Understanding Trauma Healing: Therapy Approaches & Support 

Before exploring the many approaches to trauma healing, it’s important to remember that recovery is deeply personal, and finding support that feels safe, empowering and aligned with your needs can make all the difference.

In this guest blog, Charity O’Reilly is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) specializing in trauma therapy. She provides intensive trauma therapy for trauma survivors and trains and consults with therapists on trauma-informed practices. She is certified in eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR), trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (TF-CBT), and trauma processing yoga. Charity offers insight into trauma-informed therapy options and guidance for individuals exploring what healing might look like for them.

Finding  Support While Healing From Trauma

If you have experienced trauma of any kind, you’ve probably also experienced its hallmarks: feeling helpless, having control taken away, or lacking choices.

Because trauma often involves a loss of power, regaining a sense of agency is a vital part of the healing process. This autonomy extends to every area of recovery, including how you spend your time, how you navigate relationships, and whether you seek professional support, like therapy. For those who choose to pursue therapy, having options and a sense of control over the process is essential. Understanding the different options available can help you make an informed decision that feels right for your unique journey.

Identifying the Right Fit

Before diving into specific therapeutic modalities, it is often helpful to consider the personal traits and qualities you value in a therapy provider. Some individuals prioritize a warm, compassionate presence, while others prefer a more direct or structured approach. Factors such as age, gender, cultural background, or shared values may also be significant.

It is perfectly normal not to know your preferences right away. Exploring a few different therapists can be a practical way to determine what feels most supportive. When seeking trauma-specific care, it is generally beneficial to find a provider who is open to various options rather than one who insists on a single “correct” way to heal.

The Consultation Process

Many therapists offer a free initial consultation, typically online or over the phone and lasting 15–20 minutes. These brief meetings are an excellent opportunity to ask logistical questions regarding insurance, virtual versus in-person sessions, and the specific modalities they use.

Beyond the logistics, this time allows you to notice how your nervous system responds to the provider. You might consider:

• Do you feel rushed or judged?
• Do you find yourself feeling calmer or breathing more easily?
• Do you feel heard and respected?

If a consultation feels promising, scheduling a full session is the next step. However, if after a few appointments the fit does not feel right, it is always appropriate to seek a different provider. If you find this tricky, I talk about how to do it in my book, You Will Get Through This, a Mental Health Tool Kit. Prioritizing your own sense of safety and comfort is a key part of the therapeutic work.

Exploring Trauma-Informed Modalities

There are numerous approaches to trauma recovery, each offering different tools for processing experiences. While no single post can cover every option, the following are some of the most widely recognized, evidence-informed approaches.

Brain-Based Therapies

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is designed to help the brain “reprocess” traumatic memories that have become “stuck.” Rather than requiring a detailed verbal account of the trauma, EMDR uses bilateral stimulation (such as guided eye movements) to help the brain move toward a more adaptive state. Other brain-based therapies that focus on how trauma is stored include:

• Brainspotting
• Progressive Counting
• Deep Brain Reorienting

Body-Based (Somatic) Approaches

Research suggests that trauma is often held in the body, leading to physical symptoms or feelings of dissociation. For those who find traditional talk therapy difficult or prefer to focus on physical sensations, somatic options can be effective.

• Trauma-Sensitive Yoga (TSY): Unlike standard yoga, TSY is specifically designed for trauma survivors, focusing on choice and felt-sense rather than physical performance. You can often find Trauma Sensitive Yoga offered in groups. Please note that “regular” yoga is not the same, so don’t try and substitute a regular yoga class! It won’t have the same results and sometimes can even be very triggering of trauma.
• Polyvagal-Informed Practice: Based on the study of the nervous system, this approach focuses on “coregulation” and learning to recognize signals of safety and danger within the body. It’s important to note that Polyvagal Theory isn’t a therapy modality, but it’s an approach to healing trauma that focuses on the body. It’s been in the news a bit lately because the science of it is being debated, but most experts agree that the foundational principles of PVT, such as coregulating with a safe person and learning to trust your instincts, which PVT calls neuroception, are very important in healing trauma. 
• Other evidence-based somatic trauma therapies include Somatic Experiencing and Sensorimotor Therapy.

If you are looking to include somatic work into your life right now, I have several modules about this in my online course, Tea With a Trauma Therapist. You can access the information over and over again, including a video of a trauma sensitive movement class.

Parts Work 

Parts work modalities, such as Internal Family Systems (IFS) operate on the idea that the mind is made up of various “parts” (such as an inner critic or a younger, vulnerable version of oneself). The types of parts are limitless, but much like in the movie Inside Out (which was based on IFS research!), the goal of IFS is to befriend these various parts of yourself, instead of fighting with them. This approach can be particularly helpful for those looking to resolve internal conflicts or address complex childhood trauma. There are lots of other “parts work” modalities as well, including:

• Ego States Therapy

• Structural Dissociation 

• Jungian “Shadow Work”.

If you’d like to read more about this, the book “The Tender Parts: A Guide to Healing Trauma Through Internal Family Systems Therapy” by Ilyse Kennedy is a good place to start. If you are more of an audio learner, you may enjoy the YouTube channel of Dr. Tori Olds, who explores parts work in many videos. I also cover this topic in my online course, including with visualizations and worksheets.

Moving Forward

In the end, remember that the most important thing is who and what you feel safe with! Give yourself options, and know that it’s always ok to walk away from a therapy or therapist that isn’t working for you. You deserve to heal from trauma, and finding the right support can be an important step on that journey.

Charity O’Reilly has been a trauma therapist for over 20 years. She is an author and international speaker, and can be found at www.charityoreilly.com or https://www.instagram.com/teawithatraumatherapist, or teaching about trauma healing at www.teawithatraumatherapist.com. Her first book, You Will Get Through This: A Mental Health Tool Kit was named a Best Resource Guide of 2025, and her second book, How to Understand and Deal with ADHD, will be published this August and can be pre-ordered now.