CBT for trauma & PTSD
When a past event still feels present.
What you might notice
After trauma, some people experience intrusive memories, nightmares, feeling constantly on guard or avoiding reminders. With post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), these patterns persist and disrupt life. Experiences and needs vary, and you do not need to share every detail during an initial enquiry.
How CBT can help
An assessment helps us understand what support is suitable. Trauma-focused CBT can work with distressing memories and the meanings attached to them, reduce avoidance, and develop a clearer sense of the difference between then and now. We agree a pace and plan together, paying attention to safety and your current circumstances.
General information, not a diagnosis. Your experience and goals guide our assessment and the plan we agree together.
Further reading and sourcesHow the cycle can keep going
This example shows one way the pattern can be maintained. Your own triggers and responses may look different.
Read the cycle step by step
- Trigger: A sound or place linked to a traumatic experience
- Meaning: I’m back there. I’m not safe right now.
- Feelings and memory: Fear, vivid memories and a strong sense of threat.
- Response: Avoid reminders or push memories away.
- What keeps it going: Fewer chances to notice how the present is different.
The short-term response can make the pattern more likely to repeat. This is an illustration, not a diagnosis or an individual formulation.
What would feeling more present in your daily life make possible?
A free 5–10 minute consultation is a chance to talk about what you need and whether we could work well together.
Request a callback