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Trauma-Informed Therapy

Trauma-Informed Care in New Jersey

Trauma can affect anyone, and its impact is often deeper than what is visible on the surface. Many people in New Jersey have experienced events that leave lasting marks on their mental, emotional, and physical health. These experiences can shape the way people think, feel, and interact with others.

Understanding trauma and its effects is important in the field of mental health and addiction treatment. People might not always recognize the influence of trauma on their lives, but it often plays a role in how they cope, form relationships, and seek help. In recent years, clinics and treatment centers in New Jersey have adopted new methods designed to address trauma more effectively.

One of these methods is trauma-informed care. This approach has become a cornerstone for many organizations that help people recover from substance use, mental health challenges, and other difficulties related to trauma. At Fort Lee Recovery Center in Fort Lee, New Jersey, trauma-informed therapy is a key part of every program that we offer.

What is Trauma?

Trauma is the emotional, psychological, or physical response to deeply distressing or life-threatening experiences that overwhelm a person’s ability to cope. It can result from events such as abuse, neglect, violence, accidents, loss, or prolonged stress, and its effects often linger long after the event has passed. Trauma can disrupt how the brain processes emotions, memory, and stress, leading to symptoms like anxiety, hypervigilance, numbness, or intrusive thoughts.

To escape this ongoing emotional pain, some individuals turn to substances such as drugs or alcohol as a way to self-medicate and temporarily relieve distress. While substances may offer short-term relief, they ultimately intensify trauma symptoms, reinforce avoidance, and increase the risk of dependence, creating a cycle where substance use becomes a primary coping mechanism rather than true healing.

Common Trauma Responses and Triggers

Trauma triggers are anything that reminds someone of a past traumatic event and causes a strong emotional or physical reaction. This can be certain sounds, smells, places, people, emotions, or situations.
When triggered, the brain may react as if the trauma is happening again, even when there is no immediate threat, leading to intense emotional or physical reactions that can be confusing and overwhelming. Common trauma responses include:

  • Fight response: Becoming angry or aggressive
  • Flight response: Trying to escape or avoid the situation
  • Freeze response: Feeling stuck or unable to move or speak
  • Fawn response: Trying to please others or give in to avoid conflict

Common trauma responses are the ways the mind and body react to perceived danger after a traumatic experience. These responses may include hypervigilance, anxiety, irritability, emotional numbness, avoidance, intrusive memories or flashbacks, sleep disturbances, and difficulty concentrating. Some individuals may also experience shame, guilt, or sudden emotional outbursts that feel disproportionate to the present situation. Self-regulation techniques help manage these responses, including grounding techniques, mindfulness practices, and seeking support from others.

Trauma and Addiction: What’s the Connection?

Trauma and addiction are closely linked, as unresolved trauma can lead individuals to use substances to cope with emotional pain or stress. This coping often becomes a cycle, temporarily numbing trauma symptoms but worsening them over time.

Trauma-informed therapy breaks this cycle by prioritizing safety, trust, and empowerment, focusing on “what happened” rather than “what’s wrong.” It helps individuals process trauma, develop healthier coping skills, and regulate emotions, supporting lasting recovery and meaningful healing.
trauma and addiction

What is Trauma-Informed Therapy?

Trauma-informed therapy is a type of counseling that puts the principles of trauma-informed care into practice. In this approach, the therapist considers how past trauma may affect a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behaviors during treatment. The goal is to address the impact of trauma directly, rather than focusing only on symptoms or diagnoses.
According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), trauma-informed therapy is a framework for providing services that recognizes the widespread impact of trauma and understands potential paths for healing. It’s an approach that shifts the focus from “what is wrong with you” to “what happened to you?”
This approach differs from traditional care by making safety, trust, and empowerment central to treatment. Instead of only addressing symptoms, trauma-informed care looks at how trauma may be connected to challenges like anxiety, depression, addiction, or difficulty in relationships. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) reports that about 70% of people experience trauma in their lifetime. This framework emphasizes three principles: recognizing trauma, responding with trauma-sensitive practices, and resisting re-traumatization by fostering supportive environments.
  • Recognition: Identifying the signs and symptoms of trauma in clients, families, and staff.
  • Response: Integrating knowledge about trauma into all aspects of care, including policies and practices.
  • Resistance: Taking steps to prevent re-traumatization and create a safe, supportive environment for healing.
Trauma-informed therapy uses techniques that help clients process difficult experiences while addressing the impact of past trauma on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. Therapists trained in trauma create safe, respectful spaces and emphasize safety, trust, strength-based support, and collaborative goal-setting.
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Why Trauma-Informed Care is Important

There is a strong connection between trauma and substance use disorders. According to recent research from the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), people who have experienced trauma are more likely to develop addiction. Around 75% of people in treatment for substance use disorders report a history of trauma.

Trauma can increase the risk of using substances to cope with difficult memories or feelings. People who receive trauma-informed therapy have better mental health, reduced symptoms of post-traumatic stress, and lower rates of relapse. Benefits of trauma-informed therapy approaches:
  • Addresses root causes: Treats underlying trauma driving substance use
  • Builds coping skills: Develops healthy alternatives to substance use
  • Prevents re-traumatization: Avoids triggering approaches that lead to relapse
  • Promotes whole-person healing: Addresses physical, emotional, and social needs
Research from the past three years shows that trauma-informed care can improve recovery outcomes.

