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Holistic PTSD Treatment Center

Holistic Trauma and PTSD Treatment Center


We understand how exhausting it is to live in constant fear. And we also know how frustrating it is to feel like, despite your best efforts, you can’t get a good night’s sleep and anxiety and burnout keep you trapped, living on high alert. Feeling like you’ve tried everything but can’t seem to make the progress you need can start to paint a picture of hopelessness. 

But that’s not the end of the story. 

It is possible to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and feel like yourself again. The Sanctuary at Sedona is a 30-day minimum, residential, alternative, holistic inpatient PTSD treatment center. The Sanctuary’s alternative holistic trauma residential programs can help you get there by healing your trauma in all the places where it lives — your mind, body, soul and spirit.

We do this by: 

  • Creating a safe, supportive environment where you can begin to relax. 
  • Offering a host of clinical and holistic therapies and allowing you to choose what feels best to you.
  • Providing a complete roadmap to recovery and guiding you through every step of the process.

You deserve to be free from PTSD and live a full, vibrant and happy life. Start your recovery journey with our inpatient PTSD treatment center in Arizona. Call us at 877-710-3385 to speak with a counselor.

Kelley Alexander JD. Program Director of The Sanctuary at Sedona describes holistic PTSD treatment.

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Start Your PTSD Healing Journey

Table of Contents:

What Exactly is PTSD and How Can I Tell if I Have It? | Who is Most at Risk of Suffering From PTSD? | What are the Common Signs Associated With PTSD Caused by Trauma? | What Treatment Options Exist for PTSD? | How Does Alternative Holistic Treatment for PTSD Work?

What Exactly is PTSD and How Can I Tell if I Have It? 

The classic definition of PTSD has, until recently, been based on the severity of the event that caused it. This may have to do with witnessing a death, being seriously injured or feeling physically threatened. But this definition is expanding as we begin to understand more about PTSD and its causes.

Now, PTSD diagnoses have more to do with your response to trauma than the form of trauma itself. In other words, PTSD forms when a traumatic event overwhelms your ability to manage it — and that capacity is different for everyone. Post-traumatic stress is considered PTSD when it interferes with your daily life and lasts longer than a month.

PTSD also commonly co-occurs with addiction and other mental health disorders. If you already have a preexisting mental health condition, you’re more likely to experience PTSD as a result of trauma. It also often leads to addiction, as trauma sufferers may use alcohol and other substances to self-soothe uncomfortable symptoms. Co-occurring PTSD and addiction require specialized treatment that can address both disorders simultaneously for complete healing to take place. 

Because trauma is stored in the body, PTSD can also have physical effects. Your cellular memory holds a record of all your past experiences, which is why physically releasing them is so important to the recovery process. The constant state of alertness that PTSD causes also produces a higher level of stress hormones in your brain, which leads to burnout, fatigue and impaired mental functioning. 

Because memory loss is one of its symptoms, PTSD can occur even when you’re not exactly sure what caused it. Research shows that some survivors of childhood trauma develop symptoms of PTSD as adults, even when they have no clear memory of what happened.

What Is Trauma Associated With PTSD?

Anything that interferes with your ability to process information, live life and feel good is classified as trauma. Most adults have been through some form of trauma, with 70% of adults in the United States reporting having experienced trauma at one point in their lives.

Trauma won’t impact two people in the same way. That’s because our experiences are very much individual. One person might find an event too overwhelming to cope with, while someone else barely notices it at all. The severity of symptoms that show up after a traumatic event also varies from person to person. Of those who reported experiencing trauma, 20% go on to develop PTSD.

Understanding Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a set of symptoms that develop after a traumatizing event that leaves you overwhelmed and unable to cope. Not all traumatic events that lead to PTSD are “large-T” traumas — overt events like abuse or combat, for instance. An accumulation of “small-t” traumas, less pronounced yet distressing events, can also develop into PTSD. Examples of these include divorce, financial stress, and family conflict, to name a few.

