Understanding Trauma & PTSD
Past events still stuck in your nervous system — hypervigilance, avoidance, flashbacks.
Trauma-informed therapy (EMDR, IFS, somatic, and CBT-based approaches) helps reprocess stuck material. We work at your pace, with psychiatric support available when symptoms demand it. Safety and stabilization come first.
Trauma & PTSD care at a glance
- Who we treat
- Adults 18+
- Where
- In person in Scottsdale, AZ · Telehealth in AZ, NY, KS, MN, OR, WA
- Insurance
- Commercial insurance accepted for psychiatry and therapy
- Care team
- Psychiatry, therapy, and primary care clinicians working as one team — not a single provider
How it shows up
After an overwhelming event, the nervous system can stay stuck in response mode — hypervigilance, flashbacks, avoidance, numbness, and trouble sleeping. The threat is over, but your body hasn't gotten the message.
What's driving it
Trauma lives in the survival brain, below the reasoning brain, which is why knowing you're safe doesn't make you feel safe. Effective treatment works with the system — EMDR, somatic, and trauma-focused CBT — at your pace, with psychiatric support when symptoms demand it.
When to seek help
If weeks or months after an event you're still avoiding, on guard, or reliving it, or if it's affecting sleep and relationships, reach out. Safety and stabilization come first, but you don't have to white-knuckle this alone.
Who We Typically See
Someone carrying something heavy, whether one event or years of it. They may be on guard all the time, avoid reminders, sleep badly, or feel numb. Many have managed for years and are tired of managing.
Treatment Options at a Glance
Helping your nervous system learn the danger has passed.
We combine trauma-focused therapy with targeted medication for sleep, nightmares, and hypervigilance, always at your pace.
Trauma-focused therapy
What it targets
Processing memories so they lose their charge.
Evidence-based approaches like CPT, prolonged exposure, and EMDR.
SSRIs & SNRIs
What it targets
Hypervigilance, intrusive memories, and mood.
Sertraline and paroxetine are FDA-approved for PTSD.
Prazosin
What it targets
Trauma nightmares and disrupted sleep.
Blocks the adrenaline spike that fuels nightmares.
Nervous-system regulation
What it targets
Being stuck in fight-or-flight.
Practical tools to bring your body back to baseline.
Options are prescribed only when clinically appropriate, after evaluation by a licensed provider.
The evidence
Roughly 6% of U.S. adults will experience PTSD in their lifetime; trauma-focused therapies are the best-evidenced intervention.
Source: NIMH; NICE
Quick Self-Check
Could it be Trauma & PTSD?
Answer a few questions to see whether your responses point toward Trauma & PTSD or toward something else. Either way, we'll help you take the next step.
Over the past two weeks, how often have you experienced each of the following?
01Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares about a past event
02Avoiding people, places, or situations that remind you of it
03Feeling constantly on guard, jumpy, or easily startled
04Numbness, detachment, or distance from people around you
05Difficulty sleeping, irritability, or trouble concentrating since the event
Medically reviewed by
Percival Fisher, Jr., LCSW, MBA
PRX ADHD Psychotherapist
Licensed psychotherapist with 16+ years of experience, specializing in adult ADHD alongside anxiety, trauma, and depression, using CBT, DBT, and trauma-informed care.
Take the next step.
Whether the screening pointed here or somewhere else, the right next move is a conversation. Reach out and we'll help you find your path.
Get started