Trauma & PTSD Therapy in Montclair, NJ

LeoNitas Counseling in Montclair, NJ, offers expert care and support to individuals on their healing journey from trauma, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). Our approach is centered around empowerment, mindfulness, and whole-person health. Therapist Leo Sifflet, LPC believes deeply in every person’s potential for growth and has built his practice around it.

Of all the mental health challenges we may face in life, the effects of trauma can be one of the most baffling. The way it can take up residence in the physical body, how we can find ourselves triggered over totally unrelated occurrences, and other mysteries might make trauma feel untreatable. Trauma’s knack for hiding when inquired after, but expressing itself explosively at other times may make us feel like we’re playing a carnival game of Whac-a-Mole.

Even more baffling perhaps is the reality that it can continue to affect our lives and relationships long after its cause stops inhabiting the conscious mind. This paradox throws us off the scent, because how could we be experiencing trauma or PTSD if we no longer even think about the traumatic event? For this reason, many trauma sufferers are unaware of what they’re facing or that there is a healing path for them.

But it is something we can heal. It’s true the experience will always be with us, but there is profound potential to alleviate the effects of trauma in our lives and relationships and even empower ourselves through the experience. LeoNita’s Counseling offers effective therapy for trauma and PTSD to clients in and around Montclair, NJ.

Trauma and PTSD: An Overview

Trauma and PTSD are defined differently. Let us begin with a basic understanding of each.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is a deeply distressing or disturbing experience that can significantly affect your mental, physical, and emotional well-being. Trauma also describes what you may feel in the moment and deal with for the days or weeks after the event. Experiences vary from person to person, but some very important things to know are:

• Trauma can originate from events in childhood or something that happened yesterday, or anytime in between.
• It can result from prolonged distress such as war, neglect, or abuse, as well as from a one-time event like a violent crime, sexual assault, car accident, or natural disaster.
• Trauma may continue to affect a person long after they’ve stopped thinking about the event that caused it.
• There is no definitive threshold for experiencing trauma, and different individuals may respond differently to the same situation. It’s not uncommon for one person to be traumatized by an event that someone else might perceive as minor or insignificant.
• Everyone has a right to acknowledge and validate their feelings of trauma, without the need for comparison or qualification.
• You do not need to have PTSD or meet the criteria for diagnosis to seek help healing from trauma. 

What is PTSD?

PTSD, or post-traumatic stress disorder, is a mental health condition brought on by trauma. There are many possible symptoms of PTSD, but some common ones are as follows:

• Flashbacks
• Severe anxiety
• Intrusive or disruptive thoughts about the traumatic event
• Nightmares
• Triggering in response to things that remind you of the event
• Avoidance of anything that may remind you of the event
• Hopelessness
• Memory problems
• Detachment or disinterest 

PTSD doesn’t develop in everyone subjected to a traumatic event. Many people will experience stress reactions after traumatic events, but these often normalize with time. However, about 1 in 3 people’s reactions persist, evolve into PTSD, and interfere with their day-to-day lives. If left untreated, PTSD can lead to an immense variety of conditions, including but not limited to:

• Depression
• Anxiety
• Suicidality
• Anger problems
• Permanent brain damage
• Inflammation conditions such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• Social isolation
• Substance abuse

But most PTSD sufferers do not have to experience these long term effects. It is a very treatable condition, and there are many treatment options.

LeoNitas’ Approach to Trauma and PTSD Therapy

At LeoNitas Counseling, we take a personalized and integrated approach to PTSD and trauma therapy. Leo’s focus lies in helping clients access their strength, wisdom, and voice. We blend various therapeutic methods, which might include traditional talk therapy, mindfulness practices, body-focused routines, relaxation techniques, and even physical activities.

Our therapy philosophy champions empowerment. Together, we will work to bring you through the experience of trauma or PTSD and out of it, to a place of strength and trust in the goodness of life. We have seen our clients make remarkable progress, turning a once disruptive force in their lives into a source of personal power.

