If you’re experiencing PTSD, finding a qualified therapist can be an important step toward support and recovery.
In this article, we’ll explain how to find a therapist who is trained to help people with PTSD.
We’ll provide an overview of two platforms that can help you find the professional support you need.
PTSD Therapy Near Me
If you’re looking for support for PTSD, online services are available that let you connect with a trauma counselor anywhere in the United States.
Below, we’ve explained two of the best places to find a qualified PTSD therapist.
BetterHelp
BetterHelp is an online therapy platform where you can connect with a licensed therapist for support with PTSD.
To find a therapist on BetterHelp, you’ll first need to create an account. Registration is simple: just click the “Get Started” button and provide some basic information about yourself. This includes selecting the issue(s) you need help with (such as PTSD), your state, preferred language, gender, age, and other details to help BetterHelp find the right counselor for you.
Based on your answers, the platform matches you with a licensed therapist. It’s easy to switch to a different therapist at any point in the future, if needed.
Once connected with a therapist, you’ll have one live therapy session per week, usually over a video or audio call, depending on what works best for you.
You can also message your therapist between sessions, in case something comes up that you want to address the next time you speak.
All this makes therapy very accessible if you’re dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder, because you can connect with a licensed therapist from home, and choose a therapy format that suits you.
The service has several advantages: it’s possible to receive help from anywhere in the United States, choose a convenient time for sessions, and communicate in a comfortable setting for you.
Plus, financial aid options are available for certain socioeconomic groups, including veterans, which can make therapy on this platform very affordable to access.
Keep in mind that online therapy may be less effective if you’re facing severe PTSD and intensive trauma work is required. In such situations, you may want to visit a therapist in person.
Mental Health Today
Here at Mental Health Today, we have an online directory where you can find therapists who work with post-traumatic stress disorder.
To find a qualified specialist in this area, you select the Filters button, then choose “Trauma and PTSD” under “Specialty”. After that, you can view a list of therapists who specialize specifically in this field.
The service is an online catalog of licensed therapists, including PTSD specialists. Each counselor has their own personal profile. When you visit a profile, you can check out their qualifications, experience working with PTSD, and licensing information.
This lets you compare a range of specialists and pick the one that’s best for your specific needs. On the therapist’s page, you can also see their contact details, the therapy format (online or in-person), and view their website to learn more about them.
The advantage of the directory is that it brings together hundreds of licensed therapists in one place, making it easy to find the right one for your needs, especially if you want to seek counseling in person.
The platform itself doesn’t run online sessions, since it’s just a catalog, but you can arrange a remote consultation on PTSD issues directly with the therapist you choose, if they support online counseling.
What to look for in a PTSD therapist
When you’re looking for a therapist to work with PTSD, it’s important to understand that different counselors may work in different ways, and an approach that suits one person may not suit another.
The first thing to pay attention to is the therapist’s experience with PTSD.
For example, some therapists specialize in working with veterans who’ve experienced combat, while others work with people who’ve faced violence or serious accidents. Knowing the specific type of trauma allows the therapist to better understand your experience and provide support that matches your situation.
The next thing to think about is the communication style. During your first trial session, pay attention to how well the therapist listens and asks clarifying questions.
A good counselor will explain what to expect from the sessions: for example, at first, the work will focus on creating a safe space and building trust, and then gradually move on to a deeper exploration of traumatic memories. You may notice that the therapist uses clear explanations of their methods and the progress you’re making, which helps you feel in control of the process.
Pay attention to how the therapist interacts with you on an emotional level. You may feel how comfortable it is to share difficult memories, whether you notice support and understanding, and whether there’s a sense that your feelings are accepted without judgment. If you feel discomfort, it’s better to think about switching therapists; otherwise, therapy may turn out to be ineffective.
It’s also important to pay attention to practical aspects. You may find it more convenient to choose a specialist who offers online sessions if in-person meetings feel difficult. It’s also worth considering therapist insurance coverage, or whether they offer sliding-scale pricing (based on your income) if you don’t have insurance and would struggle to afford paying out of pocket.
In the end, try to find a trauma therapist who displays professionalism, a strong understanding of PTSD, and attentiveness to your feelings. This type of approach can help you feel comfortable opening up, and makes the therapy process more manageable and structured.
