Healing Trauma: The Hirsch Therapy Approach
- Sasha Javadpour
- Mar 31
- 8 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Trauma is a distressing experience that overwhelms a person’s ability to cope, often leaving a lasting emotional, psychological, and physiological impact. It can arise from major events, prolonged stress, or more subtle wounds like neglect, abandonment, abuse, and unresolved emotions, all of which disrupt one’s sense of safety, stability, and self-worth. When left unprocessed, trauma not only affects memory, relationships, and overall well-being but can also lead to persistent struggles with mental and physical health, reinforcing a sense of powerlessness and victimhood.
Our approach, grounded in positive psychology’s post-traumatic growth framework, focuses on empowerment by helping individuals recognize their inner strengths, reframe their experiences, and find purpose beyond their suffering. Through this process, they reclaim agency over their lives, transforming their pain into a catalyst for resilience, meaning, and personal growth.
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Understanding Trauma
The experience of trauma refers to the psychological and physiological responses that arise as a result of a traumatic event's impact on the mind.
Symptoms can include:
Intrusive symptoms – Recurring distressing memories, nightmares, flashbacks, or intense distress triggered by reminders of the trauma.
Avoidance – Efforts to avoid thoughts, feelings, people, places, or situations that remind one of the trauma.
Negative changes in thoughts and mood – Persistent negative beliefs, emotions, detachment from others, and difficulty experiencing positive emotions.
Heightened arousal and reactivity – Irritability, hypervigilance, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, and exaggerated startle responses.
A traumatic event is an incident that causes deep emotional, physical, or psychological distress. This can include accidents, abuse, natural disasters, or violence. People may experience trauma directly (when it happens to them) or indirectly (by witnessing it or learning that it happened to someone close). Trauma can result from a single event (acute trauma) or repeated harmful experiences (complex trauma).
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that is diagnosed by a psychiatrist or clinical psychologist. The condition is diagnosed when a specific set of symptoms lasts for more than a month and causes significant distress or problems in areas like social life, work, or daily functioning. Other potential causes, such as medical conditions or substance use, must also be ruled out before a diagnosis is made.
Trauma treatment follows a standard set of empirically supported interventions, regardless of whether the provider is a psychologist, psychotherapist, or counsellor trained in trauma therapy. A PTSD diagnosis doesn’t change the approach either. Whether a client has the diagnosis or not, the focus remains on addressing and healing from the trauma they’ve experienced. The treatment is centred on understanding and processing their experiences.
At Hirsch Therapy, we understand trauma as a distressing event that shatters an individual’s fundamental beliefs about reality, creating a psychological conflict that the mind struggles to reconcile. Unable to tolerate this internal ambivalence, the mind persistently seeks resolution – often through intrusive memories, rumination, and emotional regression. However, many instinctively avoid this process because it can be deeply uncomfortable. This avoidance may manifest as emotional numbness, reluctance to discuss the event, or engaging in distractions such as substance use, compulsive behaviours, or reckless actions.
We understand the importance of processing trauma and the natural fear that comes with confronting it. Our approach is designed to guide clients through this journey with empathy, patience, and expertise, ensuring they feel supported at every step.
The Post-Traumatic Growth Framework: The Hirsch Therapy Approach
Our approach to trauma in individual therapy focuses on transforming a client’s relationship with their trauma, empowering them rather than allowing it to define them. Trauma can leave individuals feeling powerless, trapped in a cycle of fear, shame, and helplessness that disrupts their sense of control, safety, and self-worth. To help clients break free from this, we create a safe, supportive, and non-judgmental space where they can explore their trauma without fear of re-traumatization, confronting painful memories at their own pace.
Grounded in positive psychology’s post-traumatic growth framework, our therapy fosters empowerment, meaning-making, and personal transformation by challenging the beliefs trauma may have instilled—such as feeling broken or powerless—and reshaping these distorted thoughts into a renewed sense of strength, control, and self-love. Instead of being trapped by their past, clients learn to recognize their inner resilience, develop new perspectives, and discover purpose beyond their suffering. Through guided self-reflection, cognitive restructuring, and values-based action, they reclaim agency over their lives, integrating their experiences into a broader, more meaningful life story - A story where they are no longer victims of trauma but architects of their own growth.
7 Tips On How To Manage Your Trauma
Trauma affects both the mind and body, and without proper management, it can lead to long-term distress and unhealthy coping patterns. Below are key strategies to help you manage trauma effectively, with therapy being the most essential step toward true healing.
Develop Emotional Self-Awareness
Trauma can trigger intense emotional reactions even in neutral situations, as the brain remains on high alert, interpreting certain cues as threats. Triggers that set off a trauma response can come in many forms, including a specific tone of voice, certain images, or familiar characteristics in a person’s profile—such as their appearance, body language, or demeanor. Even seemingly innocent comments, sounds, or smells can provoke fear, anger, or withdrawal. Environments or places that remind someone of past trauma can also trigger intense emotional reactions, even when no immediate threat is present. These cues, whether subtle or overt, can cause the brain to interpret them as signals of danger, leading to a heightened emotional response despite the lack of real danger.