How Trauma and PTSD Therapy Benefits You

Embracing therapeutic interventions can be transformative and lead to better psychological health. Emotional recovery and resilience building, along with other methods such as mindfulness movement or medication, can help you begin to shape a life where you feel safe and confident. Some benefits of seeking healing are:

• Overcoming PTSD symptoms: Therapy can equip you with coping strategies to override disruptive triggers and decrease PTSD symptoms, leading to healthier responses towards distress and a more peaceful life overall.
• Emotional recovery from trauma: The process of therapeutic healing can foster emotional recovery, allowing you to face and integrate traumatic experiences into your life narrative, empowering a healthier outlook.
• Resilience after trauma: Trauma is never a choice, but growth is entirely at your command. Through therapy, you can cultivate resilience to face life adversities, ensuring trauma doesn’t keep you from living a fulfilling life.

Healing PTSD and Trauma

Every single healing path is unique because every person is unique. As you begin the work of healing, you will find modalities that work well for you and others that don’t. The most complete healing is usually accomplished through a combination of independent and supported methods. So, let’s take a look at some of both types, perhaps even some you can try today.

Helping Yourself

Nearly every trusted source on the topic will encourage you to seek professional support, us included. But you can do so much for yourself by taking your efforts beyond the therapist’s office to include practices like the following:

• Learn about trauma and PTSD: Knowledge is empowering. Understanding what you’re dealing with and how it may be affecting you can give you an incredible sense of agency. Among other benefits, your knowledge equips you to navigate conversations with healthcare professionals, advocate for your mental health needs, and avoid any myths or misconceptions.
• Self-care practices: Self-care can significantly influence your healing process. This concept implies actively taking care of your physical, emotional, and spiritual needs. It can include: regular exercise, ample sleep, balanced nutrition, and mindfulness practices.
• Create a list of helpful activities: When you find yourself triggered or in a negative headspace, which bag of coping mechanisms will you reach into? If you have a bag of healthy tools, you can take care of now-you and later-you at the same time. Create a list of good-for-you activities that provide joy, relaxation, or even distraction to get you through distressing moments.
• Join a support group: Connecting with others who share similar experiences can help you feel less isolated, provide comfort, and be a source of advice or tips. You can find local or online support groups for people dealing with trauma and PTSD.

Your journey of healing won’t always unravel in a linear fashion—it can ebb and flow. The important thing is to endure, iterate, and keep moving forward. All the while, remember that help is available, and you’re not alone.

Supported Therapeutic Methods

Healing trauma, PTSD, or CPTSD will likely involve more than just taking a walk or doing a guided meditation. Your work outside of therapy is important, but a variety of supported therapeutic methods can help you recover much faster and more completely than those self-help strategies alone. At LeoNitas Counseling, we incorporate various science-backed methods coupled with compassionate care to guide our clients through their healing process.

• Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): CBT is a well-adopted strategy for individuals coping with PTSD. We apply CBT to help you distinguish the relationship between trauma-induced thoughts and distressing emotions, enabling you to cultivate healthier thought patterns and emotional reactions.
• Rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT): A subset of cognitive behavioral therapy, REBT encourages individuals to challenge and reframe their fearful beliefs. LeoNitas Counseling applies REBT to assist in breaking the patterns of negativity and irrationality often associated with trauma and PTSD.
• Logotherapy: Logotherapy, founded by psychiatrist and Holocaust survivor Viktor Frankl, helps individuals discover meaning in life in three different ways: through creation or service, through love, and by choosing an attitude of finding meaning even in suffering. When treating PTSD and trauma, Logotherapy can lend a perspective that empowers you to attach constructive meanings to your experiences, fostering personal growth and resilience.

Embrace Healing Today: Get Started with Us

Your path to overcoming traumatic experiences with PTSD therapy in Montclair, NJ, can begin today. If you are ready, we are here for you. Contact us to schedule an appointment or find out more about how our trauma and PTSD therapy services can support your healing journey.

Remember, resilience is never about bouncing back to who you were before the trauma. Instead, it’s about incorporating the experience into your life story and moving forward with increased strength and understanding. At LeoNitas Counseling, we are committed to helping you find your personal power and lead a life fueled by hope and healing.