Thematic Modules (Safety and Confidence)

Safety Module: Protection and Control

Beginning in session seven, therapy is organized into thematic modules, starting with Safety.

Trauma often destroys the belief of invulnerability ("nothing bad will happen to me") or confirms the belief of total danger ("the world is hostile"). The work is to find a balance.

If the patient believes "If I go out of the house, I will be attacked", it is restructured towards "It is possible that something bad will happen, but it is unlikely; besides, I have abilities to protect myself that I did not have before".

It seeks to restore the sense that, although absolute safety does not exist, the patient possesses agency to manage risks.

Trust Module: In Self and Others

The next module addresses Trust. Trauma, especially interpersonal trauma, impairs the ability to trust one's own judgment ("How did I not see that coming?") and the intentions of others.

The belief that trust is not an on/off switch, but a spectrum, is worked on.

The patient is taught to assess trust gradually based on current evidence of people's behavior, rather than applying a blanket rule of total distrust as a defense mechanism.

Regaining confidence in one's own decision-making ability is the first step in being able to trust others again.

Conflict Resolution between Previous Beliefs and Trauma

In these modules, previous experiences (positive or negative) and how they interacted with the trauma are analyzed.

If a person believed that "people are good" and was assaulted, the cognitive conflict is immense.

Treatment helps to integrate the new information ("some people are dangerous") without discarding the previous belief completely ("but many others are still trustworthy").

A dialectical synthesis is sought that allows the patient to navigate the world cautiously, but without the isolation caused by generalized fear.

Summary

The Safety