Photo of Peninsula Counseling and Consulting, Clinical Social Work/Therapist in 94025, CA
Peninsula Counseling and Consulting
Clinical Social Work/Therapist, MBA, LCSW
Verified Verified
5 Endorsed
Menlo Park, CA 94025
Let’s be honest: you’ve always been responsible, and now you’ve got a lot to manage! Between a demanding career, school, and family needs, you’re feeling stressed, and life feels out of balance. It’s impossible to do it all, and nothing ever seems good enough. You feel alone and worried, and your social network isn’t able to provide you with the support that you need. Perhaps your sleep is problematic, or your energy is low. Maybe you’re feeling anxious, depressed, irritable, or having difficulty concentrating. You might be troubled by feeling that you're an ineffective partner or parent. Things will get better soon, right?
Let’s be honest: you’ve always been responsible, and now you’ve got a lot to manage! Between a demanding career, school, and family needs, you’re feeling stressed, and life feels out of balance. It’s impossible to do it all, and nothing ever seems good enough. You feel alone and worried, and your social network isn’t able to provide you with the support that you need. Perhaps your sleep is problematic, or your energy is low. Maybe you’re feeling anxious, depressed, irritable, or having difficulty concentrating. You might be troubled by feeling that you're an ineffective partner or parent. Things will get better soon, right?
(855) 964-3150 View (855) 964-3150
Trauma and PTSD Therapists

When should I seek treatment for trauma?

Not everyone who undergoes trauma needs therapy to heal, but many do. If, after experiencing a traumatic event, you find yourself struggling with symptoms such as nightmares, dissociation, irritability, or emotional numbness—especially if these symptoms last more than a month and are severe enough to interfere with your daily functioning—you may benefit from seeking out therapy with a trauma-informed provider.

How long does trauma therapy take?

Different types of therapy for trauma unfold on different timelines. Prolonged exposure therapy and cognitive processing therapy, for example, each take about three months, while trauma-informed CBT may last anywhere from 8 to 25 sessions. Other approaches, especially those that are less structured or that incorporate elements from multiple modalities, may be more open-ended, though many patients report feeling better within the first few months of treatment.

What happens if trauma is left untreated?

Unaddressed trauma can have serious—even devastating—effects on relationships, career, and day-to-day functioning. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can lead people to distrust or lash out at others, making it difficult to maintain intimate relationships; it can also trigger symptoms such as flashbacks or hyperreactivity that can interfere with a person’s ability to function effectively, personally and/or professionally. Some sufferers turn to drugs to find relief. Symptoms may lessen on their own with time, but there is no guarantee that PTSD will resolve on its own.

Can PTSD come back after treatment?

It is possible for PTSD symptoms to recur months or years after successful treatment. This is because, like most mental health disorders, it is not possible to “cure” PTSD, and stressful life events may cause symptoms to recur in even the most resilient individuals. There is no shame in re-experiencing PTSD symptoms nor in returning to therapy when such relapses occur; indeed, many forms of trauma therapy explicitly encourage periodic “maintenance sessions” to reinforce coping skills and ensure that symptoms stay manageable.