Written Exposure Therapy (WET)

Standard Treatment Length: Five 60 minute sessions

WET focuses on helping you  to reduce avoidance by confronting trauma-related memories as well as the thoughts and feelings associated with these memories. While avoidance can be reduce anxiety/fear in the short term, in the long term it can contribute isolation, loneliness, and unhealthy coping strategies. The method used in this therapy is called exposure. 

Repeatedly revisiting the memory of the trauma through exposure helps you differentiate between relieving the trauma and  remembering it as well as reduces the trauma's impact on your present life. In addition, it facilitates processing of the emotions associated with the trauma to reduce feelings of being overwhelmed when reminded of the event. This also facilitates the development of a more balanced view of the trauma and why it occurred.

At each session, you will be provided a prompt to guide your writing which varies with each session and given 30 minutes to write about the trauma memory. Following the exposure, you will process your experience writing about the trauma with your therapist.