Healing from addiction and mental health challenges often means addressing the effects of trauma. Many people who struggle with substance use have experienced painful events—sometimes in childhood, sometimes later in life—that continue to shape their emotions, behaviors, and relationships. At Hickory Grove Recovery in Morrilton, Arkansas, our trauma-informed therapy approach offers compassionate care that prioritizes dignity, safety, and long-term healing.
What is trauma-informed therapy?
Trauma-informed therapy is an approach to counseling and treatment that recognizes the lasting impact of trauma. Instead of focusing on “what’s wrong,” trauma-informed care asks “what happened?” By shifting perspective in this way, therapists create space for healing without re-traumatization.
This approach is particularly important in addiction treatment, as research shows that the majority of people living with substance use disorders have experienced some form of trauma. At Hickory Grove Recovery, trauma-informed care is integrated across our therapy programs, helping clients build resilience while making progress in recovery.
Core principles of trauma-informed care
Trauma-informed therapy is built on six guiding principles that shape every interaction and treatment plan:
- Safety: Therapy spaces are designed to feel calm, confidential, and supportive.
- Trustworthiness and transparency: Therapists follow through on their commitments and communicate clearly.
- Peer support: Connection with others who have experienced trauma provides community and understanding.
- Collaboration and mutuality: Healing is a partnership where clients and therapists work together.
- Empowerment, voice, and choice: Clients decide what to share and at what pace.
- Cultural humility: Care respects each person’s background, identity, and values.
Trauma-informed vs. trauma-focused therapy
While trauma-informed therapy creates a safe framework for all treatment, trauma-focused therapy directly addresses specific traumatic experiences. For example, trauma-focused CBT or EMDR may be used to process memories, while trauma-informed care is about shaping an environment where those therapies can take place without fear. At Hickory Grove Recovery, we integrate both approaches when appropriate, balancing safety with targeted healing.
Who we help
Our trauma-informed therapy services support a wide range of people and experiences. This includes:
Adults: Those managing the long-term effects of trauma on mental health, relationships, and substance use.
Children and teens: Young people facing developmental trauma, abuse, or early loss.
Families and caregivers: Loved ones navigating the ripple effects of trauma in the family system.
Diverse communities: People whose experiences of trauma may be compounded by cultural, historical, or social factors.
Conditions and challenges we treat
Trauma-informed therapy at Hickory Grove Recovery addresses both substance use and mental health concerns, often in combination. Common conditions and challenges include:
- PTSD and complex trauma: Symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, or hypervigilance after traumatic events.
- Childhood and developmental trauma: Early experiences of neglect, abuse, or instability that affect adult functioning.
- Anxiety and depression: Emotional struggles linked to trauma that may worsen substance use.
- Trauma and addiction: Co-occurring disorders where trauma and substance use reinforce one another.
- Relationship and attachment difficulties: Trouble with trust, intimacy, or boundaries due to trauma.
- Vicarious and workplace trauma: Stress and burnout experienced by caregivers, first responders, or professionals exposed to trauma indirectly.
Evidence-based therapies we use
Our licensed therapists use evidence-based approaches that align with trauma-informed care. Depending on your needs, these may include:
- Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT): Restructuring negative thought patterns to build healthier coping skills.
- Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT): Mindfulness, emotional regulation, and distress tolerance skills for managing intense feelings.
- Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT): Embracing difficult emotions while taking actions aligned with personal values.
- Motivational interviewing (MI): Strengthening motivation for change by exploring goals and ambivalence.
- Somatic and mindfulness practices: Grounding exercises, breathwork, and trauma-informed yoga to regulate the nervous system.
Each therapy is delivered within the trauma-informed framework, which emphasizes safety, trust, and collaboration.
What to expect in trauma-informed therapy
Beginning trauma-informed therapy may feel intimidating, but our approach focuses on gradual progress and empowerment. Sessions typically involve:
1. Establishing safety: Check-ins, grounding techniques, and a focus on comfort before diving deeper.
2. Understanding history with care: Exploring trauma’s impact on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors without pressure.
3. Building coping skills: Learning strategies like mindfulness, journaling, or relaxation exercises to handle stress.
4. Processing trauma at your pace: Exploring experiences only when you are ready, guided by evidence-based methods.
5. Planning for continued healing: Developing coping tools and connecting with ongoing aftercare support.
Why trauma-informed care matters in addiction treatment
Trauma and addiction are often linked in a cycle that is hard to break without addressing both. Substances may be used to numb the pain of trauma, but they often intensify the symptoms over time. Trauma-informed care provides an integrated path forward by addressing the root causes of addiction while building healthier coping strategies.
Our program at Hickory Grove Recovery combines trauma therapy, addiction treatment, and mental health care to support recovery that lasts.
Start trauma-informed therapy at Hickory Grove Recovery
If trauma continues to affect your life, you don’t have to carry it alone. At Hickory Grove Recovery in Morrilton, Arkansas, we provide trauma-informed therapy that respects your story, prioritizes your safety, and helps you take steps toward lasting healing.
Call our admissions team at 501.509.5143 today to learn more about our therapy programs and start your journey.
Your path forward starts here. Reach out today
At Hickory Grove Recovery, we meet people where they are. Whether you’re just beginning to explore treatment options or ready to start therapy as part of residential care, we’re here to guide you with compassion, professionalism, and hope.
Our addiction therapy programs near Little Rock are grounded in clinical excellence and built around each person’s unique story. We don’t just treat addiction—we help people reclaim their lives.
If you or someone you love is searching for effective, compassionate addiction and mental health therapy programs in Central Arkansas, contact us today at 501.509.5143 or online. Our team is ready to listen, answer your questions, and help you take the first step toward healing.
Real recovery. Right here. Let’s rediscover what’s possible—together.
