A sense of personal rapport and connection with a therapist is often one of the best indicators of success for a client during and after treatment, and that rapport and connection is often grounded in the degree of empathy that a therapist is able to show to his or her client.

This is the case in the treatment of most mental-health problems, but it can be especially relevant for those individuals who have experienced any type of personal trauma and are seeking treatment.

“Empathy, understanding, and establishing rapport are all very important,” said Alison Seltzer, a Licensed Professional Counselor who specializes in the treatment of trauma as the director at InnerPeaceCounseling in Altoona. “Those are probably the most important things that you need to do when you first meet a client.”

Seltzer prefers a treatment approach that doesn’t involve having the client directly re-experiencing a traumatic event or events that have occurred in their lives.

Unlike some other clinicians who treat trauma, Seltzer is a proponent of a therapeutic approach that is known as the Internal Family Systems mode of therapy, which often de-emphasizes the direct experience of re-living a disturbing event(s) and instead focuses on approaching the personality as being made up of different parts that are healthy and whole, along with other parts that are broken and wounded.

“I’m not a pushy counselor,” Seltzer said. “If (facing trauma directly is something that a client wants), we’ll do it, but I do not push (exploring) anything that a person doesn’t want to deal with.

“If they’re not ready to do that, then they’re not ready,” Seltzer added. “I try to meet the client where they’re at, and I believe that IFS is the most gentle therapy that I know about. I certainly don’t want to hurt anybody by using a pathologizing type of therapy.”

Scott Eilers, a clinical psychologist in Cedar Rapids, Iowa who specializes in the treatment of individuals who have suffered traumatic experiences and have developed post-traumatic stress disorder, posted on his website that since trauma affects the entire body and mind, confronting and processing trauma is best done with an extreme amount of caution and under adequate professional supervision.

“There is a time and place for this,” Eilers said. “I’m not suggesting that you should keep those experiences locked in a (mental) box for the rest of your life, but if you’re going to open that box you’ve got to know how to close that box again.

“Opening that box is going to unleash memories and physical reactions that are going to run your life for a while, and there are a large number of times that I have seen people decompensate both physically and mentally after facing their trauma,” Eilers said. “(Successful treatment of trauma) is usually going to involve some really strong trauma therapy that is done by a qualified trauma therapist.”

Seltzer has been practicing trauma therapy for 15 years, and has seen gratifying improvements in the people who she has treated.

“My experience has been that most patients get better,” Seltzer said. “I guess that’s why I continue to be in business.

“To reduce trauma symptoms for somebody who has experienced trauma is (the main goal of therapy),” Seltzer added. “I’ve had repeat customers who used to come to me for treatment when they were younger and who now come to me as college students or adults because they know that (the treatment) works.”

According to information found on the Better Health website, there are a number of strategies that can help a person cope with and resolve traumatic reactions:

1. It is important for a person to recognize that they have been through a distressing or frightening experience, and that they will have a reaction to that experience.

2. A person may not feel a sense of normal equilibrium for a time upon experiencing a traumatic event, but it’s important for the person to recognize that those feelings will eventually pass.

3. It is important for an affected person to remind themselves that they are managing as best as they can, and to be patient with themselves during setbacks.

4. People who have experienced trauma should not use alcohol or drugs as a means to cope, and they should avoid making major life decisions or changes until they feel better.

5. Gradually confronting what has happened, and talking about it with somebody who is supportive and understanding, is important, as is getting adequate rest, nutrition, exercise, and relaxation and recreation through activities that one enjoys.

6. Journaling about the experiences and the emotions that those experiences created can also be helpful.

Eilers also said that practicing mindfulness — mentally staying in the present moment as much as possible — and avoiding triggers such as people, places or experiences that cause memories of the traumatic event(s) to resurface — is also crucial.

“Let the wound heal,” Eilers said.

Staff writer John Hartsock can be reached at jhartsock@altoonamirror.com