PTSD and Psychological Trauma: Professional Psychological Help
After a severe or threatening event, the experience doesn't always end when the event itself is over. Intrusive memories, anxiety, sleep disturbances, avoidance, emotional numbness, irritability, and constant hypervigilance can persist and significantly affect everyday life.
A consultation with a medical psychologist can help assess your psychological state, understand which effects of the traumatic experience are still present now, and determine an individual support strategy. If medical diagnosis or treatment is needed, a consultation with a relevant physician is recommended.
After What Kinds of Events Help May Be Needed
A threat to life or serious physical safety
An accident, disaster, severe injury, or sudden medical event
Violence, assault, stalking, or another threatening experience
Combat and other extreme events
The sudden loss of a loved one or traumatic circumstances of loss
Prolonged exposure to a dangerous, humiliating, or controlling environment
Witnessing a severe event that happened to another person
Professional work with repeated exposure to traumatic events
Not every difficult event leads to PTSD. People's reactions vary, and a diagnosis is made only after a professional assessment.
What Symptoms May Persist After Trauma
Intrusive Re-experiencing
Unwanted memories, vivid images, nightmares, a sense that the event is happening again, and strong emotional or physical reactions to reminders.
Avoidance
A tendency to avoid talking about what happened, and to avoid people, places, situations, thoughts, or feelings that are reminders of the event.
Constant Hypervigilance
Difficulty relaxing, irritability, heightened reactions to sounds and surprises, and disrupted sleep and concentration.
Changes in Emotional State
Detachment, emotional numbness, feelings of guilt or shame, loss of interest, reduced trust, and a sense of alienation.
Effects on Daily Life
Reduced ability to function, difficulties in relationships, avoidance of everyday tasks, and using alcohol or other substances to ease the symptoms.
Important to Understand
PTSD or a Normal Reaction to a Difficult Event?
In the first days and weeks after a severe event, strong emotional and physiological reactions can be a natural part of adjustment. Not every case of anxiety, insomnia, or recurring memories means PTSD.
Seeking a professional assessment is especially important if symptoms persist, worsen, interfere with work, relationships, and everyday life, if a person begins significantly limiting themselves through avoidance, or tries to manage their state with alcohol, medication, or other substances.
What Happens During the First Consultation
We discuss your current concerns and how they affect your life
We carefully gather the history of your condition — without needing to immediately describe the traumatic event in detail
We assess symptoms, emotional state, sleep, anxiety, avoidance, functioning level, and available resources
We discuss any previous psychological and medical help
We assess safety factors and signs of conditions that require medical care
We develop an individual strategy for further psychological work
If needed, we recommend a consultation with a psychiatrist, neurologist, or other relevant specialist
How Psychological Work May Be Structured
Working with psychological trauma is not simply about requiring someone to "relive everything that happened in detail once more." The pace and format are determined by the person's condition, safety, resources, and the nature of their experience.
Stabilization and Self-Regulation
Skills for managing strong arousal, anxiety, physical tension, sleep disturbances, and reactions to triggers.
Working with Avoidance and Triggers
Gradually regaining a sense of control over situations that have come to feel dangerous.
Processing the Traumatic Experience
Where indicated — trauma-focused approaches aimed at processing memories and emotional reactions.
Restoring Everyday Life
Returning to relationships, work, interests, plans, and a sense of safety.
EMDR and Other Methods
Depending on the person's condition and goals, methods of medical psychology may be used within the scope of professional competence. The method is chosen not based on trends, but to fit the specific clinical and psychological situation.
International clinical guidelines classify individual trauma-focused psychotherapeutic approaches, including EMDR, as evidence-based methods for PTSD.
When Trauma Is Combined with Anxiety, Depressive Symptoms, or Dependence
In real practice, the effects of trauma can be combined with anxiety, low mood, sleep disturbances, chronic pain, or the use of alcohol or other psychoactive substances. In such cases, it's important not to look at each symptom in isolation.
In complex, co-occurring cases, an individual pathway is developed: psychological work, and where needed, consultations with physicians and other relevant specialists.
When a Doctor or Emergency Help Is Needed
A psychological consultation does not replace medical or emergency care. If there is a marked worsening of condition, psychotic symptoms, serious disorganization of behavior, a threat of harm to yourself or others, suicidal thoughts with intent or a plan, or other acute states, urgent medical help should be sought.
If symptoms require a medical diagnosis or medication treatment, Natalia recommends a consultation with a psychiatrist or another relevant physician.
If Previous Help Hasn't Given the Expected Result
Sometimes a person has already seen several specialists and tried different methods, but the symptoms persist or keep coming back.
In such cases, you can get a second expert opinion within the scope of a medical psychologist's competence — assessing the psychological picture, previous help received, and the factors sustaining the symptoms.
Get a Second Expert OpinionPersonal and VIP Support for Complex Cases
When psychological trauma is combined with other psychological or medical issues, when several specialists are needed, or when treatment takes place across different facilities, a personal support format can be helpful — with coordination of specialists and facilities in Russia and abroad.
Learn More About Personal Support
Natalia Zentsova
Over 20 years of professional practice. Works with complex cases, psychological trauma and PTSD, dependencies, codependency, and crisis states, and also provides a second expert opinion and personal support.
More About MeFrequently Asked Questions
Do I need to describe my trauma in detail at the first session?
Can I tell on my own whether I have PTSD?
Do you work with the effects of trauma online?
Do you use EMDR?
How many consultations will I need?
Can I reach out if I started drinking alcohol or using other substances after the trauma?
Is it possible to completely forget the traumatic event?
If What You Experienced Continues to Affect Your Life
You don't need to determine on your own whether your condition is PTSD. You can start with a professional assessment: reviewing your symptoms, how they affect your life, and identifying a suitable next step.
Book a Consultation