What is your go-to approach for PTSD/trauma therapy?

My go-to approaches for helping people with PTSD or trauma are memory reframing and EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing). These and other trauma-informed therapies allow individuals to quickly and effectively diminish the overwhelming feelings often associated with trauma, allowing for more efficient recovery and return to normal functioning.

What tools do you teach in PTSD/trauma therapy?

When working with individuals struggling with PTSD/trauma, I often teach various self-regulating skills including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, mindfulness approaches, and even effective but unconventional approaches such as Japanese Shinrin-yoku to reduce anxiety and increase emotional control and serenity.

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in PTSD/trauma therapy?

I know a client is making meaningful progress in PTSD/trauma therapy when they can self-regulate their emotions, diminish their reflexive response to traumatic triggers, and review the memory of the trauma without feeling overwhelmed.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement PTSD/trauma therapy?

Clients can supplement their time in PTSD/trauma therapy with intentional, consistent self-care including mindfulness, appropriate rest/sleep, good nutrition, physical exercise, and engaging with others in their social support network.

What should someone do to prepare for starting PTSD/trauma therapy?

To prepare for the first PTSD/trauma therapy session, it's helpful to try and relax. Don't arrive with a lot of expectations or fears. Trauma therapy is carefully paced to reduce re-triggering, and clients will benefit from plenty of rest and trusting the therapeutic process.

Offered in-person & online

Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Manassas, VA

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801 people sought Trauma/PTSD therapy help at Manassas in the last year

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How PTSD Can Develop

In response to a traumatic event, some people may develop PTSD. Certain things can raise an individual’s risk for PTSD, including…

Living through an on-going or acute traumatic event.
How an individual’s brain releases and regulates certain hormones during perceived or real stress, danger, or threats.
A genetic history of mental illness—especially anxiety or depression.
The type of trauma that occurred—particularly its intensity and duration.
Other trauma that an individual has experienced—especially child neglect and abuse.
Working in a profession that is regularly exposed to trauma: military, doctors, first responders, police, and more.
A past or current addiction.
Poor social and emotional support from friends or family members.

Trauma comes in many shapes and forms. No list could contain all the traumas an individual may experience, but common forms include physical assault, sexual violence, being diagnosed with a terminal illness, combat exposure, receiving a threat, being bullied, child abuse (physical, emotional, or sexual), living through an accident (fire, car wreck, and more).

PTSD: Long-term Effects of Trauma

There are four types of effects that PTSD can cause:

Avoidance
PTSD can lead people to live in fear and avoidance or anything that in any way may be associated with the trauma they experienced. They may withdraw into a small world and cut out the good as well as the hard that life has to offer. When people are avoiding, they may…

Stopping meeting up with friends or family members because they do not want to be in a crowd or feel trapped.
Refuse to drive or ride in a car.
Stop watching TV, avoid reading the newspaper, refuse to go to movies, et cetera.

Re-experiencing the Trauma
PTSD may cause people to relive the trauma again and again. Within moments, the feelings and the sensations can arise. When people are re-experiencing the trauma, they may…

Be having night terrors or nightmares that remind them of the trauma or that replay the trauma.
Experience intrusive memories or flashbacks that pop up at inopportune times.
Be triggered by certain sights, sounds, or smells that bring the trauma to their attention.

Hyperarousal
Even after the danger has passed, trauma can leave people hyper-alert and unable to feel safe. Hyperarousal can look like…

Being nervous, irritable, or angry.
Difficulty falling or staying asleep.
Difficulty focusing.
Startling easily.

Negative Impact to One’s Feeling and Beliefs
PTSD can change the way that people think about the world, other people, themselves, and the trauma. People may come to believe negative, untrue things like…

All people are unsafe and untrustworthy.
The traumatic event should be forgotten and not spoken about.
The world is a harmful, threatening place to live.

Appointments at Thriveworks Manassas in Prince William for PTSD

Whether PTSD develops or not may be outside of an individual’s control, but seeking help is within their control. Therapy is often the best way to fight back against the effects of PTSD.

If you are ready to start therapy for PTSD, know that Thriveworks Manassas in Prince William has appointments available. We also accept many different forms of insurance. Call today.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.

Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Insurance options

Self-pay costs

Our Virginia therapists and counselors accept 1 insurance plans

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Self-pay costs at Manassas

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

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★★★★★

Sarah Hawkins is a very compassionate person. She always encouraged me to try my hardest to solved my problems using her advise. I am bless for having her as my therapist.

Read more Sarah Hawkins is a very compassionate person. She always encouraged me to try my hardest to solved my problems using her advise. I am bless for having her as my therapist.

Sarah Feb 2024