We understand that the thought of revisiting past trauma is intimidating. At The Sanctuary, we place a huge focus on making sure you feel like you’re in a safe environment throughout treatment. Once you’re in a fully relaxed state, you’re better prepared to work on yourself.

Who is Most at Risk of Suffering From PTSD? 

Most people experience trauma at some point in their lives. But while most people recover naturally, some incur trauma and develop PTSD as a result. 

While PTSD was once thought of as a disorder affecting mainly veterans, it’s now known that this set of symptoms can affect anyone who’s been traumatized. This can result from events like: 

  • Car accidents 
  • Sexual abuse 
  • Childhood abuse
  • Childbirth 
  • Witnessing death or injury 
  • Being a victim of violent crime
  • Diagnosis with a life-threatening illness 
  • Natural disaster
  • War

Post-traumatic stress disorder can also result from seemingly less significant events if they have a profound impact on you. PTSD is not an indication of how “strong” or “weak” you are. It’s simply a reflection of your natural attempts to process what’s going on. 

What Are the Common Signs Associated With PTSD Caused by Trauma?

The symptoms and severity of PTSD look different for each person, but often include:

  • Flashbacks
  • Recurring memories
  • Nightmares
  • Social isolation and withdrawal
  • Lack of emotion or numbness
  • Feeling of hopelessness
  • Memory loss
  • Concentration loss
  • Irritability
  • Insomnia
  • Heightened alert
  • Hypervigilance
  • Muscle tension
  • Overwhelming guilt or shame

You’re considered to have post-traumatic stress disorder if one or more of these symptoms last over a month following a traumatic event. In long-term PTSD, these symptoms will show up regularly for over a month or become more severe.

Another form of post-traumatic stress disorder is known as complex PTSD. This related condition has many of the same traits of PTSD along with some additional symptoms, including:

  • Depression
  • Difficulty controlling intense emotions
  • Anger or distrust toward the world
  • Feeling permanently damaged or worthless
  • Seeing yourself as different than others
  • The belief that nobody can understand what’s happened to you
  • Severe physical symptoms, including headaches, chest pain or stomach issues
  • Suicidal feelings

What Treatment Options Exist for PTSD? 

A number of therapies have been proven successful in treating PTSD. Each method approaches trauma from a different angle. As a holistic PTSD treatment center, we offer the following inpatient treatment for PTSD:  

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) Therapy

EMDR therapy is an eight-step psychotherapy program that uses certain eye movements to help you move memories to a safer place in your brain so you don’t feel as acutely affected by them. The program leans on the Adaptive Image Processing (AIP) model, which theorizes the process of memory storage in the brain. According to this theory, the brain stores and networks trauma differently from normal memories. 

During EMDR therapy, traumatic memories are accessed through certain techniques. A combination of eye movements and guided instructions then assesses those events, helping the brain reprocess the memories. The reprocessing process aids in trauma recovery with the goal of helping you remember the events as manageable memories without intense negative emotions attached. 

EMDR therapy is a beneficial treatment for PTSD and various other mental health conditions, including depression disorders, gender dysphoria, dissociative disorders and several personality disorders. 

For more information on EMDR trauma residential programs, contact us online.

Exposure Therapy

Exposure therapy is a type of behavioral therapy that targets learned behaviors as responses to PTSD triggers. There are various methods of exposure therapy, including:

  • In vivo exposure: This technique exposes you to direct confrontation of objects, actions or situations associated with the traumatic events. For example, if your PTSD stems from an experience of sexual violence, you may be encouraged and assisted by the therapist to visit the location of the incident. You can then directly confront triggers under the guidance of the trained therapist. In this specific situation, a therapist will only encourage you to visit locations of traumatic events if it is safe to do so.
  • Imaginal exposure: During imaginal exposure, you are encouraged to imagine your traumatic images or experiences as a means of confronting fears through thought processes of memories. This technique is often used when in vivo exposure is not safe.
  • Interoceptive exposure: This form of exposure therapy was initially developed to treat panic disorders. It is designed to help you confront the physical symptoms of anxiety, like an increased heart rate or the onset of a panic attack. The therapist prompts the onset of symptoms in a controlled and safe manner before providing guidance to ease the physical symptoms. This method will help you develop essential coping skills to overcome the symptoms.
  • Prolonged exposure: This technique combines the three methods listed above.

