Psychiatric Times.

Trauma and PTSD: What's Your Take?

September 20, 2011

When counseling trauma victims and patients with PTSD, do you ask them to retell the trauma or do you think this prolongs it?

We have received several comments on our various social media pages (Twitter, Facebook, etc) in answer to this question. Here are a couple:

-It depends on the situation, I follow my patient's lead and my own instinct about what they feel is needed to help them heal. Sometimes it is essential that someone knows what they have been through in all the terrible detail.

-Sometimes people gain awareness through retelling their traumatic experiences and learn something they previously didn't know which also helps them to move on. If you follow their lead and be patient-centered, they won't feel so compelled to tell their story and it will naturally come out when they are ready.

This is a complex question and the answers are as varied as trauma scenarios—still, would like to know your initial thoughts. We invite you to comment below and Join the Conversation.

by YVONNE ENTICO | September 29, 2011 9:08 AM EDT

- In my experience, I also follow their lead. When there is a need for them to talk about their traumatic experiences I would let them do so. However, for those who are not yet ready to re-tell their stories I wait for them to initiate the telling of their traumatic experiences, although, I do inform them initially that it would be beneficial for them to talk about their experiences, but only whenever they are ready.

by Jacqui Freeman | September 20, 2011 4:27 PM EDT

I think the most important element of trauma counselling is to facilitate that person to re-tell, re-live and release their painful memories. This process can take time and should not be forced. The person with PTSD needs to feel able to trust the counsellor, and believe they can handle the horrors that haunt them. If the person can not articulate verbally, writing can help people process and come to terms with their trauma. Writing can be private or used to communicate the unspeakable. In my experience few people can successfully 'seal over' a trauma and never speak of it. People who recover from PTSD tend to have accepted, adjusted and integrated traumatic events.

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