If you’re worried about how your teen is dealing with extremely stressful experiences they’ve gone through, you may have considered trauma therapy. But you may wonder how long trauma therapy takes, because you may not want your teen’s typical day-to-day routine to be disturbed by their mental health treatment program.
However, you need to also consider that recovery is the primary goal for teens struggling with trauma, and their families, guardians, and trusted physicians must also work toward that. Recovery does not necessarily mean complete freedom from post-traumatic symptoms, however. In general, recovery from trauma is maintaining the ability to live in the present without being overwhelmed by the thoughts and feelings of the past.
Searching for trauma therapy options for teens near Denver, CO? Reach out to Imagine Fort Collins today by calling 888.291.2309 or contacting our team online.
What Is Trauma Therapy?
The length of trauma therapy programs depends on the patients being treated. Like most mental health treatment programs, trauma therapy programs are often customized based on a patient’s unique needs.
Trauma therapy helps patients deal with the behavioral and emotional responses caused by a traumatic event. However, not all teens dealing with trauma will need professional help. Some will be able to process the trauma on their own, and won’t experience long-term negative consequences. Others will need to undergo a trauma therapy program to help them maintain normal psychological, social, physical, occupational, and financial functioning.
How Long Does Trauma Therapy Take?
A traumatic experience can last anywhere from a few hours to a few years, which is similar to the expectation of the length of trauma therapy. The primary consideration for a trauma therapy program’s length is how much preparatory work the patient and the therapist need to get through before they address the trauma itself. How long does this initial stage of trauma therapy last? It can last from a few weeks to a few months.
The preparatory work includes making sure a patient understands their diagnosis, identifies their trauma symptoms, and learns the tools to cope with their undesirable behaviors healthily. After this, a patient and the therapist can delve into the traumatic experience and process it.
When Should Struggling Teens Consider Trauma Therapy Options?
Whether a trauma therapy program lasts for a long time or is a short-term period, it’s likely customized for a client to easily cope with trauma, whether it’s caused by a one-time event or is an ongoing situation.
If your teen is struggling with dealing with any of these stressors, they may find relief when they undergo a trauma therapy program:
- Abuse in any form
- Abandonment
- Accidents
- Bullying
- Crime
- Death of a loved one
- Disasters
- Domestic abuse or violence
- Homelessness
- Illness
- Imprisonment
- Injury
- Job loss
- Life-threatening circumstances
- Near-death experience
- Neglect
- Racism
- Terrorism
- Violence
- Witnessing a traumatic situation
If a teen has gotten over an illness that had them bedridden for months, they may be experiencing trauma. If your teen has a chronic illness, they may have ongoing trauma. And if your teen has been ill or has a chronic condition, consider getting them assessed and possibly diagnosed.
If a teen’s parents are getting a divorce, they may be extremely stressed out about what the situation personally means for them and also be affected by how their parents are dealing with going through the divorce. Once it’s possible to fit it into the family’s schedule, a teen with divorced parents must consider having their child undergo trauma therapy.
Find Out More About Imagine Fort Collins’s Trauma Therapy Options
If you’re looking for trauma therapy options for teens near Denver, CO, contact Imagine Fort Collins today. Reach out to our team online or call 888.291.2309.