Single Incident Trauma

Our View on Single Incident Trauma
Motor vehicle accidents, natural disasters, crime victims, and pregnancy/birth trauma are types of single incident trauma that can result in post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or other mental health challenges. One event can have a profound effect on a survivor’s ability to sleep, to relate to others, and to function in a way that they had prior to that event. Anxiety, depression, isolation, increased use of drugs or alcohol are common following a traumatic event. Making meaning of it alongside rebuilding one’s future are common tasks associated with single incident traumas, and the process can be intertwined with the community response (or lack of it), interpersonal support, and a response from the criminal justice system.

ITTC practitioners have training in various modalities intended to assist in recovering from a single traumatic event. Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavior Therapy (TF-CBT) for children, and Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR), are some approaches used for stabilization and fairly quick resolution of symptoms for this type of event.