Perhaps you have a curious nature that wants to understand others; maybe you’re the friend everyone confides in because you make for a good listener. Helping others and being non-judgemental are all signs that you can make a good therapist. But to become a trauma counselor, you require much more.
Let’s get into it the details and pre-requisites on how to become a certified trauma therapist.
What Does a Certified Trauma Therapist Do?
Trauma is an emotional response after a chronic or single extreme stressor in one’s life, such as childhood abuse, sexual assault, war, natural disaster, physical abuse, and more. If untreated, it can lead to symptoms that negatively affect the patient’s daily life, such as flashbacks, nightmares, extreme mood changes, and more, which you’ll help them tackle.
Apart from understanding, analyzing, and processing how trauma relates to a patient’s assessment, diagnosis, and treatment and learning about the biological and psychological effects of trauma on the individual, you’ll learn and apply the recommended trauma treatments and methodologies to help your patients.
These may include:
- Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR): Recounting the traumatic memory while simultaneously undergoing bilateral stimulation or the use of eye movements can help reduce emotions associated with the traumatic memories.
- Cognitive behavioral therapy: CBT focuses on the relationship between feelings, behaviors, and thoughts. It encourages patients to change their harmful thought patterns.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): It teaches skills in dialectical thinking, regulation, distress tolerance, interpersonal effectiveness, and mindfulness.
- Somatic experiencing: It uses the body-mind connection to address psychological and physical symptoms.
- Trauma-informed stabilization treatment (TIST) was developed to help address complex symptoms of trauma, such as self-harming or suicide.
Alternative treatments include art therapy, psychotherapy, and medication.
How to Become a Trauma Therapist
Now that you’ve got the gist of what a trauma therapist does, here’s how to become one:
- Getting Your Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree
The first step is to complete your bachelor’s degree program from an accredited university or college. Studying social work, counseling, psychology, or other related disciplines will offer you relevant experience, training, and education.
You should naturally pursue a master’s degree next – it is required to become a licensed clinical mental health counselor (LCMHC) or licensed professional counselor (LPC). Consider pursuing your degree in mental health counseling or trauma to increase your chances of finding work in the related field.
Licensing boards or employers may prefer you get your master’s degree from a program accredited by an accrediting body such as the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Educational Programs.
- Gain Professional Experience
Professional experience helps you build expertise and rapport, gain proficiency, and develop skills. Most trauma counselor jobs will ask for a minimum of two to five years of experience before you can independently start working with trauma patients.
For experience, you can opt for workshops, such as this intensive trauma therapy training workshop, or search for entry-level jobs at schools, rehabilitation or mental health facilities, or psychiatric hospitals. Other options include volunteering, internships, and practicum placements under licensed professional counselors’ supervision.
- Get Licensed
Licensing requirements, such as the amount of supervised hours under a licensed therapist, can differ from state to state. Visit the National Board for Certified Counselor’s website to find licensing information specific to your state. They will require background checks on you, including criminal background checks, professional history verification, and fingerprints, to ensure client well-being and safety.
Endnote
You’re now ready to start working, so start looking for open positions and apply to ones that align with your career path. As you work, you should establish firm boundaries and realize you can’t help everyone all the time, so take moments to yourself and practice daily self-care while also caring for your physical body by going out for walks, finding engaging hobbies, and eating mindfully. Only when you’re at your best can you provide the best care to your patients.