Online Trauma & PTSD Therapy in California: What to Expect
Online trauma and PTSD therapy with licensed therapists in California, by telehealth or in person in Red Bluff.
This guide is for anyone looking for online trauma therapy in California. It covers what trauma therapy is, how PTSD is defined, the approaches PHW therapists use, what an online session involves, how insurance applies and how to get started.
Parish Health and Wellness (PHW) provides trauma and PTSD therapy with licensed therapists, in person at our Red Bluff office and through telehealth anywhere in California. Sessions take place in a safe, confidential setting, and the pace is set by you.
In This Article
What Is Trauma Therapy?
Trauma therapy is treatment that addresses the impact of traumatic events on a person's mental and emotional well-being. It is provided by a licensed mental health professional, and it uses specific approaches designed for the way trauma affects thoughts, emotions, the body and relationships.
Trauma can affect functioning in several areas of life. People may notice difficulty with concentration, memory or decision-making, changes in sleep, feeling on edge or easily startled, avoiding reminders of what happened, or strain in relationships and daily activities. Trauma therapy works on these effects directly, with the goal of helping a person regain a sense of control over their life.
Trauma can come from a single event or from experiences repeated over a long period, including experiences in childhood. It can also build up through prolonged stress. The PHW trauma therapy page describes burnout, a state of exhaustion that develops from prolonged exposure to demanding situations without adequate support, as one result of toxic stress. Trauma therapy is used for all of these, and you do not need to be sure which category your experience fits before you start.
Therapy is collaborative. Your therapist does not decide what you talk about or how fast you go. You do.
Trauma and PTSD: What the Terms Mean
"Trauma" refers to the experience and its effects. "PTSD" is a diagnosis. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) explains that people may be diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder if their symptoms last for an extended period after a traumatic event and begin to interfere with aspects of daily life, such as relationships or work. NIMH also notes that most people will recover from these symptoms, and their reactions will lessen over time.
You do not need a PTSD diagnosis to start trauma therapy. If a past experience is still affecting how you sleep, work, feel or relate to others, that is enough reason to reach out. Whether a diagnosis applies is something your therapist will assess with you.
Your therapist does not decide what you talk about or how fast you go. You do.
Trauma Therapy Approaches Used at PHW
PHW therapists use several approaches for trauma and PTSD. Which ones are used depends on your needs and what you are comfortable with. Approaches offered at PHW include:
- Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors that contribute to distressing emotions and reactions.
- Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) is a form of CBT used for trauma and PTSD. It focuses on how a traumatic event has been interpreted, and on examining and reframing unhelpful beliefs connected to it, such as guilt, blame or mistrust.
- Exposure therapy gradually and safely works with situations or memories connected to the trauma, so they lose some of their power over time.
- Brainspotting uses specific eye positions, with the therapist's guidance, to help access and process trauma and emotional distress.
- Somatic therapy is a body-oriented approach. It works with physical sensations and tension connected to trauma, alongside the thoughts and emotions.
- Narrative therapy treats a person as separate from their problems and works with the stories a person tells about their life, strengthening their own skills and knowledge.
- Inner child work addresses emotional wounds that began in childhood and may still affect adult life.
- Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) uses mindfulness practices to promote relaxation and reduce anxiety connected to the traumatic experience.
Each of these is described in more detail on our trauma and PTSD therapy page. You do not need to choose an approach before you start. Your therapist will talk through the options with you, and the approach can change as the work goes on. Many people's therapy combines more than one, for example CBT for the thoughts that follow a traumatic event alongside somatic work for the physical tension that comes with them.
How Online Trauma Therapy Works
An online session is a private, one-on-one telehealth appointment with your therapist, in real time. You need:
- A phone, tablet or computer with a camera and microphone
- A reliable internet connection
- A private space where you can speak without being overheard
- To be located in California at the time of the session
Several of the approaches above, including CBT, CPT, narrative therapy and mindfulness-based work, are conversation-based and translate directly to telehealth. Your therapist will tell you if a particular approach is better suited to in-person sessions. If you live near Red Bluff, you can meet in person at our office at 756 Rio Street, use telehealth, or combine the two.
Many people find that being in their own space during trauma therapy is itself a help: the session ends and you are already somewhere familiar, with no drive home afterward. For a full walkthrough of the technology and privacy side, read how online therapy works in California, or visit our online therapy page.
Try This Today
Set up your space for a first online session
- Pick a spot where you won't be interrupted for an hour, and let anyone at home know you're unavailable.
- Have water nearby and something comforting within reach, such as a blanket or a familiar object.
- Leave ten quiet minutes open after the session before you return to your day.
None of this is required. It simply makes the first session easier to settle into.
Does Insurance Cover Online Trauma Therapy?
Trauma and PTSD therapy at PHW is provided by licensed therapists and is billed as a therapy visit. Parish Health and Wellness accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare and most commercial insurance plans, for telehealth sessions as well as in-person visits.
What you pay depends on your plan's copay and deductible. Our team will help you check your benefits before your first session. The plans we work with are listed on our insurance page.
Getting Started
- Reach out. Call or text us, or send a message through our contact page. You do not need to describe what happened to make an appointment.
- Check your insurance. Our team will explain next steps and help you look at your benefits.
- Your first session. Your therapist will ask what is bringing you in and what you would like to change. You share only what you are ready to share.
- A plan. You and your therapist agree on an approach and how often to meet.
- Ongoing sessions. The plan is reviewed and adjusted as you go.
Trauma and anxiety often appear together. If worry, restlessness or feeling on edge is a large part of what you're dealing with, our guide to online anxiety therapy in California covers that side.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can trauma therapy be done online?
Yes. PHW provides trauma and PTSD therapy by telehealth anywhere in California. Conversation-based approaches such as CBT, CPT and narrative therapy translate directly to online sessions, and your therapist will tell you if a particular approach is better suited to meeting in person.
Do I have to talk about what happened in the first session?
No. You share only what you are ready to share. The first session is about what is bringing you in now and what you would like to change.
Do I need a PTSD diagnosis to start trauma therapy?
No. If a past experience is still affecting your sleep, work, mood or relationships, that is enough reason to reach out. Your therapist will assess with you whether a diagnosis applies.
Is online trauma therapy covered by insurance?
Trauma and PTSD therapy at Parish Health and Wellness is provided by licensed therapists and is billed as a therapy visit. We accept Medi-Cal, Medicare and most commercial insurance plans. Coverage depends on your plan, and our team will help you check your benefits before your first session.
Can I do online trauma therapy from anywhere in California?
Yes. We provide telehealth to clients anywhere in California. You need to be in California during your session and have a private space with an internet connection.
Final Thoughts
Trauma therapy is treatment for the lasting effects of a traumatic experience, delivered by a licensed therapist at a pace you set. Parish Health and Wellness is accepting new clients for trauma and PTSD therapy online anywhere in California and in person in Red Bluff, and accepts Medi-Cal, Medicare and most commercial insurance plans.
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