What Kind of Therapist Do I Need for Trauma? A Simple Guide

Written by Saveen Sundrani, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Saveen Sundrani is the founder of Rise Mental Health and a trauma-focused therapist with over a decade of experience helping individuals navigate the last effects of complex trauma and mental health challenges.

---

You’ve been through some stuff in life, some heavy stuff. But life is, well, going on. You’re functioning. You can manage day-to-day tasks. From the outside, things look “fine.” One day, you’re having lunch with a friend, and she mentions that she had her weekly therapy session yesterday. She goes on to share some things she has been working on with her therapist, and that she is starting to notice a shift in her thoughts and mood.

“What feels different?” you ask. She says she feels lighter, more present, and happier. Your curiosity spikes, so you ask her what she is going to therapy for. And she says the “T” word. “I’m doing trauma therapy.” You start thinking, I’ve been through a lot of heavy stuff in my life, too, but what kind of therapist do I need for trauma?

What is trauma?

Let’s start by briefly looking at what trauma is. I like to break down “trauma” into two main categories:

1. Acute trauma (one-time events)

These are experiences that happen at a specific moment in time but leave a lasting impact. This can include:

• An assault/attack

• An accident

• Watching a family member pass away (grief-related trauma)

• A distressing medical experience or hospital encounter

• A natural disaster

• A frightening or life-threatening event

• A single incident of bullying or emotional harm

Even though these may be one-time occurrences, the mind and body can feel the impact long after.

2. Chronic trauma (ongoing or repeated)

This type of trauma builds over time, often in relationships or environments where you felt hurt or unsafe. This can include:

• Growing up in a home with constant conflict

• Emotional neglect (invalidation, feeling unheard/unseen)

• Repeated criticism by your parent or partner

• Experiencing racism or discrimination

• Long-term relationship stress

• Pressure to be perfect

This kind of trauma can be hard to recognize, as it may be normalized or justified by others. No matter the “type” of trauma, it is important to know how it shows up for you.

For some, trauma shows up in their body, such as restlessness, being easily overwhelmed, or feeling disconnected from themselves. For others, it shows up in their core beliefs, such as not believing they are good enough or not being able to fully trust others.

Since trauma can show up in different ways for different people, having the right type of support in your healing journey matters.

Why finding the “right” therapist for trauma matters

Specialization

Finding the right therapist to address trauma is no different than finding the right medical specialist for a knee issue.

If you were dealing with knee pain that required surgery, you would look for an orthopedic surgeon who specializes in knee replacements. That doesn’t mean a general physician lacks skill or knowledge, it simply means that the specialist has more training and experience in a specific area of treatment.

The same applies to trauma therapy. Not all therapists are trained in trauma treatment approaches. And trauma isn’t something you can just “talk through” in a traditional way. It lives in:

• The nervous system

• The body

• Core beliefs about yourself, others, and the world

For this reason, working with trauma requires special training and experience and has to be handled with the utmost care.

Risk of re-traumatization

I’ve mentioned the word “trauma” several times, but behind that word is someone’s story. A story of pain, loss, heartache, fear, and not feeling worthy. These are real stories that real people are living every day.

So, when someone chooses to share their story, it must be met with care, tenderness, and deep attunement. If trauma is mishandled, no matter how sincere the intentions may be, there is a real risk of re-traumatization. This can look like:

• Emotional overwhelm

• Crying spells

• Panic/anxiety

• Flashbacks

• Nightmares

• Suicidal thoughts

That’s why emotional safety is non-negotiable. Trauma therapy is not “just a conversation.” It requires the therapist to:

• Stay grounded and emotionally regulated

• Continuously track the client’s emotional state

• Know when to pause

• Know what to do during those pauses

• Understand how to work with parts that are fearful

• Help clients build internal resources before going deeper

• Support the nervous system, not overwhelm it

Empathy and compassion matter deeply, but are not enough on their own for trauma therapy. Trauma healing requires skill, structure, and safety at every step.

4 types of trauma therapists

So, you are probably wondering, "What kind of therapist do I need for trauma?" To make this a little easier, here is a simple guide to help you determine what type of trauma therapist may be the best fit for you and your unique story.

1. EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

What is EMDR therapy? A trauma therapy that helps you reprocess distressing memories so they feel less intense and no longer trigger the same emotional reactions. An EMDR therapist might be a good fit for you if you:

• Feel stuck on specific memories

• Think, “I know it's in the past, but it still feels like it's happening.”