The primary goal of exposure therapy is to overcome fears through confrontation. Contact us online to inquire about exposure therapy at The Sanctuary.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

As one of the more mainstream forms of therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is also beneficial in treating PTSD. Otherwise known as talk therapy, CBT involves evaluating thought processes, triggers and reactions.

During this therapy, a therapist will guide you through the process of picking apart your your thoughts surrounding traumatic memories. Together, you and your therapist will determine whether your thought processes are accurate or inaccurate. This process gradually reprograms how you think and feel about certain memories by helping you understand how you mentally process trauma and change your behavioral responses.

Learn more about the benefits of CBT for PTSD by reaching out to us today at our complex PTSD residential treatment center.

Somatic Experiencing

This form of trauma recovery therapy applies mind-body healing to treat trauma on a cellular level. Somatic experiencing is designed to help you develop a healthier relationship with the bodily sensations and emotions that arise as a result of trauma. 

The therapy first focuses on the body to cultivate awareness of sensations. It instills a sense of security through exploring thoughts and emotions associated with traumatic experiences. The therapist will guide you from a relaxed state toward traumatic memories and then back to a relaxed state while identifying physical sensations.

Contact us online or call 877-710-3385 for more information about our somatic experiencing therapy at The Sanctuary.

Energy Medicine

Another holistic approach to treating PTSD is energy medicine, which guides you on an inward journey to discover and resolve the issues at the core of your wounding. This therapy focuses on restoring energy balance to promote overall well-being. Reiki, acupuncture and acupressure are techniques used in energy medicine therapy to promote energy flow and, ultimately, trauma recovery.

At The Sanctuary, we treat PTSD using a completely individualized holistic program, which integrates a variety of trauma residential programs according to your needs. This may include any of the above, along with other therapies your therapist deems appropriate for you. Here, we encourage clients to continue exploring therapeutic pathways and coping strategies for PTSD until they find what resonates with them. Our therapists are highly skilled in multiple disciplines and are happy to guide you through this process.

To learn more about our best PTSD residential treatment programs, contact us online or reach out directly at 877-710-3385.

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How Does Alternative Holistic Treatment for PTSD Work?

While PTSD can feel like living in a constant state of crisis, the good news is that crisis provides an opportunity for growth. This kind of marked discomfort serves as a signal that something deep within us needs our attention. 

At The Sanctuary, we address PTSD using a holistic treatment approach. Rather than using a singular treatment method (like talk therapy), we use various healing techniques to treat the whole of you, including your: 

Body 

We store traumas, toxins and tensions in our bodies. In fact, our bodies contain a record of everything that’s ever happened to us. That’s why it’s important to heal the physical aspects of trauma and release it from where it’s held on a cellular level. 

We harness our knowledge of the gut-brain connection to encourage healthy serotonin production using a healing diet. We also provide movement therapies and bodywork to help you physically let go of trauma. This bypasses the re-traumatization that talk therapy can sometimes cause.

Mind

Just because we’re holistic doesn’t mean we don’t use medication. PTSD residential treatment at The Sanctuary includes in-depth psychiatric attention and hands-on support for your prescription needs. However, through our holistic process, many of our clients find that they’re able to take less medication because other therapeutic methods reduce their symptoms.

We understand that to get beyond just managing symptoms, you need to understand what’s causing them. And that happens on a subconscious level. Ninety-five percent of your mind is unconscious — that is, it’s behind your awareness. 

Most of the things that drive behaviors and patterns in your life live in this part of your mind. This includes all of your unresolved traumas, wounds and dysfunctional beliefs. To heal these, we have to access the subconscious parts of the mind and bring them into our awareness. And once that happens, we can process them in talk therapy. Then, we start to see real progress towards feeling better. 

