Offered on an outpatient and intensive outpatient (daily) basis, the UCF RESTORES Trauma Management Therapy Program is an empirically supported approach for treatment of PTSD and related trauma disorders. By combining individualized exposure therapy, emerging technology, and group treatment sessions designed to teach specific coping skills, this program has empowered us to deliver optimal results without pharmaceutical intervention.
Our comprehensive Trauma Management Therapy program consists of two core components:
Exposure Therapy
UCF RESTORES’ evidence-based treatment relies heavily on exposure therapy, which is designed to get a patient in touch with the traumatic elements (sometimes called triggers) that elicit their current fear and distress. Through exposure therapy, therapists work to “re-train” patients’ brains to understand that those triggers (sights, sounds and smells they encounter in daily life and remind them of the trauma) no longer signal that a traumatic event is going to occur. With repeated sessions, these triggers lose their ability to elicit fear and distress. The treatment is rooted in scientific studies demonstrating that repeated contact with these elements (without the occurrence of the negative event) leads to the reduction of fear – a process known as habituation.
Exposure therapy may be accompanied by virtual reality, designed to increase immersion with traumatic cues, or through in-vivo exposure, using physical spaces that are (or closely resemble) the place where the traumatic event occurred. All exposure treatment is individualized for each patient’s unique traumatic experience.
Group Therapy
UCF RESTORES’ group therapy sessions address behaviors and emotions, beyond fear, which often accompany PTSD, such as sleep disturbances, depression, anger, guilt and social isolation. Each session is structured to provide the education, skills and practical applications needed to assure the most positive treatment outcome.