PTSD happens after you experience or witness trauma, like violence, abuse, domestic violence, sexual abuse, assault, neglect, serious injury, or a natural disaster. It can also develop after childhood trauma or early childhood trauma. People may have hypervigilance, panic, irritability, emotional dysregulation, or dissociation. These symptoms are listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.
PTSD is not a weakness. It’s a mental health condition that can affect your behavior, cognition, and emotion. The mind may replay memories through flashbacks or nightmares. Some people feel shame, anger, blame, or grief. Others may face depression, anxiety disorder, panic disorder, bipolar disorder, social anxiety, or a mood disorder at the same time.
Online therapy connects you with therapists, clinicians, or psychiatric providers using video calls, phone, or chat. Platforms like Talkspace or Talkiatry make accessibility easier. You can meet with a therapist, MSW, or health professional without leaving your home.
In an online therapy session, you and your therapist create a plan. They may use exposure therapy, dialectical behavior therapy, anger management, or other treatments. This is guided by research, systematic review, and randomized controlled trial evidence.
Online therapy can also include couples therapy or counseling for dysfunctional family situations or divorce recovery.
Accessibility for people with limited transportation or who live far from care.
Flexible scheduling to fit around work or family.
Private space for healing.
Ability to work with licensed mental health professionals.
Covered by many health insurance plans under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act.
This helps you face memories or triggers in a safe way. It reduces fear and anxiety through desensitization.
DBT teaches coping skills for emotional dysregulation, anger, and shame. It’s often used for personality disorder symptoms.
Cognition work helps you change harmful thought patterns and improve understanding of your feelings.
You tell your story to gain confidence and create a new narrative about your experience.
Psychiatry may recommend medication like selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) or other reuptake inhibitor medicines. These boost serotonin in the mind to ease depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
Flashback or nightmares
Hypervigilance or constant alertness
Sleep problems or insomnia
Irritability, anger, or shame
Fatigue or pain
Panic attacks or social isolation
Suicidal ideation
Dissociation
Changes in mood or behavior
Eating changes
Racing thoughts
Loss of joy
PTSD can affect anyone. Risk factors include:
Adverse childhood experiences
Early childhood trauma
Substance abuse
Neglect
Violence
Sexual dysfunction
Addiction
Past disease or serious injury
A therapist or clinician may start with an evaluation or psychological evaluation to make a diagnosis. They’ll review information about your experience, symptoms, and feeling patterns.
They may also use tools from the American Psychological Association and psychology best practices. Some therapy includes meditation, exercise, or anger management to improve health.
If you have substance abuse, addiction, or eating concerns, your therapist may also refer you to specialized providers.
PTSD often comes with other conditions:
Depression
Anxiety disorder
Bipolar disorder
Phobia
Personality disorder
Panic disorder
Postpartum depression
Mood disorder
Social anxiety
An online mental health professional can help you manage both PTSD and other conditions.
While therapy is key, self-care matters too:
Exercise to reduce stress
Meditation for calmness
Healthy eating to improve health
Getting enough sleep
Finding joy in small things
Building confidence
Practicing anger management
American Psychological Association – www.apa.org
National Center for PTSD – www.ptsd.va.gov
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – www.samhsa.gov
National Domestic Violence Hotline – www.thehotline.org
Yes. Research, including systematic review and randomized controlled trial studies, shows online therapy can reduce mental distress, improve mood, and help with healing. Contact us today for more information.
