PTSD e ansia correlata al trauma
Se ti è successo qualcosa e il tuo corpo sembra ancora pensare che stia succedendo, non è debolezza. È così che funziona il trauma. Lo stesso sistema nervoso che ti ha protetto allora fatica ad imparare che ora sei, di fatto, altrove.
PTSD is a condition that develops after exposure to traumatic events, marked by intrusive memories, avoidance, hyperarousal, and changes in mood. Treatment in Los Angeles uses evidence-based approaches including EMDR, Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Trauma-Focused CBT. Care is paced, trauma-informed, and consent-led — none of these treatments require you to relive everything in graphic detail.
Non devi giustificare quello che porti con te.
Alcuni momenti riconoscibili, nelle parole usate da altre persone. Se alcuni di questi risuonano — è un'informazione, non un verdetto.
Qualcosa di piccolo ti ricorda qualcosa di grande, e il corpo reagisce prima che la mente riesca a stare al passo.
Il sonno è difficile. Lo sono anche le folle, certi posti, certe persone — a volte per ragioni che non sai spiegare.
Ti senti distaccato — dal corpo, dalle persone, dalla giornata davanti a te.
La rabbia o il torpore compaiono nei momenti sbagliati e non sempre se ne vanno quando li inviti ad andare.
Hai lavorato sodo per funzionare. La maggior parte dei giorni ce la fai. Il costo è nascosto.
Non sei sicuro che quello che hai vissuto "conti" come trauma. Non eri in combattimento. Non eri…
Parlarne ha la sensazione di renderlo reale, quindi per lo più non l'hai fatto.
Come si sviluppa di solito questo tipo di ansia.
PTSD affects approximately 3.6% of US adults in any given year, and a much larger fraction will meet the criteria at some point in their life. Trauma is significantly more common than the public conversation suggests, and what counts as 'trauma enough' is set by the body, not by external comparisons.
It is not the size of the event that determines whether PTSD develops — it's whether the body finished processing the experience or got stuck. Variables that affect this include support available at the time, prior trauma history, the meaning the event took on, and biological factors like genetics and pre-existing conditions.
What we see most often: clients who have spent years working hard to be functional, and who only recently realized the cost. Or clients who experienced something that 'shouldn't have' affected them this much, and feel embarrassed asking for help. Both are welcome here. The size of the event is not the qualifier.
"Pacing matters. Consent matters. The therapeutic relationship matters. Stabilization comes before any deeper processing."
Distinguerlo da schemi simili.
Una breve chiarificazione, in linguaggio semplice, su come questa condizione si distingue da schemi che sembrano simili.
What PTSD is: the persistent presence of intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thought and mood, and hyperarousal — for more than a month after a traumatic event, with significant impact on daily life.
What PTSD isn't: only military combat (that's a small fraction of who develops PTSD). A normal grief response (which has its own arc). General anxiety unconnected to a specific event or events. A character flaw or a sign of weakness. Something you have to have experienced extreme violence to have.
Come può aiutare la terapia
Esistono diversi trattamenti basati sull'evidenza per il PTSD, e quale sia quello giusto dipende dalla persona e dal tipo di trauma. Utilizziamo EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), la Terapia di Elaborazione Cognitiva (CPT) e la CBT focalizzata sul trauma. Ciascuno ha una solida base di ricerca alle spalle. Nessuno di essi richiede di rivivere tutto nei minimi dettagli per migliorare.
Siamo uno studio trauma-informed, il che significa che la struttura stessa del trattamento è progettata per non ri-traumatizzare. Il ritmo conta. Il consenso conta. La relazione terapeutica conta. Iniziamo con la stabilizzazione — costruendo le risorse per fare il lavoro più profondo — prima di qualsiasi elaborazione più intensa.
La terapia di gruppo per il trauma è condotta con una cura particolare. Utilizziamo specifici tipi di gruppi trauma-informed dove la struttura protegge tutti i presenti. Per molte persone, il gruppo è il luogo in cui finalmente riescono a dire le parole che non sono mai riuscite a dire.
Approcci che utilizziamo
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)
Evidence-based protocol that helps the brain finish processing traumatic memories. Particularly useful for single-incident trauma but effective for complex trauma too.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Evidence-based protocol focused on the meaning the trauma made — the beliefs about yourself, others, and the world that shifted as a result.
Trauma-Focused CBT
Structured approach combining cognitive work with paced, careful exposure. Works well when there's specific, identifiable trauma content to address.
Common shapes PTSD takes
Non esistono due presentazioni esattamente uguali. Di seguito trovi le forme più comuni che vediamo nella nostra pratica — incluse per aiutarti a trovare la versione più vicina a quello che stai vivendo.
