Find a trauma therapist
Something happened that still follows you: nightmares, being on guard, avoiding reminders. Tell FindSupport as much or as little as you want, and we'll match you with licensed therapists trained in trauma-focused methods.
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Therapy by the numbers
Based on 2748 licensed therapists across the United States · Updated July 2026
Specialization breakdown
Online vs. in-person therapy
Compare the two formats to find what works best for you
| Aspect | Online | In-Person |
|---|---|---|
| Convenience | Sessions from home, no commute | Dedicated space away from daily life |
| Cost | Usually similar rates, no travel costs | Standard rates, plus travel time |
| Scheduling | More flexible, evenings/weekends | Standard office hours |
| Privacy | Private from your own space | Confidential office setting |
| Effectiveness | Equally effective for most conditions | Gold standard, all conditions |
| Best for | Anxiety, depression, stress, coaching | Complex trauma, severe conditions, children |
| Technology | Requires stable internet + camera | No technology needed |
| Accessibility | Anywhere in the therapist's licensed state(s) | Limited to local area |
What to expect from therapy
Safety and stabilization
The first phase focuses on creating safety — developing coping skills, establishing trust with your therapist, and ensuring you have support outside of sessions.
Processing trauma
When you're ready, therapy moves to processing traumatic memories using evidence-based methods like EMDR, CPT, or prolonged exposure. Your therapist works at your pace.
Managing responses
You'll learn to recognize and manage trauma responses — flashbacks, hypervigilance, emotional numbness — with specific techniques tailored to your experience.
Integration and growth
The final phase focuses on integrating the trauma into your life story without it controlling you — rebuilding trust, reconnecting with others, and moving forward.
Why FindSupport, not a directory
Traditional directories list everyone. We match you with the right one.
AI-powered matching, not endless scrolling
Traditional directories show you hundreds of profiles and leave you to figure it out. FindSupport asks what you're going through and matches you with therapists who specialize in exactly that.
Comparable profiles, not just names
Profiles are built from public professional listings — license type, specialties, session formats and insurance where the therapist lists them — so you can compare like for like and confirm details directly.
Matches on what matters to you
Matching weighs what you tell us — your concern, location, language, insurance and budget, online or in person — against what each therapist lists, not just proximity.
From search to contact in minutes
Instead of bookmarking profiles and comparing them later, you can describe your situation, see your matches, and reach out — all in one conversation.
How trauma can show up, and when to seek help
Trauma can follow a single event, such as an accident, an assault, a disaster or a sudden loss, or build up over years, as with abuse in childhood or ongoing violence. Common after-effects include intrusive memories or nightmares, avoiding reminders, feeling constantly on guard, startling easily, feeling numb or detached, and changes in mood or in how you see yourself.
Not everyone who goes through something terrible develops PTSD, and reactions in the first weeks often ease with time. When symptoms last more than a month, or keep getting in the way of sleep, work or relationships, trauma-focused therapy is worth considering. You don't need a PTSD diagnosis to start.
Trauma-focused therapies
Several trauma-focused therapies have strong research behind them. Cognitive processing therapy (CPT) helps you examine beliefs the trauma left behind, such as self-blame. Prolonged exposure (PE) gradually reduces the hold of memories and reminders you have been avoiding. Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) pairs recalling the memory with guided eye movements or taps. Trauma-focused CBT is widely used with children and teens.
For complex or long-term trauma, many therapists work in phases: building safety and coping skills first, then processing memories, then rebuilding. Somatic, body-based approaches are popular too, though their research base is generally thinner.
What to expect when you start trauma therapy
You won't be asked to tell the whole story in the first session. Early appointments focus on what is happening now (sleep, triggers, safety, support) and on whether you feel safe with the therapist. A good trauma therapist explains how the work goes, checks in about pacing, and agrees with you what to do if a session leaves you shaken.
Trauma work can be destabilizing, and some people want the therapist physically present for it. Others feel safer processing from their own home, with their own exits. EMDR adapts to video and is widely delivered that way; whichever you choose, agree a plan for ending a session that has gone difficult.
Questions to ask a trauma therapist
Ask which trauma-specific methods they are trained in and how much of their work is with trauma. Ask how they decide when you are ready to process memories. If your trauma has a particular context, such as military service, sexual assault, childhood abuse or a medical event, ask whether they have worked with it. Feeling able to say "stop" to a therapist matters more than a long list of credentials.
Therapists with EMDR or CPT training sometimes charge more, so ask the fee up front and whether there is a sliding scale. Veterans may be able to get trauma care through the VA, and many states run crime victim compensation programs that can help with therapy costs; ask whether the therapist works with them. FindSupport itself doesn't handle insurance or billing.
Trauma in FindSupport's listings
25% of FindSupport profiles nationwide name trauma and PTSD as a specialty, the fourth most common tag, after anxiety (36%), relationship issues (32%), and depression (30%). A therapist can list several specialties, so these shares overlap.
By city, the most profiles that list trauma are in Bethesda, MD (5 of 27), Boulder, CO (5 of 31), and Jackson, WY (4 of 10). In all, 72 cities have at least one, and each city has its own trauma therapy page with the local listings.
Only about 6% of profiles nationwide say they offer online sessions, so if you'd like trauma therapy by video, check each profile or ask. Our city guides put typical fees between $70 and $300 a session, depending mostly on the city.
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Find trauma help now →Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find a good trauma therapist?
Look for training in a trauma-specific method (CPT, prolonged exposure, EMDR or TF-CBT), not just a general interest in trauma or a trauma-informed label. Describe what you're dealing with on FindSupport, as briefly as you like, and ask the therapists you shortlist which of these they use.
Is online trauma therapy effective?
Yes — trauma-focused therapy, including EMDR, is routinely delivered remotely and the evidence supports it. What matters more than format is that the therapist is trained in a trauma-specific method and that you have a safe, private place to take the session.
How much does trauma therapy cost?
Sessions generally run $80–$300, with trauma specialists often at the higher end. Some trauma work is funded for veterans and for survivors of crime — worth asking about before you pay out of pocket.
How long does trauma therapy take?
A single traumatic event can often be worked through in roughly 6–12 sessions of a focused method. Trauma that ran over years usually takes considerably longer, and good practice is to spend the early sessions on stability before processing anything.
Do I have to talk about what happened in detail?
Not at first, and with some approaches not in full detail at all. CPT, for example, can focus on what the event came to mean for you rather than a step-by-step retelling. Pacing is something you and the therapist agree on together, and you can ask to slow down at any point.
Is a trauma-informed therapist the same as a trauma specialist?
Not quite. Trauma-informed describes a general way of working: paying attention to safety, choice and how past experiences show up in the room, and many therapists use the label. A trauma specialist has also trained in a trauma-focused treatment such as CPT, prolonged exposure, EMDR or TF-CBT. If you want to work through a traumatic memory itself, ask which of those they use.
What's the difference between trauma and PTSD?
Trauma refers to the event and its impact. PTSD is a specific diagnosis, given when symptoms such as intrusive memories, avoidance, feeling on guard and changes in mood and thinking last more than a month and affect daily life. Many people benefit from trauma-focused therapy without meeting the full criteria.
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