy Programs - Portland, Oregon

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Trauma Therapy in Portland, Oregon

Many factors can contribute to the development of a drug or alcohol addiction. Trauma, for example, is a common precursor to substance use and addiction. Because of this, Crestview Recovery includes trauma therapy in our addiction therapy programs. This allows patients to address any history of trauma and focus on their recovery.

Many factors can contribute to the development of a mental health disorder, such as drug or alcohol addiction. Consequently, Crestview Recovery includes trauma-informed therapy as part of our mental health and addiction treatment curriculum. Discover what trauma therapy is and how it can help individuals overcome adversity and develop healthy coping mechanisms after a traumatic event.

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Identifying and Understanding Trauma

When the brain is not able to process fear, violence, the death of a loved one, threats, or emotional abuse, it has a traumatic effect on a person’s psyche. Failing to process trauma can cause problems because people with unhealed trauma react to this trauma when confronted with day-to-day conflicts and issues. This can result in more anxiety, anger, depression, and other problems.

In fact, someone can be born with a nervous system with a predisposition toward developing post-traumatic stress disorder, but it may also happen after an injury or illness.

Trauma is not always physical on some level because emotional traumas can affect a person’s nervous system and mental health. Even though trauma may be the result of an external source, the effects on the brain manifest in the mind.

People often misunderstand post-traumatic stress disorder because of the correlation between physical injury and psychological damage. However, most traumas are not direct results of physical injuries. Instead, they are the result of exposure to violence, abuse, accidents, and illness. These events can lead a person into a state where their nervous system is in constant fight-or-flight mode because the brain is constantly being activated by stress hormones.

trauma healing in therapy treatment program

infographic on understanding trauma and its impact

What is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

Trauma-informed therapy can be especially helpful when patients have repressed traumatic experiences in the past. This is particularly true among those who were very young when the trauma occurred. Reconstructing the scene and asking specific questions about the experience might bring it to memory. This isn’t meant to be hurtful, but to lead to a resolution. However, the process can be difficult for some.

Individual therapy can also help patients understand that trauma isn’t a normal experience. Those who suffered from issues like domestic violence or sexual assault at a young age might believe that all individuals struggle with these issues. Identifying them as wrong and unusual helps prevent individuals from keeping silent in the future.

Finally, therapy can be an outlet for those who haven’t verbalized their trauma in the past. It’s unsettling to discuss trauma for most individuals. However, it’s a necessary step for recovery in many cases, and pairing therapy with a supportive environment, such as Portland sober living, can help reinforce healing and long-term sobriety. Patients might talk about a traumatic experience, such as:

Witnessing a violent crime
Being the victim of a physical attack
Being a victim of sexual abuse or assault
Military action
Domestic abuse
A natural disaster

Trauma-informed therapy can help patients in a number of ways. It can help them to remember and process a repressed trauma and allow them to talk about their experience in a safe and confidential setting. If you or someone you know is struggling with the effects of trauma, consider talking to a mental health professional about trauma-informed therapy.

Using Therapy to Create Resolution

A major goal of trauma therapy and mental health treatment is creating some kind of resolution. This can mean different things, depending on individual experiences. It could include internal forgiveness, external forgiveness, or simply acceptance.

Far too many people in therapy blame themselves for trauma in their past. This is misplaced and misguided, but granting inner forgiveness isn’t always easy. Therapy can help eliminate guilt and grant peace to those tormented by traumatic experiences.

Therapy is an excellent outlet for those struggling to accept what has happened. It can provide a sense of understanding and peace in the face of tragedy.

No matter what form resolution takes, it can be an important step in the healing process. It can give individuals a sense of control and peace. It can allow them to move on with their lives in a more positive way.

Creating Ways to Deal with the Ramifications of Trauma

A history of trauma can negatively impact life in many ways. Often, trauma leads to stress, anger, or isolation, all three of which can lead to addiction. At Crestview Recovery, we help individuals overcome these ramifications through therapy. With the help of a therapist, patients identify ways to deal with these feelings in a healthier way.

In the case of patients who become angry, physical exercise might be a way to find relief. For patients who feel isolated and alone when traumatic memories crop up, finding a local support recovery group meeting can be critical. Journaling, cooking, singing, and volunteering are all potential sources of comfort as well.

therapy program aiding trauma recovery process

Trauma Therapy FAQ

If you are considering trauma therapy, you likely have important questions about the process. Below are answers to some of the most common questions we receive at Crestview Recovery.

Which Type Of Therapy Is Best For Trauma?

There isn’t a “best” type of therapy for trauma, because the efficacy of treatment often depends on personal factors. At Crestview Recovery, we create custom treatment plans for each client to ensure we offer the best possible therapy program to facilitate healing. We commonly utilize Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), and Dialectical Behavior Therapy based on client assessment. The most suitable approach depends on your unique experiences, symptoms, and personal therapeutic goals.

How Long Does Trauma Therapy Last?

The length of trauma therapy can depend on the severity of symptoms and the complexity of the trauma. Typically, individuals attend trauma therapy for several months or even years. Each session is between 45 and 60 minutes, in which the therapist guides their client to address unhealthy and unhelpful thoughts and emotions they have related to the traumatic event.

How Do You Release Trauma Trapped In The Body?

Releasing trauma stored in the body involves therapeutic techniques that address physical sensations and stress responses. Somatic therapies, mindfulness, breathwork, and sensorimotor psychotherapy are all methods designed to help process and discharge this pent-up physiological energy. This process helps to resolve the fight-flight-freeze responses that remain trapped in the nervous system long after a traumatic event.

How Can You Heal Triggers From Trauma?

Healing trauma triggers involves learning to manage the intense emotional and physical reactions they cause through specific therapeutic skills. In therapy, you will learn grounding techniques, emotional regulation skills, and work to process the underlying memory so the trigger loses its power. Over time, this allows you to respond to reminders with greater choice and resilience rather than an automatic distress response.

Is Trauma Therapy Covered By Insurance?

Yes, trauma therapy is typically covered by most major insurance plans. Coverage details, such as copays, session limits, and in-network provider requirements, vary depending on your insurance provider and plan. Our admissions team at Crestview Recovery can help you verify your insurance benefits and understand your specific coverage and any associated costs.

Trauma Therapy Program in Portland, Oregon

While trauma therapy is a key part of recovery for many patients, it’s not the only element. For the best chance at successful recovery from addiction and mental health conditions, treatment programs should offer a full continuum of care, including inpatient treatment and dual diagnosis treatment. Combining trauma-informed therapy with group therapy, education, awareness, and holistic approaches, Crestview Recovery in Portland, Oregon, helps patients build the skills needed to manage addiction and co-occurring mental health disorders.

Contact us today to learn more about addiction therapy services and begin taking the first steps toward a lifetime of wellness.