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Trauma can leave lasting marks on the mind, body, and spirit. Whether the trauma stems from a single event or ongoing experiences, it can disrupt the systems that help you think clearly, manage emotions, and maintain healthy relationships. Some people have experienced PTSD from a traumatic event and others have experienced multiple traumas that we would describe as ” complex trauma”.
Our Comprehensive program with offices across Long Island and in Manhattan, is designed to help you heal in a safe, supportive, and structured environment.
Trauma can also affect how you see yourself, shaping beliefs about your identity, worth, and whether you feel like you belong.
Healing from trauma is possible with the right support and the right tools.
Trauma is the emotional response to a distressing or disturbing event. It can cause overwhelming feelings of fear or helplessness. Every person experiences trauma differently. What is traumatic for one person might not be for another, and symptoms can vary based on your unique history.
Generally, trauma symptoms fall into four main categories:
For many individuals, trauma treatment is most effective when there is a strong foundation of coping and regulation skills in place first. At Suffolk DBT, trauma processing is thoughtfully integrated within our comprehensive Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) program when clients are ready. Clients typically begin Trauma Therapy by participating in DBT individual therapy and DBT skills group to strengthen skills such as emotion regulation, distress tolerance, and mindfulness.
Once greater stability has been established and the treatment team agrees that the timing is appropriate, trauma processing may begin in a structured and supportive way.
In weekly sessions, you and your therapist review your diary card together and focus on the goals that matter most to you building a life that feels more stable, meaningful, and worth living.
The diary card helps you become more aware of your emotions, urges, and behaviors, especially the patterns that may be getting in the way of the life you want.
DBT Skills Group at Suffolk DBT is more like a skills training class than traditional group therapy. We begin with a brief mindfulness practice to help everyone slow down and focus.
Then we review homework. how you practiced your skills during the week and introduce new tools to help you manage emotions, relationships, and stressful situations.The focus isn’t on rehashing problems it’s on building solutions and learning practical ways to handle challenges more effectively.
Difficult moments don’t wait for your next session. Phone coaching gives you brief support to help you use your DBT skills in real time, when emotions are high and it’s hardest to think clearly.
The goal isn’t to provide therapy over the phone, but to help you practice responding in skillful ways so you can handle challenges with more confidence and control.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can develop after experiencing or witnessing a frightening, dangerous, or overwhelming event. PTSD may show up as intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, feeling constantly on guard, emotional numbness, difficulty trusting others, anger, anxiety, or feeling as though the past is still affecting everyday life.
Effective PTSD treatment involves more than simply talking about what happened.
At Suffolk DBT, treatment is individualized based on each person’s symptoms, history, and readiness for trauma-focused work.
For individuals who struggle with intense emotions, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or other high-risk behaviors, DBT can first help build the skills needed to manage emotions and create greater stability.
When appropriate, trauma-focused treatments such as DBT Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE), EMDR, and Accelerated Resolution Therapy (ART) may then be used to directly address traumatic memories, avoidance, and other symptoms of PTSD.
Our goal is not to erase what happened, but to help people reach a place where the trauma no longer controls their emotions, relationships, choices, or daily life.
ART uses eye movements and visualization to help reframe and reduce the emotional impact of traumatic memories. ART is faster than many traditional trauma therapies and often provides noticeable relief within just a few sessions.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a structured therapy used to help people process traumatic memories and reduce the emotional impact of past experiences. It is commonly used for trauma, PTSD, and distressing life events.
Exposure therapy/ Exposure Response Prevention helps individuals gradually face fears, intrusive thoughts, and avoided situations in a safe and supported way. It is one of the most effective treatments for Trauma and anxiety
Children and teens who have experienced trauma often have difficulty managing overwhelming emotions. They may withdraw, avoid situations, struggle in relationships, engage in self-harm, or experience thoughts of suicide. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) provides a structured, supportive environment where young people can safely process painful experiences while learning skills to regulate emotions, tolerate distress, and feel more in control of their lives.
Adults who have experienced trauma often feel overwhelmed, disconnected, or stuck in painful patterns. Many struggle with self-invalidation, doubting their own feelings and needs. DBT provides a structured, supportive approach to process trauma, regulate emotions, and rebuild self-trust with greater compassion and confidence.
At Suffolk DBT, we take a methodical, supportive approach to trauma treatment. We begin by helping you build coping skills to manage intense emotions, self-harm, suicidal thoughts, or impulsivity if needed. Once a foundation of emotional stability is in place, we transition to focused trauma work using evidence-based treatments.
Healing from trauma isn’t just about reducing symptoms it’s about reclaiming your life. Benefits of trauma treatment at our Long Island trauma therapy practice include:
At our Long Island trauma therapy practice, we offer DBT-Prolonged Exposure (DBT-PE) as a specialized trauma treatment for clients who have completed standard DBT and are ready to safely process traumatic memories.
DBT-PE was developed by Dr. Melanie Harned to blend the treatment of DBT with the powerful healing techniques of Prolonged Exposure therapy. The goal of DBT-PE is to help you:
Treatment begins with a trauma interview to assess your history and decide where to start. You’ll then safely revisit your trauma memories in session, working with your therapist to process the emotions and thoughts that arise. Between sessions, structured homework assignments help you face real-life situations that feel overwhelming, empowering you to reclaim your sense of safety and strength.
With DBT-PE, trauma memories become less overwhelming, and life feels more manageable and secure.
Trauma may have shaped your past, but it doesn’t have to define your future. With the right trauma therapy and foundational DBT skills, you can move through life’s challenges with resilience, clarity, and self-trust.
Our Long-Island based team at Suffolk DBT is ready to help you start your healing journey—one step at a time.
Suffolk DBT proudly provides quality dialectical behavior therapy, a form of cognitive behavioral therapy, at their offices in Manhattan and Long Island, New York and online. Their experienced NYC counselors specialize in serving teens, children, adults, and college students struggling with depression, borderline personality disorder, eating disorders, and self-harm. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT) skills and treatment can help you to manage emotions and work through life’s challenges.
Completely confidential. Only takes 10-15 minutes.