These reactions are automatic, deeply ingrained in past experiences, and not something to be ashamed of. It’s important to understand that reactivity is a natural response to trauma, and part of the healing process is learning to be kinder to yourself when it happens. Developing self-awareness helps you recognize when you’re reacting to a trigger rather than the current moment. Noticing physical signs—like a racing heart, muscle tension, or an urge to shut down—can help you pause and assess whether the situation truly requires a defensive response. Naming the emotion and identifying its source creates space between the trigger and your reaction, allowing you to respond with intention rather than instinct.
Cultivate Physiological Awareness
Trauma is not just psychological; it also manifests in the body. Anxiety, panic, and distress often come with physiological symptoms such as increased heart rate, shallow breathing, muscle tension, and dizziness. If you’re unaware of these bodily sensations, they can fuel your anxiety and make you feel even more out of control.
By practising physiological awareness, you can notice these signs early and intervene before they escalate. Some effective techniques include:
Deep Breathing: Try box breathing (inhale for four seconds, hold for four, exhale for four, and hold for four) to regulate your nervous system.
Progressive Muscle Relaxation: Tense and relax different muscle groups to release stored tension.
Body Scanning: Close your eyes and mentally scan your body from head to toe, noticing where you’re holding stress and consciously relaxing those areas.
By staying mindful of your body's signals, you can prevent panic from taking over and use relaxation techniques to calm yourself.
Create a Safe Space for Yourself
Trauma can leave you feeling unsafe, even in environments that aren’t actually threatening. Creating a safe space, whether physical or psychological, can help ground you and restore a sense of security.
Physical Safe Spaces: This could be a specific room, a cosy corner, or a place in nature where you feel at ease.
Psychological Safe Spaces: A comforting thought, a mantra, or a cherished memory can serve as an emotional anchor. For example, repeating to yourself, "I am safe right now," or imagining a loved one’s reassuring presence can help calm your nervous system.
Setting a clear time frame, whether 10 minutes, an hour, or an evening, helps ensure that your safe space remains a tool for recovery rather than avoidance. Once that time is up, take a small step forward: step outside or talk to someone - reconnect with the world. Healing happens through engagement. Your safe space should be a stepping stone, not a permanent retreat.
Practice Grounding Techniques
Grounding techniques help bring you back to the present moment when distressing thoughts or memories pull you into the past. Trauma often triggers dissociation, where you feel detached from reality or overwhelming anxiety about what happened. Grounding exercises help reorient you.
Some effective grounding techniques include:
The 5-4-3-2-1 Method: Identify 5 things you can see, 4 things you can touch, 3 things you can hear, 2 things you can smell, and 1 thing you can taste.
Holding an Object: Carry a smooth stone, a stress ball, or a piece of fabric with a distinct texture to focus your senses.
Splashing Cold Water on Your Face: This activates the body's dive reflex and can help bring you out of panic mode.
Regularly practising grounding techniques can help you feel more in control when trauma-related distress arises.
Be Mindful of Harmful Coping Mechanisms
How you cope with trauma matters. While avoidance, aggression, or self-destructive behaviours might feel like a temporary relief, they often lead to deeper distress.
Ask yourself:
Do I take my pain out on loved ones? (e.g., snapping at people, withdrawing from relationships)
Am I avoiding my trauma? (e.g., refusing to think about it, staying excessively busy to distract myself)
Am I engaging in harmful behaviours? (e.g., excessive drinking, self-harm, reckless activities)
Connect with Loved Ones
Trauma often creates a sense of isolation, making it feel as though no one understands your pain. While others may not fully grasp your experience, that doesn’t mean you have to go through it alone. Connection is a powerful antidote to trauma’s isolating effects.
You don’t have to explain everything to the people in your life. Sometimes, knowing someone is there just to sit with you, listen, or offer comfort can make a real difference. A supportive friend, partner, or family member can remind you that you are not alone and that there are people who care about your well-being.
If you struggle to open up, start small: send a text, go for a walk with a friend, or call someone just to talk about everyday things. These small moments of connection can help rebuild trust and safety.
Seek Professional Therapy: The Most Effective Step Toward Healing
While self-help strategies can be beneficial, they are not a substitute for professional therapy. Trauma is complex, and trying to process it alone can sometimes worsen symptoms or lead to re-traumatization.
A trained therapist provides:
A Safe and Structured Space – You won’t have to navigate painful emotions alone. Therapy provides a controlled environment where you can process trauma at your own pace.
Expert Guidance – Therapists understand how trauma impacts the brain and body, helping you work through it without becoming overwhelmed.
Tools for Long-Term Healing – Therapy helps you develop the inner skills needed to truly move forward.
In conclusion
Trauma is a deeply personal and complex experience that affects not only the mind but also the body and spirit. At Hirsch Therapy, we understand the immense challenge trauma presents and the courage it takes to begin the healing journey. Through our compassionate, trauma-informed approach, we help individuals rebuild their sense of self, confront painful memories at their own pace, and ultimately transform their relationship with their past. Our work integrates proven therapeutic techniques with deep empathy and respect for the healing process, guiding you towards a place of empowerment, inner peace, and emotional freedom.
If you’re ready to begin your healing journey or simply want to explore how therapy can support you, we invite you to take the first step today. Book a free 15-minute consultation to learn more about how we can support you in navigating your trauma and moving forward with confidence.
Feel free to contact us anytime. We are always happy to support your mental well-being in any way that we can!
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