What Is The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP)? A Gentle Yet Powerful Approach to Healing Trauma

Trauma is increasingly recognized as a foundational factor in a wide range of mental, emotional, and physical health challenges. From anxiety and depression to chronic stress and illness, the unresolved impact of trauma can influence how individuals think, feel, and behave — often beneath the level of conscious awareness.

The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP) is a structured, three-step therapeutic modality designed to resolve trauma quickly, safely, and effectively by working with both the conscious and subconscious mind. Unlike traditional talk therapy, TRTP addresses the root cause of trauma, rather than just its symptoms, by allowing the nervous system to shift from a state of fight, flight, or freeze into calm regulation.

This article provides an overview of TRTP: what it is, how it works, and why it's considered a transformative approach for trauma recovery.

Understanding Trauma Through a Clinical Lens

In the clinical context, trauma is not defined solely by events, but by the nervous system’s response to them. A traumatic experience can overwhelm an individual’s ability to cope, resulting in unresolved emotional energy that becomes stored in the body and subconscious mind.

This "frozen" trauma can cause long-term dysregulation of the autonomic nervous system. Clients may experience:

• Chronic anxiety or panic

• Depression and low motivation

• Insomnia

• Emotional dysregulation

• Somatic symptoms (e.g., headaches, fatigue, digestive issues)

• Self-sabotaging behaviors or irrational fears

  
  

Traditional talk therapy has long been the standard approach for trauma treatment. However, it often does not adequately resolve deeply embedded trauma patterns, especially when clients remain in high states of hyper- or hypo-arousal.

Introducing The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP)

The Richards Trauma Process is a trauma resolution modality developed by Australian therapist Judith Richards. It integrates elements of hypnosis, Gestalt therapy, narrative reframing, and cognitive-behavioral therapy in a tightly structured, three-stage protocol.

The goal of TRTP is to bring the body and mind into alignment by shifting the client's internal experience of past trauma from one of helplessness or powerlessness to a state of safety, control, and resolution.

Key Characteristics of TRTP:

• Structured and time-limited: Typically completed in three to five sessions.

• Works at the subconscious level: Uses deep relaxation and trance states to access and reprogram trauma responses.

• Does not require detailed retelling of traumatic events: This reduces the risk of retraumatization.

• Designed to create lasting change: TRTP addresses the underlying beliefs and physiological responses that keep trauma "alive."

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The Three-Stage TRTP Process

Stage 1: Preparation and Empowerment

The initial stage focuses on stabilizing the client and preparing the subconscious for change.

This involves:

• Identifying and challenging limiting core beliefs (e.g., “I’m not safe,” “I’m powerless”).

• Establishing a foundation of internal safety and self-empowerment.

• Using guided processes, often including therapeutic trance work, to reframe negative thought patterns.

This phase is critical because trauma is sustained by disempowering beliefs that maintain a threat response in the nervous system. Before addressing specific traumatic memories, TRTP helps the client reconnect with their inner agency and sense of control.

Stage 2: Trauma Resolution at the Subconscious Level

In the second phase, the process facilitates the safe resolution of trauma by working directly with the subconscious. Clients are gently guided into a deeply relaxed state, where the brain becomes highly receptive to change.

Without requiring a detailed verbal recounting of traumatic events, the therapist assists the client in:

• Revisiting the trauma from a position of strength and safety.

• “Rewriting” the narrative of the traumatic event — the memory remains, but the emotional charge and physiological threat response are removed.

• Allowing the subconscious to accept that the event is in the past and no longer a danger.

This stage is considered the transformative core of TRTP. It enables the nervous system to let go of the hypervigilant or dissociative state that often persists after trauma.

Stage 3: Reintegration and Future Focus

The final stage helps the client consolidate their gains and integrate a future-oriented identity based on empowerment and wellbeing.

This may involve:

• Reinforcing new, empowering beliefs.

• Clarifying goals and visions for life beyond trauma.

• Supporting behavioral changes that reflect the new internal state.

Clients report feeling a profound shift: not only do they think differently — they feel different. The internal sense of safety, self-trust, and emotional freedom begins to translate into daily life.

Why TRTP Stands Out: Comparing It to Traditional Therapy

Traditional approaches to trauma often rely heavily on cognitive processing, exposure, and insight-based dialogue. While these can be beneficial, they may also be limited by the very nature of trauma — which is often held in the body and subconscious mind, not easily accessed through talk alone.

Here are several distinctions between TRTP and conventional therapy:

Aspect	Traditional Talk Therapy	The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP)
Duration	Ongoing, open-ended	Typically 3–5 structured sessions
Trauma Recall	May involve repeated retelling	Does not require detailed recounting
Focus	Cognitive awareness and coping	Subconscious resolution and empowerment
Client State	Often remains in high arousal or dissociation	Guided into regulated, calm states
Mechanism of Change	Insight, reflection, and behavior change	Reprogramming core beliefs and physiological patterns

Is TRTP Safe?

Yes — TRTP is designed to be both safe and non-retraumatizing. Because it does not require clients to re-experience trauma in vivid detail, it minimizes emotional overwhelm. The process is conducted by trained practitioners who adhere to a precise protocol, ensuring that the client is emotionally supported at every stage.

It’s especially suitable for clients who:

• Have not responded well to talk therapy or exposure-based methods

• Experience complex trauma (C-PTSD)

• Struggle with anxiety, panic, or depressive episodes linked to unresolved trauma

• Prefer a brief, results-oriented approach

Clinical Outcomes and Evidence

While TRTP is still emerging in terms of peer-reviewed research, clinical outcomes reported by practitioners and clients are consistently positive. Many individuals describe feeling a distinct “before and after” in their mental and emotional lives — often after just a few sessions.

Anecdotal evidence includes:

• Elimination or significant reduction of panic attacks

• Reduction in hypervigilance and emotional numbness

• Improved sleep, digestion, and energy

• A greater sense of confidence, safety, and self-efficacy

The process’s emphasis on the subconscious, narrative reframing, and nervous system regulation aligns with emerging neuroscience on trauma resolution — making TRTP a compelling option for integrative trauma care.

Final Thoughts: A Paradigm Shift in Trauma Healing

The Richards Trauma Process offers a groundbreaking approach for individuals seeking a deep and lasting resolution of trauma. It moves beyond symptom management to address the root patterns driving emotional distress and physiological dysregulation.

By integrating empowerment, subconscious reprogramming, and narrative transformation, TRTP allows clients to shift from merely coping to truly thriving.

At Merka Wellness, we are proud to offer this evidence-informed, gentle, and powerful healing process. Whether you're navigating anxiety, grief, past abuse, or chronic stress, TRTP may provide the breakthrough you’ve been seeking.

Interested in exploring TRTP for yourself or a loved one?

Contact us or book a discovery call to learn more about how The Richards Trauma Process can support your journey to healing.