Trauma Counseling Murray UT

I remember a client, a teacher from right here in Murray, who told me her life felt like a movie she’d already seen. She knew all the scary parts were coming, but she couldn’t stop them. That feeling of being stuck in a loop, of your body bracing for impact even when your mind knows you’re safe, is something so many people I work with understand. They feel trapped by their past, and it’s exhausting.

If that sounds familiar, I want to share a few things that might offer some hope. Forget what you’ve seen in movies. Real trauma counseling isn’t about endlessly talking about the worst day of your life. It’s about finding freedom. Here are five life changing truths about how counseling can help you find that freedom right here in Murray.

Truth #1: Healing Isn’t About Forgetting, It’s About Reclaiming Your Story

So many people think the goal of trauma counseling is to make you forget what happened. That couldn’t be further from the truth. We can’t erase the past. But we can change the hold it has on you. Think of it less like deleting a memory and more like taking away its power. Right now, the memory might be in the driver’s seat. Our goal is to put you back in control. We do this with approaches like parts work, where we get to know the different internal reactions you have. That part of you that’s always on high alert? It’s not your enemy, its trying to protect you. By understanding it, we can help it relax. Psychotherapy helps you learn to cope with symptoms and gives you a fresh perspective. This is how you begin to process past events, reduce that constant feeling of being on edge, and build real self-regulation. It’s about building empowerment in your own life story.

Truth #2: Your ‘Weird’ Reactions Are Actually Survival Skills

Do you ever overreact to a small thing and then get mad at yourself for it? Or maybe you just shut down completely when things get stressful. It’s easy to feel like there’s something wrong with you. But what if I told you those reactions are actually signs of your body’s incredible ability to survive? You’ve probably heard of “fight or flight.” But trauma responses are more complex. As described in articles from Psychology Today, these can also include freezing (feeling paralyzed) or even fawning (trying to please everyone to avoid conflict). These aren’t character flaws. They are automatic survival skills your nervous system learned to keep you safe during an overwhelming experience. Our work together in counseling isn’t about judging these responses, its about understanding them. We can then gently teach your body that the danger has passed and it doesn’t need to stay on such high alert.

Truth #3: The Best Trauma Counseling Isn’t One-Size-Fits-All

People often ask, “What’s the best kind of counseling for trauma?” The honest answer is: the one that works for you. Your experiences are unique, so your healing path should be too. That’s why I use an integrative approach. For some people, EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is incredibly effective. It uses bilateral stimulation, like eye movements, to help your brain process and file away traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge. For others, a somatic (or body-based) approach is a better fit. Here, we focus on the physical sensations tied to the trauma, helping release that stored tension without needing to talk extensively about the event itself. Some of the most profound healing, according to research from institutions like the National Institutes of Health, comes from these tailored approaches. It’s all about finding the right key to unlock your specific path to feeling better.

Truth #4: You Don’t Have to Relive Everything to Heal

A huge fear that keeps people from trying counseling is the idea that they’ll have to sit in a room and describe their trauma in excruciating detail, over and over again. That sounds awful, and luckily, it’s not how modern, effective trauma counseling works. While talking can be a part of healing for some, it’s not the whole story. Advanced methods like EMDR and somatic counseling allow us to work with the non-verbal parts of the brain where trauma is often stored. Think about it, trauma is more than a story; it’s a felt sense in your body. The Mayo Clinic explains these physical reactions can include a fast heartbeat, sweating, or shaking. Somatic counseling helps you tune into these physical sensations in a safe space, allowing the trapped survival energy to finally resolve and release itself. This approach respects your boundaries and allows healing to happen at a pace that feels completely manageable for you.

Truth #5: Feeling Safe is the Most Important Part of Counseling

What does a trauma counselor actually do? My most important job is to create a space where you feel completely and utterly safe. That’s it. Healing can’t happen if your nervous system is on high alert. This is why our sessions are always at your pace. You are in control. I’m not here to push you or to dig up things you’re not ready for. I’m here to be a guide and a partner. Together, we listen to what your system needs to feel secure. Sometimes that means talking, sometimes it means quiet mindfulness, and sometimes it means learning grounding techniques you can use the minute you leave my Murray office. A counselor is a supportive partner who helps you navigate your own healing journey. The entire purpose of our work is to build that sense of safety inside of you, so you can carry it into your daily life and feel more empowered and in control.

If these truths speak to you, please know you are not alone and that feeling better is possible. Taking that first step is often the hardest part, but it’s a brave and powerful move towards healing. If you’re ready to start your journey, I invite you to contact us for a confidential consultation.