Trauma and PTSD Therapy
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Trauma and PTSD Therapy in New Jersey, New York, and Online
Most people don’t come in saying, “I have trauma” or “I have PTSD.”
They say things like:
“I don’t feel safe anymore.”
“Even when I know I should be okay, I’m not.”
“My world feels smaller.”
“I avoid more than I used to.”
Something has shifted.
Places, situations, or even thoughts that used to feel manageable now feel different. Your system stays on guard. You find yourself scanning, bracing, or pulling back.
And over time, your life can start to shrink around what feels safe.
What Are Trauma and PTSD?
Bad things happen.
Our bodies and minds are built to respond to difficult or overwhelming experiences. Most of the time, we are able to process what happened and recover.
But sometimes an experience is so intense, or happens in a certain way, that it does not fully get processed. Your mind cannot quite make sense of it. Instead of becoming something in the past, it keeps showing up in the present.
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what can develop when that processing does not happen on its own. It is not a sign of weakness. It is a sign that your system was overwhelmed by something that was genuinely overwhelming.
You might notice PTSD showing up as:
- Feeling on edge or constantly alert, even in safe situations
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
- Avoiding places, situations, or thoughts that remind you of what happened
- Feeling disconnected from yourself, others, or your surroundings
- Strong emotional or physical reactions when something triggers a memory
- Difficulty sleeping, concentrating, or feeling calm
- Feeling numb, detached, or like things are not real
Your system is trying to protect you. It just has not gotten the message that the danger has passed.
Trauma is not only about what happened. It is also about how your mind and body responded to it, and whether that response has had a chance to fully complete.
The goal of treatment is not to erase what happened. It is to help your brain process it so it becomes a memory, not something that keeps taking over and keeping your life small.
Trauma Does Not Always Look Like PTSD
Not everyone who has experienced trauma develops full PTSD. But trauma can still shape your life in significant ways even when it does not meet the full diagnostic criteria.
It can show up as:
- Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance that feels like your baseline
- Difficulty trusting people or feeling safe in relationships
- Unexplained physical symptoms like tension, headaches, or digestive issues
- Shame, self-blame, or a sense that something is fundamentally wrong with you
- Emotional numbing or difficulty connecting with what you feel
- Patterns of avoidance that have quietly narrowed your world
Trauma can also overlap with depression, anxiety, substance use, and other challenges. When those things are present together, treatment needs to account for the full picture. We are trained to work with that complexity.
Our Expertise in Trauma and PTSD Treatment
The CBT Center was founded by Dr. Michelle Drapkin, a licensed psychologist with specialized training in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Dr. Drapkin and Dr. Andrew Keenan are both board-certified in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy through the American Board of Professional Psychology (ABPP), the oldest and most rigorous board certification body in psychology, founded in 1947.
Dr. Drapkin and Jamie Schwartz are also Diplomates of the Academy of Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies (A-CBT), the leading certifying organization specifically for cognitive and behavioral therapy.
Trauma is an area where The CBT Center has particularly deep expertise. Our team has advanced training in multiple evidence-based treatments for trauma, including Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and we actively train other clinicians in these approaches.
Our work is directly informed by leaders in the field. Dr. Drapkin trained and worked on faculty at the University of Pennsylvania, where she collaborated with Dr. Edna Foa, the developer of Prolonged Exposure therapy and one of the most influential trauma researchers in the world. Dr. Drapkin contributed to research and clinical work integrating Motivational Interviewing with exposure-based approaches for individuals with co-occurring PTSD and substance use, an area that remains a specialized focus of our practice.
Dr. Drapkin is a member of the Anxiety and Depression Association of America (ADAA) and will be presenting at the ADAA 2026 Annual Conference in Chicago in a State of the Art Clinical session.
When it comes to trauma treatment, we are not generalists who occasionally see trauma. This is a core area of our clinical identity and training.
Why Evidence-Based Trauma Therapy Works
PTSD used to be considered one of the most difficult conditions to treat. That is no longer the case.