Single-incident PTSD
Symptoms tied to one specific event — accident, assault, medical event, natural disaster. Often responds quickly to EMDR or CPT.
Complex / developmental PTSD (C-PTSD)
Symptoms tied to chronic or developmental experiences — childhood neglect, abuse, prolonged unsafe environments. Treatment is longer; same evidence-based modalities apply.
Medical PTSD
PTSD following ICU admission, serious illness, traumatic birth, surgical complications. Often missed because the focus stays medical rather than psychological.
Vicarious / secondary trauma
Common in healthcare workers, first responders, attorneys, journalists, social workers. Cumulative, not single-incident; specific treatment frameworks apply.
Combat / military trauma
We work with veterans and active-duty service members; coordination with VA care when applicable.
Trauma without PTSD
Many people have trauma histories without meeting PTSD criteria but still benefit from trauma-informed care. Same modalities, calibrated to what fits.
Un tipico percorso di trattamento, settimana per settimana.
Ogni persona procede al proprio ritmo. Le fasi seguenti sono uno schizzo onesto di come il lavoro di solito si svolge — non una prescrizione.
Stabilization (weeks 1–6)
Build the resources — physical, emotional, relational — to do the deeper work safely. This phase is non-negotiable. Some clients stay here for longer, and that's fine.
Processing (weeks 6–20)
The active trauma-processing phase. EMDR, CPT, or TF-CBT depending on what fits. Many clients describe this phase as harder than expected and more relieving than expected.
Integration (weeks 20+)
Reorganizing life around the new internal landscape. The trauma is no longer running things in the background. The work shifts to building forward.
Schemi specifici della popolazione di LA che serviamo.
In our LA practice, the most common trauma presentations are: medical PTSD following ICU admissions or traumatic births at LA hospitals; complex trauma in clients from immigrant or refugee backgrounds (we work in eight languages, which often matters); vicarious trauma in our healthcare and entertainment-industry clients; and post-pandemic complicated grief that has matured into a trauma response. Our trauma-informed group options are held with extra care around screening and structure.
Dove avviene questa cura nell'area metropolitana di LA.
Our office is in Pasadena (301 N. Lake Ave, Suite 600) with parking on site and easy access from the 134, 210, and 110 — most of our in-person clients commute from the San Gabriel Valley, the Eastside neighborhoods (Eagle Rock, Highland Park, Atwater Village), the Glendale–Burbank corridor, and central Los Angeles. For clients in the Westside, the San Fernando Valley, the South Bay, Long Beach, and Orange County, telehealth is often the more practical format. California has strong telehealth parity laws (Bus. & Prof. Code §2290.5) — most major insurance plans cover telehealth at the same in-network rate as in-person care, and our clinicians see clients across the full state.
Quello che le persone chiedono prima della prima chiamata.
I don't think what happened to me 'counts' as trauma.
Many people who arrive saying this turn out to have something that responds to trauma-informed treatment. Trauma isn't defined by the size of the event; it's defined by what your nervous system did with it. We'll figure that out together — there's no gatekeeping.
Will I have to relive everything?
No. Modern trauma treatment specifically does not require detailed retelling for healing to occur. EMDR, in particular, can be effective with relatively minimal verbal content. We move at the pace your nervous system can carry.
Is group therapy safe for trauma?
Yes, when held correctly. We use specific kinds of trauma-informed groups with extra care around structure and boundaries. Many clients find the group deeply healing — saying things they've never said and being heard without judgment.
What about complex / developmental trauma?
We work with complex trauma extensively. The course is usually longer and the stabilization phase is more substantial, but the same evidence-based modalities apply. Many of our clinicians have specialized training in this area.
How long does PTSD treatment take?
Single-incident PTSD often resolves in 12–20 sessions of EMDR or CPT. Complex trauma is typically longer — 6 months to several years depending on history. Either way, you should feel meaningful change well within the first 12 weeks.
Se questo risuona, spesso lo fanno anche questi.
Disturbo di panico e attacchi di panico
Most people who've had a panic attack remember it the way you remember a bad fall.
Leggi di Disturbo di panico
Disturbo d'ansia generalizzata
If your mind has been busy for so long you can't remember when it wasn't, you're describing what we treat every week.
Leggi di Ansia generalizzata (DAG)
Disturbo ossessivo-compulsivo
OCD is often misunderstood as being neat or particular about things.
Leggi di DOCLa prima conversazione è breve. Al resto pensiamo noi.
Qualunque cosa tu abbia provato prima, da quanto tempo dura — contattaci per telefono, e-mail o modulo di contatto. Il nostro coordinatore sanitario risponde alle domande, verifica l'assicurazione e ti aiuta a trovare il clinico più adatto a te.