Human trafficking is a heinous crime that affects millions of people worldwide, and its victims can suffer from various physical, emotional, and psychological issues. Survivors of human trafficking often struggle with a range of challenges, including PTSD, depression, anxiety, addiction, and dissociation, which can make it challenging for them to lead fulfilling lives.
Therapy is an essential tool for helping survivors of human trafficking recover from their experiences and build healthy, fulfilling lives. In this blog, we’ll explore how therapy can help someone who has experienced human trafficking.
Addressing Trauma
Survivors of human trafficking often experience intense trauma, which can manifest in various ways, including flashbacks, nightmares, panic attacks, and hyper vigilance. Therapy can help survivors address this trauma and work through their emotions in a safe and supportive environment.
1. Healing Relationships
Human trafficking often involves the exploitation of relationships, which can make it challenging for survivors to trust others. Therapy can help survivors heal these relationships and learn to trust others again.
In therapy, survivors can work on building healthy relationships with their therapist and with others in their lives. They can learn communication skills, boundary-setting, and other important relationship-building tools that can help them build and maintain healthy connections.
2. Coping with Addiction
Many survivors of human trafficking struggle with addiction, often as a coping mechanism to deal with their experiences. Therapy can help survivors understand the root causes of their addiction and develop healthier coping mechanisms.
One type of therapy that can be particularly helpful for addiction is Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). DBT is a skills-based therapy that helps individuals learn how to regulate their emotions, tolerate distress, and manage their behavior. This therapy can be useful for survivors of human trafficking who struggle with addiction as a result of their experiences.
3. Rebuilding Identity
Human trafficking can strip survivors of their identity, leaving them feeling lost and disconnected. Therapy can help survivors rebuild their identity and rediscover their sense of self.
In therapy, survivors can explore their values, goals, and aspirations, and develop a sense of purpose and meaning in their lives. They can work on building self-esteem, confidence, and a positive self-image, which can help them feel more empowered and in control of their lives.
In conclusion, therapy can be a powerful tool for helping survivors of human trafficking recover from their experiences and build healthy, fulfilling lives. Through therapy, survivors can address trauma, heal relationships, cope with addiction, and rebuild their identity.
If any of this information feels relevant to you or someone you know, please reach out for support. If you are interested in how therapy can benefit you or someone you know who comes from a human trafficking background, please don’t hesitate to contact us for an appointment!
You can learn more about my online availability here.
Begin Online Trauma Therapy in San Antonio, TX with Modern Wellness Counseling
Getting Scheduled
Getting started with a trauma therapist is easy and convenient. You can schedule online through our client portal.
If you are planning to use your insurance, please note that only a few clinicians accept limited insurance plans for trauma therapy. You can give our office a call at 210-706-0392 and our intake coordinator can answer any questions you may have. If your insurance is accepted, she can get you scheduled and gather the needed insurance information.
What we need from you
In order to get scheduled for online trauma counseling, we will need the following from you (whether you schedule online or by phone): your full name, email address, and phone number.
Additionally, we do require you to make a $40 deposit to hold your intake session and this deposit goes toward your first session’s payment.
What to expect between scheduling and your trauma therapy session
After you schedule, you will receive a link to your secured client portal. You will have documents to sign and complete 24 hours before your intake session. This allows for your intake session to be focused on your presenting issue.
Ten minutes before your session, you will receive a secured link for your video call. You can use this link to join in on your online therapy session.
Author: Stephanie Amundson, MA, LPC, NCC, EDIT, CCTS-I
As a Certified Clinical Trauma Specialist, I understand that receiving help can be scary when overcoming trauma, but I am here to guide you, support you, and offer resources to that and so much more. Trauma is something that is difficult to tackle, however you don’t have to take on that journey alone! We are available for appointments surrounding trauma/PTSD, sexual abuse, human trafficking recovery, substance abuse, and so much more. You are not alone in this recovery journey.