Soul

The demands of the soul are one of the most important aspects of ourselves. Our soul is our essence — our truest and most authentic nature. It’s who we are before all of our wounds, traumas and addictions. Your soul is where you derive your meaning.

Sometimes, through our experiences of trauma, we learn that it’s not safe to be ourselves. We get the message that it’s not OK to express who we truly are, and we begin to separate from that essential self. And the more that happens, the worse we feel. 

At The Sanctuary, we pay special attention to healing your soul from trauma and PTSD. We do this through therapies involving creativity and ritual — the languages the soul speaks. This allows you to reconnect to your true nature and free yourself to live happily and authentically.

Spirit

The way we interact with the world around us has a lot to do with our own energy system. Science confirms that our own bodily electrical systems are connected to a larger energetic field. And when this becomes compromised in some way, it directly hijacks our nervous system. 

Through the use of energy medicine and energy psychology, we’re able to access and heal this system. Our PTSD treatment center is home to highly skilled energy practitioners who play an important role in your recovery journey.

In order for a PTSD treatment program to be truly holistic, it needs to work on all of these things. When we have a problem in one of these areas, it affects all the others. Working on all of them together drastically increases our chances of full and lasting recovery.  

The Four Components of The Sanctuary’s Holistic Treatment for PTSD 

Our PTSD treatment process takes place through a complete, four-part healing journey that consists of:

  1. Shedding old belief systems that may be hindering your ability to recover.
  2. Identifying the shadow aspects of yourself to prompt a healthier relation with these internal aspects. 
  3. Envisioning a life that fills you with heartfelt purpose. 
  4. Implementing rewarding changes that will bring you closer to your vision.

This takes place in a completely safe environment at our PTSD residential treatment where you’re accepted and supported every step. Many of our clients say that they instantly feel like part of the family, which helps tremendously with their ability to feel welcome, comfortable and confident about their healing journey.

I’ve Struggled With PTSD for a Long Time. Is Alternative Holistic Treatment for Me?

What makes alternative holistic PTSD treatment at The Sanctuary so effective is the combined synergy of our program components. 

Recently, more rehab centers have begun offering complementary therapies like yoga and meditation as additions to their program. And we recognize that this is great progress. But unless they’re integrated into a comprehensive program, their full power isn’t being utilized. 

Many of our clients come to us after seeing various doctors and therapists for years without having gained any real traction. That’s because, while each of these different pieces may be beneficial, they haven’t been integrated.

At The Sanctuary, everything you do during your stay with us is a progression of what you’ve done before. Each morning, you’ll receive a personal schedule with all of your therapies and activities for the day. Each of these is carefully coordinated by a team of therapists who work together to serve your recovery process in the most effective way. 

Tying all the pieces together in this way makes our program so much stronger — this is why alternative holistic treatment at The Sanctuary is powerful enough to overcome issues as serious and deeply rooted as PTSD.

Be Recovered With Our Non-12 Step Holistic Treatment Program for PTSD. Call Us. 

At The Sanctuary, we’ve seen countless people find their capacity to reconnect with themselves and with life– even if they’ve suffered from PTSD for decades. Here’s what some of our program graduates say about their experience:   

“This place exceeded my expectations in my healing journey. I was cared for, supported and understood. I am leaving feeling like I have found myself. I have the utmost gratitude and appreciation for every member of the staff here.”

“Everything was more than amazing. I feel like I’ve grown, healed, have become awakened, feel alive, and have learned so much.”

“The staff listens to every need and they do their best to accommodate. I feel they all genuinely care.”

“Completely 100% and beyond satisfied. I am so thankful with all of my heart. “

Now is your time to start living life again. You have an opportunity to find calm, feel safe and change your relationship with the world around you — and we can help you get there.

Our admissions coordinator is available to help you understand your treatment options, make arrangements and answer any questions you might have. Contact us online to learn more about our PTSD residential treatment center or call us directly at 877-710-3385.

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