Specialty
PTSD & Single-Event Trauma Therapy
When one moment changed everything
Something happened, an assault, an accident, an act of violence, a medical emergency, and life divided into before and after. Weeks or months later, you may still feel it in your body, a jolt of fear at a sound or a smell, a memory that arrives uninvited, a tension that never fully lets go. *
Many people try to move on by staying busy or avoiding reminders, and for a while that can seem to work. But avoidance tends to shrink life rather than heal it. Places, people, or conversations start to feel off limits, sleep suffers, and you may feel like a different person than you were before. *
If the frightening event was medical, an emergency, a sudden hospitalization, a procedure that went wrong, you may also find our dedicated Medical Trauma page speaks even more directly to your experience. *
None of this means you are broken. It means your mind and body responded to something overwhelming exactly as they were built to, and they have not yet gotten the message that it is over. With the right support, that message can land, and the past can start to feel like the past. *
Signs ptsd & single-event trauma may be affecting your life
- Unwanted memories, images, or flashbacks of the event
- Nightmares or restless, unrefreshing sleep
- Feeling jumpy, on guard, or easily startled
- Avoiding places, people, or conversations that bring the event to mind
- A racing heart, tight chest, or nausea when something reminds you of it
- Feeling numb, detached, or cut off from people you love
- Blaming yourself or replaying what you could have done differently
- Irritability or anger that surprises you
- Difficulty concentrating or feeling present
- A sense that the world is no longer safe
Our approach to ptsd & single-event trauma
A single overwhelming event can leave the nervous system stuck in survival mode, reacting to the memory as if the danger were still here. Treatment starts with understanding your experience and building enough steadiness and safety that the work never feels like reliving the event without support. *
From there, we draw on evidence-based approaches matched to you. EMDR helps the brain reprocess the memory so it loses its raw, present-tense charge. Somatic and experiential work helps your body release the tension and alarm it has been holding. Clinical hypnosis can support calm and a renewed sense of control. The aim is not to erase what happened, but to reach a place where remembering no longer means re-experiencing. *
Clinicians who specialize in ptsd & single-event trauma
EMDR · Hypnosis · Insight-Oriented Therapy
Dr. Citrin has extensive experience treating PTSD after single frightening events, including sexual assault, physical assault, accidents, and violence. She combines careful pacing with evidence-based reprocessing work, so healing feels steady rather than overwhelming. *
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EMDR · Hypnosis · Psychodynamic
Dr. Zala brings broad PTSD and trauma expertise to work with single-event trauma, with particular attention to how a frightening event can ripple into your relationships and how you see yourself. *
Full profile →Modalities
Therapy approaches that may help
We integrate these techniques, custom-tailored to you, in the order your nervous system can use first.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is PTSD?
- PTSD, or posttraumatic stress disorder, describes a set of reactions that can follow a frightening or life-threatening event, including intrusive memories, avoidance, feeling constantly on guard, and changes in mood and sleep. You do not need a formal diagnosis for your experience to matter or for therapy to help. *
- The event was months ago. Should I be over it by now?
- There is no deadline for recovering from something overwhelming. Some people feel the effects immediately, others months or even years later. Continuing to struggle is not a personal failing, it is a sign that the experience has not yet been fully processed, which is exactly what therapy helps with. *
- Will I have to talk about the event in detail?
- Not before you are ready, and in some approaches, not extensively at all. We begin by building safety and stability, and you stay in control of the pace throughout. Approaches like EMDR can process traumatic memories without requiring you to narrate every detail. *
- How does EMDR help with single-event trauma?
- EMDR uses bilateral stimulation, such as guided eye movements, while you briefly hold the memory in mind. This appears to help the brain reprocess the memory so it is stored as something that happened in the past rather than something that still feels like it is happening now. It is one of the most researched treatments for PTSD. *
- What if my trauma was a medical emergency?
- Frightening medical events, an emergency, a sudden hospitalization, a procedure that felt unsafe, can absolutely lead to posttraumatic stress. We treat these here, and we also have a dedicated Medical Trauma page that goes deeper into that specific experience. *
- How long does trauma therapy take?
- It varies with the nature of the event and what else you are carrying. Some people notice meaningful relief within a few months of focused work, while others benefit from a longer process. Your psychologist will discuss a realistic picture with you early on and revisit it together as you go. *
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