— Saiyami Juvekar
Have you ever found yourself in a therapy session, watching a client struggle to move forward while you feel like you’re both stuck in quicksand? It’s a frustrating experience many therapists encounter, especially when working with trauma survivors. In this blog, we’ll explore three common roadblocks in trauma recovery—lack of flexibility, control-seeking behaviours, and fixed life assumptions—and how you can use ACT techniques to help your clients get back on the path to healing.
1. The Flexibility Challenge: Stiffening Against Change
We often become rigid with the conditioned beliefs we internalise as we grow up. And when trauma hits, we tend to cling to them for dear life! Most clients unaware of this become rigid in their thoughts and behaviours, it can keep them stuck in familiar patterns of thinking that prevent them from moving forward. This lack of psychological flexibility can feel like walking on a tightrope, where any wobble can send them crashing down.
ACT emphasizes the importance of psychological flexibility, teaching clients as well as therapists to accept their thoughts and feelings rather than avoid them. Here are a few strategies to foster flexibility in your sessions:
- Mindfulness Exercises: Introduce mindfulness practices that encourage clients to observe their thoughts and feelings without judgment. This might include breathing exercises, body scans, or simply guiding them to notice sensations in the present moment. For example, ask your clients to close their eyes and describe what they’re feeling physically and emotionally. This practice helps them create space between their experiences and their reactions, allowing them to respond more flexibly.
- Defusion Techniques: Teach clients to distance themselves from their thoughts. For instance, if a client is convinced, they’re a failure, guide them to observe that thought as just that—a thought. You might say, “What if we put that thought on a leaf and watch it float down a stream?” This visual can help clients see their thoughts as transient, reducing their power over them.
2. Control-Seeking Behaviours: Grasping at Shadows
As human beings, we often desire control and assume to exercise control over our lives. Trauma impacts that illusion. As a result, many individuals develop control-seeking behaviours as a way to cope with their overwhelming experiences, believing that by micromanaging every aspect of their lives, they can avoid future pain. However, this need for control can hinder their progress, trapping them in a cycle of anxiety and avoidance.
ACT encourages clients to embrace uncertainty and take committed actions aligned with their values, even when they feel out of control. Here are some practical steps you can take:
- Values Exploration: Help clients identify what truly matters to them. This can shift their focus away from trying to control everything to taking meaningful steps towards their goals.
- Behavioural Experiments: Encourage clients to engage in small, manageable risks that challenge their need for control. For example, if a client feels anxious about social situations, they might start with a brief conversation with a stranger or attend a social event for a short period. Discuss the outcomes in the next session, emphasizing that it’s okay to experience discomfort. This can build resilience and reinforce the idea that they can handle uncertainty.
3. Fixed Life Assumptions: The Weight of Expectations
Many individuals carry fixed beliefs about themselves and the world, often rooted in their traumatic experiences. These assumptions can create a heavy burden, leading to a sense of hopelessness and despair. For example, a client may believe, “I will never be happy again” or “I cannot trust anyone.” Such rigid views can severely impede their ability to heal.
ACT’s focus on acceptance and commitment allows clients to challenge and reframe these fixed beliefs. Here’s how to implement this in your sessions:
- Cognitive Reframing: Encourage clients to explore the origins of their fixed beliefs. Use open-ended questions like, “What evidence do you have for that belief? What evidence do you have against it?” “How is it helping me to hold on to this belief?” This dialogue can help clients recognize that their beliefs are not absolute truths but rather interpretations shaped by their trauma.
- Metaphors and Stories: Use metaphors to illustrate the flexibility of life’s possibilities. For instance, compare fixed beliefs to a pair of glasses—if they are cracked, the view is distorted. By changing the glasses (challenging beliefs), clients can see the world more clearly. Sharing stories of resilience and change can also inspire hope and encourage clients to envision a different narrative for themselves.
Embrace the Journey to Healing
Navigating the complexities of trauma therapy can be daunting, especially when clients feel stuck in their recovery. By identifying and addressing common roadblocks like lack of flexibility, control-seeking behaviours, and fixed life assumptions, therapists can create a pathway to healing. ACT offers effective techniques that empower clients to cultivate awareness, challenge their perceptions, and embrace the uncertainties of life. It also encourages creativity in everyday life in the form of increasing adaptability in thinking and behaviours.
As you guide your clients on their journey, remember that progress may come in small steps. By fostering a safe and supportive environment, you can help them break free from the chains of trauma and discover the resilience that lies within.