• Get easily triggered by reminders of certain events

• Want to reduce the emotional charge of past events

To learn more about EMDR therapy, visit What is EMDR?

2. IFS (Internal Family Systems)

What is IFS therapy? Despite the word “family,” IFS is not family therapy.

It is a therapy that helps you understand and heal different “parts” of yourself, such as the anxious part, the people-pleasing part, or the critical part. Each part is met with compassion and curiosity rather than shame and blame.

An IFS therapist may be a good fit for you if you:

• Struggle with conflicting parts (e.g., a part of me wants to set boundaries with my family, but another part feels very guilty)

• Are very self-critical or hard on yourself

• Experienced severe trauma in your life that you often dissociate from

To learn more about IFS therapy, watch a video here: What is Internal Family Systems.

3. Trauma-focused CBT

What is trauma-focused CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy)? A structured approach that helps you identify and change unhelpful thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to emotional distress.

A TF-CBT therapist may be a good fit for you if you:

• Struggle with overthinking, anxiety, or negative thought patterns

• Appreciate practical tools and structure

• Feel stuck in loops of “I’m not good enough” or “Something bad will happen”

• Want to understand your core beliefs stemming from past traumatic experiences

To learn more about TF-CBT, visit: A Guide to TF-CBT.

4. Somatic + DBT (Supportive approaches)

Somatic therapy and DBT (Dialectical Behavioral Therapy) are approaches that are most helpful when therapists integrate them into trauma therapy, rather than being utilized on their own. As mentioned before, safety is essential in trauma therapy. Somatic work helps you feel more grounded in your body, especially if you tend to feel overwhelmed or disconnected. DBT skills then give you the tools you need to manage strong emotions.

Together, they help create a sense of stability and emotional safety as you navigate the healing process. Remember, this list is not all-inclusive, and you don’t have to choose the “perfect” therapy approach. What matters most is finding a therapist who:

1. Creates emotional safety

2. Understands your story

3. Has training and experience in working with trauma

4. Will help you see positive change

Questions to ask when choosing a trauma therapist

Now that you have a better understanding of what kind of therapist you need for trauma, I want to empower you to ask questions during initial consultations with therapists that you may be considering.

This is your space. Your healing journey. You are allowed to be selective. Finding the right therapist is not just about credentials, it is about your unique story and goals for therapy.

Here are some helpful questions you can ask during a consultation:

• Do you specialize in trauma, or is it one of the areas you work with?

• Which therapy approach (or modality) do you use?

• How comfortable are you working with someone like me (e.g., a single mom with a busy schedule, a South Asian male navigating cultural expectation, etc.)?

• How might your approach benefit me?

• What might look different in my life as I’m healing from past trauma?

• What happens if I feel triggered during a session, or in between sessions?

• What should I expect in the first few sessions?

The goal is to get a sense of whether this feels like a good fit. Therapy is an investment. An investment of your time, your energy, your vulnerability, and yes, your money too. So give yourself permission to take your time and find the right therapist.

What next?

If something inside of you is craving more:

• Lightness

• Openness

• Happiness

• Healthy relationships

Then it is time to take the first step toward it. You don’t have to be falling apart to deserve trauma therapy. You don’t need a diagnosis or to justify your pain. You just need someone who is going to help you move through the pain and eventually out of it.

Finding the right therapist can be the difference between “coping with it” and “healing from it.” And you deserve true healing.

If something in this article felt familiar to you, you’re not alone. This is the kind of emotional work I support my clients through every day. We start by gently unpacking past experiences, then we move to understanding how unhealed parts of you show up in your life today, and then we walk through the healing process itself so that you can experience what lasting change is like.

If you’d like to stay connected, you can join my free email community, “The Healing Room,” or explore working together here: Join The Healing Room

Follow me on Instagram and visit my website for more info!

Read more from Saveen Sundrani

---

Saveen Sundrani, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Saveen’s personal and professional experiences have given her deep insight into the emotional, cultural, and relational challenges many people face. Engaging in conversation with Saveen creates a thoughtful and compassionate space where individuals feel safe exploring difficult emotions and life experiences. Her approach centers on helping people better understand themselves, regulate their emotions, and build the self-awareness needed to create more fulfilling and authentic lives.