PTSD / trauma
Intrusive memories, avoidance, and heightened arousal following a traumatic event, treated with trauma-informed care paced to your readiness, never forced.
What it is
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a psychiatric condition that can develop following exposure to a traumatic event, marked by intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in mood or thinking, and heightened physiological arousal. Presentation and severity vary widely depending on the nature and duration of the trauma.
Common symptoms & concerns
- Distressing memories, flashbacks, or nightmares related to the traumatic event
- Avoidance of reminders, places, or conversations associated with the trauma
- Persistent negative beliefs, guilt, or emotional numbing
- Hypervigilance, exaggerated startle response, irritability, or sleep disturbance
Assessment & care
Assessment approach
Assessment is trauma-informed and paced according to your readiness, with severity and safety — including any self-harm risk — assessed directly before a plan is proposed.
In-scope care
In-scope care includes EMDR/trauma-focused therapy and individual psychotherapy, with mind-body practices available for nervous-system regulation alongside trauma therapy. Trauma processing and somatic regulation address the cognitive and physiological dimensions of trauma together, since physiological arousal can otherwise limit how much processing work a patient can tolerate in a session.
Treatments used
Related questions
No. PTSD can develop after any event experienced as traumatic, including accidents, assault, medical trauma, or prolonged distressing circumstances, not only combat or large-scale disasters.
No. Trauma-informed assessment is paced according to the patient's readiness, and trauma-focused work such as EMDR does not require a detailed verbal account before processing can begin.
Some people's symptoms ease naturally over time, but persistent or severe symptoms generally benefit from structured treatment; this is assessed individually rather than assumed either way.