Trauma & PTSD Therapy

Trauma can follow many kinds of experiences — an accident, a loss, abuse, a natural disaster, a medical crisis, or prolonged stress in a relationship or workplace. Not everyone who goes through a difficult event is affected the same way, and there is no single "right" way to respond. Some people find that the distress settles with time and support; for others, it lingers and starts to shape daily life in ways that feel hard to name.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is one way this can show up. It can involve intrusive memories or flashbacks, nightmares, a strong urge to avoid reminders of what happened, feeling constantly on edge or easily startled, and changes in mood or outlook. Trauma responses don't always meet the criteria for PTSD, though — sometimes they show up as anxiety, low mood, sleep difficulty, irritability, or a general sense of disconnection that can be harder to trace back to its source. If any of this sounds familiar, it can help to talk it through with a clinical psychologist rather than trying to work it out alone.

How trauma-focused therapy can help

Working through trauma in therapy is not about reliving distressing events for their own sake. It typically starts with building a sense of safety and stability, understanding how the nervous system and mind have been responding, and developing practical tools for managing distressing symptoms day to day. From there, trauma-focused, evidence-based approaches — such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and mindfulness-based techniques — can be used to help process difficult memories and reduce their hold on present-day life, always at a pace the client is comfortable with.

Srijita Gupta is an RCI-certified licensed Clinical Psychologist (RCI Reg. No. A56917) with an M.Phil in Clinical Psychology from the Institute of Psychiatry, Centre of Excellence (IPGME&R and SSKM Hospital), Kolkata, and an M.Sc in Clinical Psychology from the University of Calcutta. She has spent over 10 years working in government psychiatric hospitals, including NIMHANS Bengaluru and the Institute of Psychiatry, SSKM Kolkata, and is an Accredited Professional Life Member of the Indian Association of Clinical Psychologists (IACP). This background informs a grounded, safety-first approach to trauma work.

What sessions look like

Sessions are collaborative. Early conversations usually focus on understanding your history, current symptoms, and what feels most pressing, so that the pace and approach can be tailored to you. There is no expectation to share more than you are ready to. Whether trauma is recent or from many years ago, and whether it involves a single event or something more prolonged, the aim is to work through it in a way that respects your readiness and sense of control.

Trauma often overlaps with other concerns — difficulty sleeping, persistent worry, or low mood. If you're also navigating anxiety alongside trauma-related stress, or a period of depression that has followed a difficult life event, these are often addressed together rather than in isolation, since they frequently influence one another.

Support is available both in person, at practice locations in Bengaluru and Kolkata, and online, through video consultations available across India — whichever is more accessible or comfortable for you.

If you or someone you know is in immediate danger or crisis, please contact your local emergency services or a helpline such as Tele-MANAS (14416) right away. This page is not a substitute for emergency care.

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