What does counselling for trauma actually involve and achieve

[CofEreservist]

I have realised that I need to admit that I need help.
I had a traumatic birth, 2 miscarriages and then my duties in the reserve forces have been distressing. I mobilised for the bridge attacks, Manchester attack and Grenfell Tower.
I know how to get help. A text to my regimental Padre and she will either support me herself or send me to whatever support appropriate.
But what does counselling actually involve?
Sad things have happened. I am naturally upset. Why will talking it over help?
What I hope to achieve is to stop weeping at inappropriate moments and to get myself back to a robust state ready for whenever I am next mobilised.
How does counselling achieve that?

It certainly helpedme. Just being able to talk about what happened wirh someone listening properly ( with no victim blaming which was most people reaction to my trauma). Also being talked through the stages is would go through and what to do. I would recommend, but find someone you trust and feel comfortable with is important. Hope you find some help.

For me, talking through things helped me process them. Instead of feeling stuck in my thinking, I was able to fullly feel how I felt, but move through the feelings to the other side, if that makes sense.

Peace

I had trauma therapy. It is important to understand that the way the BRAIN deals with trauma is what makes it stuck. Very basically, adrenaline and other factors make the amygdala (lizard brain) kick in to start processing... but then without help the memories get stuck there instead of being processed into the hippocampus (rational brain). The amygdala will start firing out those memories in response to weird-seeming stimuli, and they won't go back in the box easily but also won't get filed properly. So you cry when you hear the word 'push' or whatever, but that responses doesn't really get better.

Trauma therapy uses talking but also other specific techniques to reprocess the memories so they get filed in the hippocampus instead of staying in the amygdala.

Believe me, it helps so much. Gave me my life back.