|  | Mental Health | Stress

Counseling Techniques to Help a Person Who Witnessed a Murder

Witnessing a murder is an incredibly traumatic event. People who have witnessed a murder may develop Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder or PTSD. PTSD may manifest in a variety of ways. According to Lake Mary Counseling Center, symptoms include re-living the murder through flashbacks and nightmares, detachment and avoidance of things that may remind them of the murder, insomnia, becoming startled easily and having excessive emotions. There are several counseling techniques used by professionals to assist the witness of the murder to recover from the trauma.

  1. Cognitive Therapy

    • Cognitive therapy is often used by therapists when assisting witnesses in dealing with PTSD symptoms. According to the Mayo Clinic, cognitive therapy involves talking with a therapist who guides the witness and teaches her to recognize the thought patterns that are causing the negative reactions and symptoms. The therapist will also teach the witness techniques to change those thought patterns. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, cognitive therapy is generally the most effective technique in treating people with PTSD.

    Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing

    • Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing, or EMDR, is a technique that teaches the witness to follow specific eye movements while remembering the murder. Focusing on the eye movements helps the witness to better emotionally cope with the trauma. It is not clear how this process works, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, but the treatment has been shown to be effective in reducing the symptoms of PTSD.

    Exposure Therapy

    • Exposure therapy is used to expose the murder witness to the memory of the murder so often that eventually the witness becomes desensitized and able to think about the trauma without experiencing the symptoms of PTSD, states the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. The therapist assists the witness in modifying his reaction from one of overwhelming emotion to a manageable response.

    Group Therapy

    • Murder witnesses may benefit from group therapy. This is a technique in which a group of individuals who have witnessed a murder or similar trauma talk about their experiences. It is sometimes helpful for witnesses to realize that they are not alone in this experience. This process is guided by a therapist to help the witnesses process their reactions in a non-destructive manner.

Stress - Related Articles