Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. It affects around 1 in 3 people who go through severe trauma, and can cause distressing symptoms that significantly disrupt daily life. With the right therapy — particularly EMDR or trauma-focused CBT — most people with PTSD make a full or near-full recovery.
See therapies that may helpPTSD develops when the brain's normal memory processing is disrupted by overwhelming trauma. Instead of being stored as a past memory, the traumatic event remains "stuck" — continuing to intrude into the present through flashbacks, nightmares and intense emotional reactions.
PTSD can develop after any traumatic event — including road accidents, assault, military combat, natural disasters, medical emergencies, or witnessing violence. It can also develop in people who have heard about traumatic events happening to someone close to them.
Symptoms typically begin within a month of the traumatic event, though they can sometimes emerge months or even years later. PTSD is distinct from the normal distress that follows trauma — the key difference is that symptoms persist, worsen, or significantly interfere with daily functioning.
PTSD symptoms fall into four main clusters:
Symptoms should be present for more than a month and cause significant distress or functional impairment to meet a PTSD diagnosis. If symptoms have been present for less than a month, this may be acute stress disorder — still worth treating, but the timeline matters for diagnosis.
PTSD responds well to specialist therapy, and NICE guidelines recommend two first-line treatments:
Other approaches used for PTSD include:
General counselling without a trauma-specific focus is not recommended as a first-line treatment for PTSD. It is important to work with a therapist who has specific PTSD training.
If you are experiencing symptoms consistent with PTSD and they have lasted more than a month, seeking specialist help is important — PTSD rarely resolves on its own, and can worsen over time if untreated.
You can speak to your GP, who can refer you to trauma-focused therapies through NHS IAPT or specialist services. You can also self-refer to IAPT in England. For faster access or more specialist care, many people seek private therapy.
When choosing a therapist for PTSD, look specifically for EMDR-trained or trauma-focused CBT practitioners. The EMDR Association UK has a therapist directory, as does the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (BACP).
Showing 8 therapies linked to Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
| Therapy | Evidence | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Behavioural Therapist |
strong
|
Trauma-focused CBT helps you process traumatic memories and challenge the beliefs that keep PTSD's fear and avoidance alive. |
| EMDR Practitioner |
strong
|
EMDR uses guided eye movements while recalling the trauma, helping the brain reprocess distressing memories so they feel less intrusive. |
| Mindfulness Practitioner |
strong
|
Mindfulness builds skills to stay grounded in the present, easing the hypervigilance, flashbacks and emotional numbing common in PTSD. |
| Psychotherapist |
strong
|
Psychotherapy offers a safe space to work through traumatic experiences and the relationship and emotional difficulties PTSD often brings. |
| Arts Therapist |
moderate
|
Arts therapy lets you express trauma that is hard to put into words, offering a gentler route to processing painful PTSD memories. |
| Body Psychotherapist |
moderate
|
Body psychotherapy works with how trauma is held in the body, helping calm the persistent physical tension and arousal seen in PTSD. |
| Hypnotherapist |
moderate
|
Hypnotherapy can support PTSD by promoting deep relaxation and helping you revisit traumatic memories with less overwhelming distress. |
| Tension and Trauma Practitioner |
moderate
|
TRE uses gentle exercises to release the muscular tension stored after trauma, which may ease the physical arousal underlying PTSD. |
EMDR for single-event PTSD can be highly effective in as few as 6–12 sessions. Trauma-focused CBT typically runs 8–16 sessions. Complex or multiple-trauma presentations take longer. Most people with PTSD see significant improvement within 3–6 months of starting specialist therapy.
For some people, PTSD symptoms improve naturally over the weeks following a traumatic event. But if symptoms persist beyond a month and are disrupting daily life, spontaneous recovery becomes less likely. Specialist therapy significantly improves outcomes compared to waiting.
Both are NICE-recommended and effective. EMDR tends to work more quickly for single-event trauma and does not require you to describe events in detail. Trauma-focused CBT involves more structured work on the traumatic memory and related thought patterns. The best choice depends on individual preference and the therapist's expertise.
Yes — PTSD has significant physical health impacts including disrupted sleep, elevated stress hormones, cardiovascular effects, and a weakened immune system. The hyperarousal that characterises PTSD keeps the body in a state of chronic stress, which takes a physical toll over time.
Yes — delayed-onset PTSD, where symptoms emerge six months or more after the traumatic event, is well documented. It can be triggered by a subsequent stressor, life transition, or simply when coping mechanisms are no longer sufficient. A long gap between the trauma and symptoms does not make the condition less real or less treatable.