Understanding PTSD

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a natural response to experiencing or witnessing something that overwhelms your ability to cope. Whether the trauma was recent or happened long ago, its effects can linger—showing up in ways that make it hard to feel calm, connected, or in control.

If you’re struggling to move forward, you’re not alone. PTSD is more common than many people realize, and recovery is possible. Therapy offers a place to make sense of what you’ve been through and begin to feel more steady and grounded again.

Signs and Symptoms

PTSD can show up in different ways, but some common signs include:

• Flashbacks or intrusive memories

• Nightmares or disrupted sleep

• Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected from others

• Feeling on edge or constantly alert

• Difficulty concentrating

• Avoiding reminders of the trauma, like certain people, places, or situations

• Trying not to think or feel anything related to the experience

These are survival responses—your brain and body trying to protect you. But over time, they can start to feel like they’re running the show. Therapy helps you understand what’s happening and gives you tools to respond differently.

Moral Injury

Sometimes the pain of trauma isn’t just about fear or danger—it’s about what the experience meant on a deeper level. You might be left grappling with guilt, shame, or a sense that something you witnessed or were part of violated your core values. This is often called moral injury.

Moral injury can come from many types of experiences—military service, healthcare work, first responder roles, or even moments in everyday life where you felt powerless to act differently. You may feel like you failed yourself or others, even if you were doing your best in an impossible situation.

These wounds go deep, and they don’t always show up in the typical ways we associate with trauma. Therapy can help you explore those painful questions, make sense of what happened, and begin to reconnect with a sense of integrity and self-compassion.

How Therapy Can Help

Therapy can help you make sense of what you’ve been through and support you in moving forward in a way that feels manageable. That might include:

• Working through painful memories so they feel less overwhelming

• Learning how to manage emotions that feel too big—or too flat

• Understanding how trauma affects your relationships, your body, and your sense of self

• Building ways to respond with more choice, rather than just reacting

Depending on your needs, we might draw from approaches that focus on processing trauma, improving emotional regulation, or exploring the deeper impact of past experiences. When helpful, that might include practices like EMDR, parts work, or mindfulness—but we’ll go at your pace, and we’ll figure it out together.

Your Path to Healing

Trauma affects everyone differently. That’s why therapy isn’t one-size-fits-all. We’ll work together to find a way forward that makes sense for you.

This is a space where you can talk openly—no pressure, no judgment. Just steady, thoughtful support to help you understand what’s going on, and what might help. You don’t have to have it all figured out before reaching out.

Ready to Take the Next Step?

If you’re ready to start this work—or even just thinking about it—I’d be glad to talk. Feel free to reach out with questions or to book a consultation. You don’t have to do this alone.