How PTSD is treated in therapy
When you start working with a therapist on PTSD, the first few sessions are often dedicated to getting to know each other and creating a safe space for treatment to occur. The therapist can help you understand what’s happening to you, explain the effects of PTSD, and discuss your goals in therapy.
These first few sessions help you learn how comfortable it is to talk about the trauma with the therapist you’re seeing. They also help to build trust, which is a key element on which all further work is based.
In the next stage, therapy may include different approaches, depending on your needs.
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is often used, where you work with thoughts and beliefs that lead to anxiety, fear, or guilt. For example, in sessions, you may discuss situations that cause stress and gradually learn to look at them differently, replacing destructive thoughts with more realistic and supportive ones.
Another common technique to treat trauma symptoms is Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), which lets you reprocess traumatic memories through special eye movement techniques or stimulation. Some therapists also combine different therapeutic methods, tailoring them to your individual needs.
It’s important to remember that each therapy session is built with your comfort and condition in mind. Sometimes you may discuss memories directly, and sometimes sessions will be more about skills (such as what to do when difficult memories surface) and emotional stabilization. The therapist will explain that progress isn’t always linear, and that’s normal.
Working with PTSD in therapy combines emotional support, structured work with memories, and developing skills for managing your condition in everyday life. After several sessions, you may start to feel that distressing memories are less frightening, and managing your emotions becomes easier.
Is online PTSD therapy effective?
If you’re thinking about seeking online therapy for PTSD, it’s important to understand what to expect, and how this type of counseling differs from in-person meetings.
You may find online therapy to be a convenient solution, especially if it’s hard to make time to visit a therapist’s office, or if you have a busy schedule.
Online sessions let you work with a therapist through video or audio, which can create a sense of comfort, especially in the beginning. You can be at home, in a familiar environment, which sometimes reduces anxiety and helps you focus on the process.
The effectiveness of online therapy largely depends on which methods are used and how comfortable you feel communicating through a screen. For example:
- CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy) adapts well to the online format, including working with thoughts and behavior patterns.
- EMDR can be conducted online if the therapist knows how to adapt the technique for a video session properly.
- Emotion regulation skills and mindfulness methods are often very effective online, since exercises are easy to do at home.
Some key advantages of online therapy:
- Flexible schedule and ability to choose a convenient time for each session, especially if you’re often busy at work or looking after your children.
- It’s easy to find a PTSD specialist in your state, even if you live in a small town or city.
- No need to spend time traveling.
- You can be in a comfortable, safe environment, which can make the therapy process easier, depending on your condition.
At the same time, it’s important to consider that online therapy can be harder if it’s difficult for you to focus on a screen, or if intensive work with traumatic memories is needed. It also may not be the best choice if you are struggling with severe PTSD symptoms.
However, in general, online PTSD therapy can be just as effective as in-person counseling, provided this mode of therapy suits your needs, and a stable internet connection is available. This makes online therapy a real alternative, especially when convenience and accessibility matter.
Cost of PTSD therapy
The cost of PTSD therapy can vary greatly depending on the counseling format, the therapist’s qualifications, and the city/state where you live.
On average, a 50-60 minute in-person trauma-focused therapy session in the US will cost around $100 to $200. In large cities, prices can be higher, sometimes up to $300 per session with an experienced therapist.
Online therapy is often more affordable. Many platforms offer sessions on a plan that costs $60 to $150 per week, including one live therapy session, just like when seeing a counselor in person.
The online format can also help you to reduce other expenses, like travel to the office, transportation costs, and taking time off work.
If you would struggle to afford the cost of PTSD counseling, there are some ways to save money:
- Insurance coverage – many insurance plans partially or fully cover therapy for issues that affect your daily functioning, such as PTSD. It’s worth checking this information with your insurance company.
- Sliding scale fees – sometimes you can access therapy for a reduced price if you’re facing financial difficulties at the moment.
- Financial aid – BetterHelp for example offers discounts for veterans and other social groups, as well as people facing financial hardship.
Conclusion
Working with PTSD is a process that can affect not only the mind, but also the body and emotions. Sometimes the path to recovery may feel slow or unpredictable, and that’s completely normal.
Therapy for such trauma shouldn’t be based on achieving quick results; what matters more is that over time, you can start taking steps toward understanding your emotions, exploring your reactions to traumatic events, and improving your ability to cope with them.
If you’re still not sure how best to find a PTSD therapist, leave us a comment below, and we’ll help out.
