Psychotherapy and trauma

Abstract

The literature on psychological therapies for trauma survivors is extensive in clinical descriptions but scant on scientific data. There is, nevertheless, consensus that a focus on retrieving traumatic memories and ameliorating associated anxieties forms the centrepiece of treatment for post-traumatic stress disorders. A number of therapists caution, however, against the uncontrolled use of exposure to traumatic memories especially in survivors of complex trauma, such as combat, torture, and sexual abuse, where associated issues of guilt, shame and related existential conflicts need to be addressed.