PTSD can keep a frightening or overwhelming experience feeling present long after it has passed, affecting sleep, mood, relationships, and daily functioning. Whether the event was recent or happened years ago, working with a psychologist offers a structured and safe way to understand what’s happening and to work towards managing its effects.
Veronica West is a registered psychologist (BPsychSc(Hons), MPH, MPsych) based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland. She works with adults and adolescents across Australia via secure telehealth, including people living with the effects of post-traumatic stress, both recent and longstanding. She has completed advanced training in EMDR and is registered with the EMDR Association of Australia (EMDRAA).
What Is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a recognised mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as an accident, assault, medical emergency, natural disaster, or sudden loss. It can also develop in people whose work regularly exposes them to distressing situations.
It’s normal to feel shaken after something frightening or overwhelming. For most people, that distress eases over time. PTSD involves a set of responses that persist for longer than a month and continue to interfere with daily life. PTSD is diagnosed by a qualified health professional, not by a checklist alone.
Common Signs of PTSD
PTSD can show up in different ways from person to person. Common signs include:
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about what happened
- Avoiding reminders, places, people, or conversations connected to the event
- Feeling constantly on edge, easily startled, or unable to relax
- Difficulty sleeping or concentrating
- Persistent negative beliefs about yourself, other people, or the world
- Feeling emotionally numb, detached, or cut off from those around you
- Strong or ongoing feelings of guilt, shame, fear, or anger
PTSD and Complex PTSD
PTSD usually relates to a single event or a small number of identifiable events. Complex PTSD (sometimes called C-PTSD) tends to develop after prolonged or repeated experiences, often beginning in childhood, such as ongoing abuse, neglect, or living in an unsafe environment.
Alongside the core symptoms of PTSD, complex trauma often affects emotional regulation, self-worth, and the ability to feel safe in relationships. Therapy is adapted accordingly, with more emphasis on safety, stabilisation, and building trust before any processing of memories begins. You can read more on the trauma page and in the article on complex trauma.
How Psychology Can Help With PTSD
Therapy for PTSD is structured and evidence-based. The first stage focuses on understanding what you’re experiencing, building a sense of safety, and strengthening grounding and regulation skills, so that any later work with traumatic memories stays within a manageable range.
From there, therapy can move at a pace that feels workable, using approaches with strong research support for post-traumatic stress. The aim is to help the nervous system and the mind process what happened, so the memory can begin to feel less present in day-to-day life. The pace and approach are guided by what feels safe and what you want to work towards.
Therapeutic Approaches
Several therapeutic approaches have strong research support for post-traumatic stress. The right combination depends on your situation and is decided together.
- Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR): a structured, evidence-based therapy that helps the brain finish processing distressing memories that have stayed stuck. EMDR is recommended by the World Health Organization and Phoenix Australia as a first-line treatment for post-traumatic stress.
- Trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT): structured work that addresses the thoughts, beliefs, and avoidance patterns that keep trauma responses active.
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT): building the capacity to stay connected to what matters, even while difficult thoughts and feelings are present.
- Grounding and regulation skills: practical strategies for managing flashbacks, hyperarousal, and distress, used throughout therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is PTSD?
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a recognised mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It involves responses such as intrusive memories, avoidance, feeling constantly on edge, and changes in mood and thinking that persist for longer than a month and interfere with daily life. PTSD is diagnosed by a qualified health professional.
What are the main symptoms of PTSD?
PTSD symptoms generally fall into four groups: re-experiencing the event (memories, flashbacks, nightmares), avoiding reminders of it, negative changes in mood and thinking, and feeling on edge or easily startled. Symptoms vary from person to person, and not everyone experiences all of them.
What is the most effective treatment for PTSD?
Australian and international guidelines, including Phoenix Australia and the World Health Organization, identify trauma-focused therapies as first-line treatments for PTSD. These include EMDR and trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. The most suitable approach depends on your situation and is decided together at the start of therapy.
Can PTSD be treated with online therapy?
Yes. Trauma-focused therapies, including EMDR, can be delivered effectively via secure telehealth for most adults, using the same structured phases as in-person work. Online delivery can make it easier to access trauma-informed support, particularly in regional and rural areas.
Do I need a diagnosis or a GP referral to start?
No diagnosis or referral is needed to begin therapy. If you’d like to access a Medicare rebate, you’ll need a Mental Health Treatment Plan from your GP. You can find current fee and funding information on the fees and funding page. For a fuller breakdown of what seeing a psychologist costs across Australia, see how much it costs to see a psychologist. If your post-traumatic stress is related to a work injury, sessions may also be funded through workers’ compensation (WorkCover Queensland and SIRA in New South Wales).
If you’re considering therapy for post-traumatic stress, you’re welcome to get in touch. You can read more about how Veronica works on the therapy page, or make contact through the contact page. There’s no pressure to have everything worked out before reaching out.
If you are in crisis or need urgent support, this service is not an emergency service. Please contact Lifeline on 13 11 14, or call 000 in an emergency.