Over the past three decades, the research on trauma treatment has produced some of the most compelling findings in all of mental health. We now have treatments that work, consistently and significantly, across a wide range of trauma types and populations.
A 2022 meta-analysis published in Clinical Psychology Review, examining 65 randomized controlled trials involving nearly 5,000 patients, found that exposure-based therapies for PTSD produced large effect sizes compared to waitlist and treatment as usual controls. The gains held at follow-up.
A landmark randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Network Open in 2022, involving 916 veterans across 17 VA medical centers, compared Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) head to head. Both treatments produced meaningful, clinically significant improvements in PTSD symptoms. The researchers concluded that patient preference should guide the choice between them, because both work.
Multiple major clinical guidelines, including those from the American Psychological Association and the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies, recommend trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy approaches as the first-line psychological treatment for PTSD.
People recover from PTSD. The research is clear on this. The right treatment makes a profound difference.
How We Treat Trauma and PTSD
The first step is creating a sense of safety and understanding.
We work together to understand how trauma has been showing up for you, what has been avoided, and how it has been affecting your daily life.
Avoidance makes sense. It is your system trying to protect you. But over time, it tends to keep you stuck and prevent the processing your brain needs to complete.
A core part of trauma treatment is gently approaching what has been avoided, not all at once, and not in a way that overwhelms you, but in a structured and supported way that helps your brain finally process what happened so it no longer feels like it is happening right now.
We draw from evidence-based treatments including:
- Prolonged Exposure (PE), developed by Dr. Edna Foa, which helps your brain process traumatic memories by approaching rather than avoiding them
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), which focuses on how trauma has changed the way you think about yourself, others, and the world
- Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) for PTSD, which builds skills to manage intense emotions and stay present
- Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), which helps you move toward what matters even when difficult feelings are present
- Motivational Interviewing, which helps you work through ambivalence about treatment and reconnect with your own reasons for wanting things to change
We figure out what approach makes the most sense for you and move at a pace that feels workable. Your autonomy and informed choice matter throughout the entire process.
What Trauma and PTSD Therapy Looks Like in New Jersey, New York, and Online
Trauma and PTSD therapy at The CBT Center follows a clear structure, but it is never rigid.
We start by understanding what has been happening and how it is affecting you now. What feels unsafe, what has been avoided, and how your system has been responding.
We provide options and talk through what each approach looks like so you can make informed decisions about your care. You are not a passive recipient of treatment. You are an active partner in it.
When trauma treatment involves approaching memories or situations, we do that gradually. We build a path that makes sense for you, at a pace that feels manageable.
We also work on helping your system settle. That might include skills to manage intense emotions, ways to reconnect with the present moment, and strategies to reduce avoidance so your world can start to open back up again.
We wrap up sessions with a clear plan for what to practice between sessions, so the work carries into your daily life.
Over time, people often notice:
- Feeling less on edge
- Fewer intrusive memories, or less intensity when they show up
- More ability to stay present in daily life
- A gradual return to parts of life that had been avoided
- A sense that what happened is finally becoming part of the past
Who We Work With
We work with adults across a wide range of trauma histories and presentations. That includes:
- People who experienced a single traumatic event and have not been the same since
- Those with a history of repeated or complex trauma, including childhood abuse or neglect
- Survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, or other interpersonal trauma
- People who have experienced accidents, medical trauma, or sudden loss
- First responders, healthcare workers, and others with occupational trauma exposure
- People whose trauma has been complicated by substance use or other coping patterns
- Those who have tried to talk about what happened before but felt it made things worse
- People who are not sure what they experienced qualifies as trauma but know something shifted
You do not need a formal PTSD diagnosis to work with us. If something happened and your life has not been the same since, that is enough of a reason to reach out.
When to Consider Trauma Therapy
If you’re here reading this, something brought you here.
And at the same time, trauma can make reaching out feel complicated.
You might be thinking:
“It’s been too long.”
“This won’t work.”
“I don’t want to make things worse.”
“I’m not sure I can do this.”
“I’m afraid.”
