Trauma

Trauma Treatment

Trauma changes how your nervous system responds to the world. If you feel stuck in survival mode long after the danger passed, specialized psychiatric support can help you stabilize and heal.

  • Board-Certified PMHNP-BC
  • Telehealth psychiatric care
  • Ages 12+
  • Major insurance accepted

Understanding your experience

What is trauma?

Psychological trauma results from events that overwhelm your ability to cope — violence, abuse, accidents, medical trauma, or chronic adversity. Responses may include hypervigilance, emotional numbing, intrusive memories, or difficulty trusting others. Trauma is not limited to PTSD; it can underlie depression, anxiety, substance use, and somatic symptoms. Trauma-informed psychiatric care addresses both immediate symptom relief and long-term recovery.

Trauma is a real medical condition — not a personal failing. With proper psychiatric care, many people experience meaningful improvement over time. Individual outcomes vary.

Recognize the signs

Symptoms you may be experiencing

If several of these feel familiar, a professional evaluation can provide clarity and a path forward.

  • Hypervigilance or exaggerated startle response
  • Intrusive memories or flashbacks of traumatic events
  • Emotional numbness or feeling disconnected from yourself
  • Difficulty trusting others or forming close relationships
  • Sleep disturbance and nightmares
  • Irritability, anger, or emotional overwhelm
  • Avoidance of people, places, or situations that trigger memories
  • Somatic complaints such as chronic pain or tension

It is not your fault

Common causes and contributors

  • Single-incident trauma such as assault, accidents, or disasters
  • Complex or developmental trauma from chronic abuse or neglect
  • Medical trauma, ICU stays, or life-threatening illness
  • Intergenerational trauma and systemic adversity
  • Occupational exposure in military, first responders, or healthcare

Clinical clarity

How diagnosis works

Diagnosis begins with a confidential psychiatric evaluation — not a rushed checklist. Your PMHNP gathers a full clinical picture before recommending treatment.

Trauma assessment is collaborative and paced to your comfort. Your PMHNP maps symptom clusters — re-experiencing, avoidance, mood changes, hyperarousal — and identifies whether criteria for PTSD, acute stress disorder, or adjustment difficulties are met.

We also screen for dissociation, substance use, and self-harm risk. Diagnosis informs a phased treatment approach: stabilization and symptom management first, with therapy referrals for deeper trauma processing when you are ready.

Clinical interview

You discuss symptoms, timeline, and how they affect daily functioning — at your pace.

History review

Medical, psychiatric, and medication history are reviewed to understand the full context.

Standardized assessment

When helpful, structured screening tools support — not replace — clinical judgment.

Collaborative plan

You leave with a clearer picture of what is going on and recommended next steps, explained plainly.

Your care plan

Treatment options

  • Trauma-informed psychiatric evaluation at your pace
  • Medication for sleep, nightmares, anxiety, and mood symptoms
  • Safety planning and crisis resources when needed
  • Psychoeducation on trauma responses and nervous system regulation
  • Coordination with trauma therapists and community supports

When appropriate

Medication options

Medication is never automatic. Your PMHNP discusses benefits, risks, and alternatives so you can decide together.

  • SSRIs or SNRIs for trauma-related depression and anxiety
  • Prazosin for nightmares in appropriate cases
  • Short-term medications for severe insomnia or agitation
  • Mood stabilizers when emotional dysregulation is prominent

Is it time?

When to seek help

You do not need to be in crisis to deserve support. Consider reaching out if:

  • Past overwhelming events still trigger strong emotional or physical reactions in daily life
  • Daily life — work, school, sleep, or relationships — feels harder than it should
  • You have tried coping on your own but nothing seems to stick
  • You are avoiding activities, people, or responsibilities because of how you feel
  • You wonder whether medication or psychiatric evaluation could help
  • Someone you trust has expressed concern about changes in your mood or behavior
Request a Consultation

Why Mindful Healing

Why choose this practice for trauma care

Trauma-informed psychiatric care with Astrude Charles, PMHNP-BC — stabilization before processing.
Telehealth-only practice: private video visits from wherever you feel safe in NY, CA, or FL.
Same clinician from evaluation through follow-up — your story stays connected.
Evidence-based psychiatric care with plain-language explanations at every step.
Inquiry-first process: we confirm fit, insurance, and licensure before scheduling.

Trauma — frequently asked questions

Trauma is the broader experience; PTSD is one diagnosable outcome. Many trauma survivors benefit from psychiatric care even without full PTSD criteria.

Insurance accepted

Many major plans cover telehealth psychiatric care. We verify your benefits before your first visit — and offer transparent self-pay options when needed.

Verify Insurance

Patient experiences

What patients say about our care

I was nervous before my first appointment, but it felt easy to open up once we started. Everything was explained clearly and I never felt judged or rushed.

Jessica M. · New York, NY

What stood out was how much attention was given to what I was actually saying. It felt like someone genuinely trying to understand what I'm going through.

Daniel R. · Los Angeles, CA

Related concerns

Related conditions we treat

View all conditions

When you're ready

Ready to get help for trauma?

Request a confidential consultation. We will answer your questions, confirm whether we are the right fit, and explain what your first telehealth visit looks like — with no pressure.

  • Confidential inquiry
  • No office visit needed
  • Clear next steps
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Your next step

Rather talk it through first?

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