Trauma and PTSD
After difficult events the mind does not always return to normal on its own. There are methods with high proven effectiveness — trauma-focused CBT and EMDR.
What a traumatic reaction is
With an ordinary memory we know the event is in the past. With a traumatic one the memory has not been “filed” in the normal way: it comes back in fragments — images, sounds, bodily sensations — and is experienced as happening now.
To avoid this, the person begins to avoid everything that recalls the event. Avoidance brings brief relief but prevents the memory from being processed — and the symptoms persist for years.
A separate part of the problem is the conclusions a person draws about themselves and the world: “I should have prevented it”, “it is my fault”, “the world is unsafe”, “I cannot trust people”. These beliefs go on affecting life long after the event.
What works
Trauma-focused CBT. Gradual, controlled work with the memory in safe conditions, plus work with post-traumatic beliefs. The memory does not disappear, but it stops intruding and stops producing an acute reaction.
EMDR. A method recommended by the World Health Organization for treating PTSD. With the help of bilateral stimulation — eye movements or tapping — the brain processes the “stuck” memory. The event remains in memory but loses its charge.
Schema therapy — for complex trauma, where the issue is not a single event but prolonged experience: childhood abuse, neglect, years in an unsafe environment. Here the work goes more slowly and reaches deep schemas.
How we begin
Not with the memory. The first stage is stabilisation: skills for handling strong emotions, work on sleep, restoring a sense of control. We move to the traumatic material itself only when there is something to lean on. You set the pace, and you can stop at any step.
How long it takes
A single traumatic event — often 8–20 sessions. Complex trauma and prolonged traumatic experience — substantially longer; the work is measured in months and years.
Important
If less than a month has passed since a difficult event, the symptoms may be a normal reaction that will pass on its own. That does not mean help is unnecessary — but a diagnosis of PTSD is not made during this period.
If you have thoughts of harming yourself, call emergency services on 112.
The methods we use for this concern
Cognitive behavioural therapy
The most researched approach in psychotherapy. Short, focused, structured work with the connection between thoughts, emotions and behaviour.
Schema therapy
A development of CBT for working with deep, repeating patterns that formed in childhood and go on shaping life.
EMDR
A specialised method for working with traumatic memories, recommended by the World Health Organization for the treatment of PTSD.
Book a psychologist
Leave your contact details — a coordinator will clarify what you need and suggest a specialist and a format.