Core Principles of Trauma-Informed Therapy

There are several core principles that guide trauma-informed care. These principles shape environments, policies, and interactions to support people who have experienced trauma. Key characteristics of trauma-informed therapy:
Trauma-informed therapy is guided by core principles that shape environments, policies, and interactions to support people who have experienced trauma. These also create a safe, respectful, and empowering environment for healing.
  • Safety: Feeling safe is foundational, ensuring clients feel physically and emotionally secure during treatment.
  • Trust and transparency: Trust is built through clear communication and consistent boundaries, helping reduce fear and uncertainty.
  • Peer support: Having connection and support reinforces that individuals are not alone in their experiences.
  • Collaboration and mutuality: You’re not alone in your struggles. There’s an emphasis on shared decision-making, giving clients an active voice in their care.
  • Empowerment, voice, and choice: People learn to recognize their own strengths and restore a sense of control that trauma often takes away.
  • Cultural humility and responsiveness: Therapy respects each person’s background, values, and lived experiences. Together, these principles support healing by fostering resilience, self-efficacy, and long-term recovery.

Trauma-Informed Therapy at Fort Lee Recovery Center

Trauma-informed therapy at Fort Lee Recovery Center in Fort Lee, NJ, recognizes that trauma is often at the root of substance use and mental health challenges. Treatment is designed to create a safe, supportive environment where clients feel respected, heard, and empowered throughout their recovery journey.
Our clinicians focus on understanding each individual’s experiences rather than labeling behaviors, helping clients identify how trauma has shaped their coping patterns. Through evidence-based, trauma-informed approaches, clients learn healthy ways to regulate emotions, process painful experiences, and rebuild a sense of control without relying on substances. Addressing trauma alongside addiction results in meaningful healing and long-term recovery.
Several types of therapy are used in addiction treatment to address trauma and substance use together. These therapies help people process difficult experiences and develop new ways to cope without turning to drugs or alcohol.

Overall, CBT provides individuals with the tools they need to overcome addiction, achieve sobriety, and maintain long-term mental and emotional wellness.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a structured form of talk therapy that helps people recognize and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviors linked to trauma. Core components include identifying negative beliefs, learning skills to manage upsetting emotions, and practicing new behaviors in real-life situations.
Recent research shows that trauma-focused CBT can reduce symptoms of both trauma and addiction. At Fort Lee Recovery Center, therapists use trauma-focused CBT as part of individual therapy.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is a therapy that helps people process distressing memories using guided eye movements or other forms of rhythmic stimulation. Research supports EMDR as an effective treatment for trauma and shows that it can also improve outcomes for people with substance use disorders.

Most EMDR treatment plans last between 6 and 12 sessions, with each session lasting about 60 to 90 minutes. Clients often report feeling less distressed about past events and more confident in handling triggers.

How Trauma-Informed Therapy Supports Long–Term Recovery

Trauma-informed interventions are connected to lasting recovery from substance use because they focus on the relationship between past trauma and current behaviors. Many people with substance use disorders have experienced trauma, which can make it difficult to cope with stress, emotions, or memories.
Studies report that people who participate in trauma-informed programs have higher retention in treatment and improved emotional well-being after one year. Ways trauma-informed therapy integrates into recovery:
  • Trauma is addressed throughout the entire recovery process
  • Therapists and support groups revisit trauma-awareness as recovery continues
  • Individuals adjust their coping skills as new challenges arise
  • Treatment plans are updated to reflect changing needs
Research shows that trauma-informed care is linked to lower rates of relapse and better long-term outcomes.

Trauma-Informed Therapy FAQs

Trauma-informed therapy FAQs address common questions about how this approach supports healing from trauma and its effects on mental health and addiction, helping individuals better understand what to expect from care.
Who can benefit from trauma-informed therapy? Anyone who has experienced trauma, including abuse, loss, violence, chronic stress, or addiction, can benefit. It is helpful for individuals with co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders.
Trauma-informed therapy addresses the root causes of distress by recognizing how trauma influences coping behaviors and substance use. Unlike traditional addiction therapy that focuses mainly on stopping substance use, this approach treats both the addiction and the underlying trauma through collaboration and client choice.
No. Clients move at their own pace. Building safety and coping skills often comes before processing traumatic experiences.
Your first session will likely focus on building safety and trust. The therapist will explain their approach, ask about your goals, and may gather some background information. You won’t be pressured to share traumatic details right away, and the pace will be set according to your comfort level.
Yes, trauma-informed care is designed to address multiple issues at once. Many people with trauma history also experience depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions alongside substance use disorders. This approach treats the whole person rather than individual symptoms.
Trauma-informed therapy may be covered by your insurance plan, but coverage varies. Check with your insurance provider and treatment center to confirm benefits, co-pays, and session limits.

Trauma Doesn’t Define You, Healing is Possible

At Fort Lee Recovery Center in Fort Lee, NJ, we understand the profound connection between trauma and addiction. Our trauma-informed care approach creates a foundation of safety, trust, and empowerment that supports lasting recovery.
We offer both in-person and telehealth options through our programs throughout New Jersey. If you or a loved one is struggling with addiction and past trauma, we’re here to help. Contact us today to begin your journey toward healing both your trauma and addiction.

https://www.samhsa.gov/resource/dbhis/tip-57-trauma-informed-care-behavioral-health-services

https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/post-traumatic-stress-disorder-ptsd

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Who can benefit from trauma-informed therapy?
Anyone who has experienced trauma, including abuse, loss, violence, chronic stress, or addiction, can benefit. It is helpful for individuals with co-occurring mental health or substance use disorders.

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