All of that makes sense. Trauma often teaches you to avoid what feels overwhelming. That can include avoiding talking about it, even when part of you wants things to be different.
You do not have to force anything. You do not have to tell your whole story right away. You do not have to be sure this will work.
You just need a place to begin.
PTSD is treatable. People do recover. If trauma has been shaping your life in ways you do not want, this is a good time to reach out.
Get Started
We serve clients in New Jersey, New York, and across 40 or more states through PSYPACT, a national compact that allows licensed psychologists to practice across state lines. Wherever you are, we can likely work together.
We’ll follow up within a few hours to connect, learn a bit more about what you’re looking for, and help you figure out next steps.
Related Services
Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)
CBT is the most researched, most effective talk therapy available. We don't just use CBT — we're board-certified in it. This is what we do, and we're really good at it.
Individual Therapy
One clinician, focused entirely on you. Full-hour sessions, real follow-through between appointments, and a team that actually picks up the phone.
Virtual Therapy
Great care shouldn't depend on where you live. We're licensed in NJ, NY, and 40+ states — so wherever you are, we can likely work together.
Anxiety Therapy
Anxiety is exhausting — the racing thoughts, the avoidance, the "what ifs." CBT gives you real tools to break the cycle and get your life back.
Depression Therapy
Depression lies to you — it tells you nothing will help and you don't deserve better. We know that's not true, and we'll help you find your way back.
OCD Therapy
You don’t have to stay stuck in the pattern. With the right support and strategies, it’s possible to regain control, build resilience, and move toward a calmer, more balanced mind.
Frequently Asked Questions
Trauma refers to an experience that was overwhelming or difficult to process. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is what can develop when your mind and body do not fully process that experience, and symptoms continue showing up in the present. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, but trauma can still significantly affect your life even without a full PTSD diagnosis.
No. We move at a pace that is right for you, and we focus on what is most helpful. You will not be pushed to share more than you are ready to share. Building safety and trust is always the foundation before any deeper trauma work begins.
That is something we plan for together. A significant part of trauma treatment involves building skills to manage intense emotions before and during the harder work. We move step by step, and you are never alone in the process. If something feels too much, we slow down and adjust.
Yes, absolutely. PTSD used to be considered one of the most difficult conditions to treat. The research over the past three decades has fundamentally changed that picture. Evidence-based treatments like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) have strong, consistent research support, and people make meaningful recoveries from PTSD every day.
It depends on the nature and complexity of the trauma, how long symptoms have been present, and what other factors are in the picture. Many people make significant progress in 12 to 20 sessions with structured, focused trauma treatment. More complex trauma histories may require more time. We talk about realistic expectations early so you always know where things stand.
It is not too late. Trauma treatment is effective regardless of how much time has passed. Many people come to us years or even decades after what happened, and they still make meaningful progress. The length of time does not determine whether treatment can help.
That is more common than people realize, and it is something we have specific expertise in. Dr. Drapkin’s research and clinical work includes treating co-occurring PTSD and substance use. When both are present, treatment needs to account for the full picture, and we are equipped to do exactly that.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) is an evidence-based treatment for PTSD developed by Dr. Edna Foa. It works by helping you gradually approach trauma-related memories, thoughts, and situations that you have been avoiding. Over time, this allows your brain to process what happened so the memories lose their power to trigger intense reactions. PE has decades of research support and is recommended as a first-line treatment by every major clinical guideline.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is another first-line evidence-based treatment for PTSD. It focuses on how trauma has affected the way you think about yourself, other people, and the world, particularly beliefs about safety, trust, power, esteem, and intimacy. CPT helps you examine and update those beliefs so they are more balanced and no longer keeping you stuck.
Yes. We offer virtual therapy for clients throughout New Jersey, New York, and more than 40 states through PSYPACT. Research supports the effectiveness of trauma treatments like PE delivered via telehealth, with outcomes comparable to in-person care. Virtual delivery also has a practical advantage: exposures can happen in the real environments where symptoms show up.
Trauma/PTSD treatment is available virtually throughout NJ, NY and 40+ states.