A quick Google search will yield a plethora of tools for therapists to use in their practice. But sometimes, there really can be too much of a good thing. The abundance of resources available with the click of a button can be overwhelming, making it difficult to know where even to start.
Because trauma treatment is a nuanced area of psychotherapy, having a list of high-quality trauma tools to add to your therapy toolkit will make guiding your clients through recovery smoother.
Trauma Tools for Therapists
Websites
With a wide web of resources available to therapists it is easy to get lost. Below is a list of some of the best websites to start on the road to trauma recovery to use with clients.
The National Center is an agency of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs focused on PTSD research and education. It provides information on trauma from their extensive research and collective clinical experience.
The EMDR Institute offers quality training in the EMDR methodology. An empirically validated treatment approach in over 24 randomized studies of trauma victims.
International Institute for Trauma & Addiction Professionals
The International Institute of Trauma and Addiction Professionals (IITAP) provides premier training, certification, and resources for trauma-informed sexual addiction practitioners. IITAP trains therapists worldwide, so there is a qualified CSAT wherever someone is seeking it.
PACEs Connection
PACEs Connection is an ever-growing social network connecting those implementing trauma-informed and resilience-building practices based on Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) science. Members share their best practices while inspiring each other to grow the PACEs movement.
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies
The International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies aims to provide a forum for professionals to share research, clinical strategies, theoretical formulation, and public policy concerns worldwide about trauma.
Books
While there are thousands of books on the shelves to use with clients, utilizing the right books as trauma tools for therapists can deepen healing. Below is a list of some of the best books for trauma recovery to use with clients.
The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma
Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.
Often considered required reading among the trauma treatment community, The Body Keeps the Score describes how trauma impacts the brain and body. The book also explores effective methods to treat trauma, such as safe, trusting relationships, Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), yoga, and neurofeedback.
Healing Trauma: Attachment, Mind, Body, and Brain
Daniel J. Siegel, M.D. and Marion Solomon, Ph.D.
Trauma can be complex and challenging to comprehend, assess, and treat. Healing Trauma compiles articles written by leaders in trauma treatment such as Bessel van der Kolk, Marion Solomon, and Francine Shapiro. Inside you’ll find topics such as attachment research, neurobiology, explanation of developmental trauma, and successful treatment methods.
Waking the Tiger: Healing Trauma
Peter A. Levine, Ph.D.
In Waking the Tiger, Dr. Peter Levine, the founder of Somatic Experiencing, explores how trauma impacts the body and explains how the body can heal and self-regulate. Dr. Levine provides specific and straightforward body-oriented healing modalities for clients facing trauma. This book is a fantastic place to start for those wishing to implement or better understand somatic experiencing.
Getting Past Your Past: Take Control of Your Life with Self-Help Techniques from EMDR Therapy
Francine Shapiro, Ph.D.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing) can be difficult to understand. Dr. Shapiro, the founder of EMDR, provides an easy-to-understand exploration of trauma as unprocessed memories, negative cognitions, and body sensations. Getting Past Your Past explains how clinicians use EMDR to treat trauma and how clients can take aspects of EMDR to practice on their own. This book isn’t just for EMDR-trained therapists; it serves as an EMDR ambassador to anyone who has experienced trauma or works with traumatized clients.
Treating Trauma from Sexual Betrayal: The Essential Tools for Healing
Dr. Kevin Skinner, LMFT, CSAT-S
Treating Trauma from Sexual Betrayal offers valuable insight into why a partner’s sexual behaviors outside of a committed relationship creates symptoms that match posttraumatic stress (PTSD). This book provides an in-depth view of the lives of individuals suffering from trauma after sexual betrayal. After ten years of research and using his research data from more than 5000 individuals who have experienced betrayal, Dr. Skinner outlines why betrayal triggers trauma and provides the essential tools for healing.
Apps
While there are many useful apps for therapists to use with clients, utilizing apps as trauma tools for therapists can be highly beneficial.
PTSD Coach
Developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), this app provides people with information about PTSD, including a self-assessment tool, lists of places for support and professional care, and several tools to help manage symptoms. The app has tools for relaxation, anger management, and other strategies that are useful in treating symptoms of PTSD.
Dream EZ
People struggling with trauma often deal with sleep disruptions such as nightmares, negatively affecting their health. The app is designed to help people diminish the intensity and frequency of their nightmares and change them into less disturbing images to have a more peaceful and relaxed sleep.
Breate2Relax
Breathing techniques and strategies can be beneficial for people who struggle with anxiety and need to work on relaxation to reduce stress. This app is an effective stress management tool that provides users with diaphragmatic breathing exercises to decrease the body’s fight or flight response. It helps users control their emotions and allows them to stabilize their mood quickly when faced with triggers.
T2 Mood Tracker
By swiping a small bar to the right or left, users can monitor their moods using six pre-designated scales (general wellbeing, stress, depression, anxiety, brain injury, and posttraumatic stress). Additionally, users can designate custom scales to meet their individual needs. Each rating is displayed on a graph to help users track their moods over time.
Noble
Designed by therapists for therapists, the Noble app provides crafted between-session support. Therapists assign a pre-created Roadmap based on the client’s unique situations and needs, guiding them through automated lessons, action items, and assignments, increasing the effectiveness of one-on-one sessions. Topics currently include healing from betrayal trauma, addiction recovery, managing anxiety, and addressing depression.
Noble is an app for therapists to use with clients directly. Not only can clinicians assign specific roadmaps based on their client’s needs, but they can also monitor progress, approve action items, and provide extra support through messaging, all from within the app.
Noble is an App Built for Between Session Support
As health professionals ourselves, we value client outcomes that are made possible through between-session work. Supporting our clients through content, assignments, and communication that fosters better relationships and outcomes. Noble is consistently building various types of online counseling software and materials for better between-session care. We support businesses, counselors, mental health professionals, and clients, paving a smoother path to healing. If you have questions about using our platform in your practice, Contact Noble today.
