PTSD Counseling
San Antonio Mental Health Therapist for PTSD
The Best Therapists in San Antonio for Mental Health
At A New Start Counseling Services in San Antonio, TX, we understand the challenges and struggles individuals living with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) face. Our dedicated team of clinicians is committed to providing compassionate and comprehensive counseling and therapy services to help patients heal, cope, and thrive after experiencing traumatic events. Learn more down below and contact us to get started with either in-person individual counseling or virtual therapy.
What is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?
PTSD is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event; this event can be something like a:
Natural disaster
Military combat
A serious accident
Neglect
Physical assault
Random acts of violence
Domestic or intimate partner violence
Rape or sexual abuse / assault
The sudden loss of a loved one
Being diagnosed with a life-threatening illness
Unexpected events including car accidents, acts of terrorism, or industrial accidents
Do You Experience Symptoms of PTSD?
If you frequently experience symptoms like intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance of triggers, or changes in mood and behavior, seeking professional help is an important step on your road to wellness and recovery. Other key symptoms include:
- Reliving traumatic events: Individuals who have experienced traumatic events may have vivid and recurring nightmares, or they may continuously relive the experience through flashbacks.
- Experiencing Triggers: Individuals may experience triggering events. This happens when an experience or one of the five senses (i.e. sights, sounds, or smells) remind them of their traumatic situation
- Avoidance: It is not uncommon for a person with a trauma history to want to avoid situations that remind them of the experience or event that was traumatizing. Those who have been through traumatic experiences may want to avoid situations that remind them of the trauma in the future.
- Negative thoughts / changes in beliefs and feelings: Post Traumatic Stress Disorder can trigger the onset of automatic negative thinking patterns which can change the way you think about yourself, others and safety as a result of trauma. For example some individuals may experience negative thoughts or feelings towards people they once cared about which can lead to them withdrawing from important relationships, friendships and social connections in their life. Or someone may develop negative thinking patterns or feelings toward the world in general, they may believe it is dangerous and unsafe.
- Experiencing hyperarousal: Those who have experienced trauma may have many physical reactions that include sweating, racing heart, aroused, constantly on the lookout for danger, irritability or aggression, risky or destructive behavior, hypervigilance, heightened startle reaction, difficulty concentrating, and difficulty sleeping
Our role is to help you learn to effectively manage a potential PTSD diagnoses by learning skills in session with one of our San Antonio therapists.
Different Approaches to PTSD Counseling
Cognitive-Processing Therapy (CPT):
Collaboratively exploring thoughts, feelings, and behaviors connected to traumatic experiences this modality helps patients learn how to challenge and modify unhelpful beliefs related to the trauma. In doing so, the patient creates a new understanding and conceptualization of the traumatic event so that it reduces its ongoing negative effects on current life.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR):
EMDR is a specialized therapeutic technique that helps individuals process traumatic memories and reduce the emotional distress associated with them.
Mindfulness-Based Therapy:
Mindfulness techniques, such as deep breathing exercises and grounding exercises, can help individuals manage the symptoms of PTSD by bringing attention to the present moment.
Trauma Focused - Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT):
TF-CBT is one specific kind of CBT. It focuses on psycho-education and parenting, relaxation techniques, affective expression and regulation, cognitive coping and processing, trauma narrative development and processing, in vivo exposure, Conjoint parent-child sessions and Enhancing safety and future development.
Prolonged Exposure Therapy:
The therapy allows you to work through painful memories in a safe and supportive environment by telling the story of what happened to you and challenging unhelpful thinking patterns. It also allows you to participate in activities you have been avoiding because of the trauma by slowly working through avoidance behaviors.
Choose Our San Antonio Counseling Services for PTSD
By utilizing evidence-based treatment modalities, A New Start Counseling Services provides comprehensive support tailored to each client's unique needs. If you or your loved one is struggling with PTSD, reach out to our trauma therapists today, and let us guide you toward a brighter, more resilient future.