Beach Therapy & Consulting has been designed with you, the client, in mind by offering a smaller, more intimate and focused practice that can deliver a less stressful experience to our clients. We want to inspire a sense of peace and an environment in which growth and change can occur. We offer psychotherapy that is professional, personalized, and focused on the patient. As a smaller private practice, we can spend more time tailoring our services to your individual needs. Our skilled clinical assistants are available to walk each client through the intake process to match you with the most appropriate clinician.  We provide evidenced based treatments that are trauma informed. 

Evidence-based practices use research and science to gather evidence to support how effective a treatment is in therapy. In order for a treatment to become evidence-based, several research teams will study the treatment multiple times in different settings. These studies usually involve “randomized control trials” where participants are randomly placed in one group that receives the treatment (i.e. the “treatment group”) or in a second group that receives no treatment or placed on a wait-list (i.e. “treatment as usual”). Researchers will use the same treatment manual in the studies to make sure everyone in the “treatment group” is receiving the same treatment. Then the two groups are compared. If the results show there is a significant difference in improvement in the “treatment group”, and several research teams get similar results, then the treatment is “evidence-based.” 

Evidence-based practices answer the question of “does therapy actually work?” if the therapist utilizes the appropriate practice to treat the symptoms that brought an individual to therapy in the first place. This is important because patients and therapists who utilize evidence-based practices may expedite the process of healing in therapy. We understand the importance of using evidence-based practices and incorporate them in treatment to be effective treatment providers. Evidence-based practices we use include Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT), Radically Open Dialectical Behavior Therapy (RO-DBT), Exposure and Response Prevention for OCD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE).

Most individuals seeking mental and behavioral health services have been exposed to some kind of trauma, whether it be developmental trauma due to adverse childhood experiences (ACEs), neglect, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse to the self or another person, or community violence. Everyone will respond differently to trauma, and these individualistic responses can manifest as either adaptive or maladaptive coping mechanisms (van der Kolk, 2015). For instance, after a car crash an individual may not meet full criteria for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) but display similar behaviors that impact activities of daily living (ADLs) and quality of life (QOL). Such behaviors may develop into other disorders affected by “attachment systems, biology, affect regulation, dissociation, behavioral control, cognition, and self-concept” (Bath, 2008, p. 18).

These individuals may seek help and healing in various treatment settings such as doctor offices, day treatment schools, and resident, outpatient, and inpatient mental health settings. In the past, treatment provided by staff members, doctors, or nurses would involve seclusion, restraint, invasive procedures, or asking invasive questions. Despite following facility protocol, these procedures would, in reality, be counter-therapeutic and counter-productive to healing due to lack of awareness of potentially retraumatizing behaviors and/or environments (Muskett, 2013).

In the last 20 years, treatment providers have begun to incorporate trauma-informed care in their practice. This has occurred in doctor offices, such as by changing the way doctors view patient responses (i.e. flinching during routine shots and vaccines) during medical exams (Tello, 2018). Changing staff perception of patient responses has also occurred in inpatient mental health settings (Muskett, 2013), residential treatment facilities, group homes, and even day treatment schools (Wilcox, 2012). Trauma-informed care involves educating staff and facilities on how trauma manifests as individualistic behavioral patterns (van der Kolk, 2015) and how trauma impacts childhood development (Bath, 2008). Trauma-informed care also involves creating an environment that promotes safety, relationships, and emotional regulation (Bath 2008; Wilson, Pence, & Conradi, 2013) to promote a holistic understanding of patients (Tellow, 2018; Wilcox 2012; Withers 2017).

Trauma-informed care is systemic and dependent on health-care providers, facilities, institutions, and communities (Wilson, Pence, & Conradi, 2013) to provide best treatment practices for individuals affected by trauma. Other countries, such as Australia, value including trauma-informed care in their practices as well (Muskett, 2013).

We at Beach Therapy and Consulting understand what is necessary to engage in trauma-informed care. We include evidence-based and best practices to treat individuals affected by acute and complex (developmental) trauma. We value our relationships to promote patient safety, self-worth, and empowerment to instill hope, resilience, and, ultimately, healing during treatment recovery.

To learn more about trauma-informed care, check out comprehensive resources like The Trauma Informed Care Project founded by a social worker in Iowa and SAMHSA-HRSA Center for Integrated Health Solutions. 

 

References: 

Bath, H. (2008). The three pillars of trauma-informed care. Reclaiming Children and Youth, 17(3), 17-21. Retrieved from: https://s3-us-west-2.amazonaws.com/cxl/backup/prod/cxl/gklugiewicz/media/507188fa-30b7-8fd4-aa5f-ca6bb629a442.pdf

Muskett, C. (2013). Trauma-informed care in inpatient mental health settings: A review of the literature. International Journal of Mental Health Nursing, 1-9. doi: 10.1111/inm.12012

Tello, M. (2018). Trauma-informed care: What it is, and why it’s important. Blog post retrieved from https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trauma-informed-care-what-it-is-and-why-its-important-2018101613562

van der Kolk, B. (2015). The body keeps the score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma. New York, NY: Penguin Books.

Wilcox. P. D. (2012). Trauma informed treatment: The restorative approach. Amherst, MA: Off The Common Books.

Wilson, C., Pence, D. M., & Conradi, L. (2013). Trauma-informed care. Encyclopedia of Social Work. doi: 10.1093/acrefore/9780199975839.013.1063

 Withers, M. (2017). Trauma-informed care and why it matters. Psychology Today. Retrieved from: https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/modern-day-slavery/201707/trauma-informed-care-and-why-it-matters