Any event that results in a reaction where someone fears that their safety is compromised, prompts a stress or trauma reaction. Following any accident, some level of trauma is experienced by the individual involved in the accident. In some individuals, this reaction is quickly resolved but for others, the response may be more long term. A stress response is based on the individual; but everyone’s resilience is different. The individual’s sense of safety can be compromised and a sense of powerlessness ensues. Common symptoms of a stress response include but are not limited to: sleep disturbance, flash backs, negative thought processes, and anxiety.
This is where psychotherapy can help. The psychotherapist validates these feelings but reinforces the individual’s strengths and helps restore beliefs and self values within the new normal. Often a referral is made to psychotherapy because the individual is struggling with emotional adjustment aspect of their rehabilitation and is looking for practical strategies in order to move forward and return to normal living.
What to Expect
At Swanson & Associates, our psychotherapists utilize a holistic approach to assessment, incorporating an analysis of the individual situation with knowledge of the medical or psychosocial condition. Standardized and functional assessment is used to evaluate the client’s current psychosocial status and coping in order to develop individualized treatment goals and plans. Our psychotherapists utilize a practical approach, facilitating clients to use and further develop their own skills and resources to improve their quality of life and reach their personal goals. The psychotherapist works very closely with the multidisciplinary team, and as such the social work goal can be major part of rehabilitation or a single but crucial step in the total rehabilitation plan. Therapy can be provided in clinic or at home. At times, loved ones of accident victims who were not directly involved in the event, also suffer a stress reaction. In such cases, other family members may require individual or family therapy from the psychotherapist.
Areas of Expertise
- Psychotherapy
- PTSD
- Trauma
- Anxiety
- Survivor guilt
- Complicated grief
- Emotional adjustment and regulation
- Grief and loss
- Stress management
- Interpersonal relationships
- Adjustment to injury including TBI, spinal cord, amputation,
- Depression
- Social adaptation
- Psychosocial Assessment and Family Assessment
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Dialectical Behavioural Therapy
- Individual, couples, and family counselling
- Grief counselling
- Strength based therapy
- Post accident adaptation counselling
- Anger management