What Is Prolonged Exposure Therapy?
After something traumatic, it makes sense to avoid anything that brings it back. The problem is that avoidance keeps fear going. Prolonged Exposure therapy, or PE, is built around that idea.
How PE works
PE is a structured therapy for PTSD, usually done over several months of weekly sessions. It’s one of the treatments with the most research behind it for PTSD, and it’s widely used with veterans.
It has two main parts:
- Imaginal exposure. In session, you revisit the memory by talking it through with me. Doing this in a safe, steady setting helps your brain learn that remembering is not the same as it happening again.
- In-vivo exposure. Between sessions, you gradually approach situations you’ve been avoiding because they feel dangerous but are actually safe, like a crowded store or driving a certain road.
We also work on breathing and on understanding common reactions to trauma, so what you’re feeling makes sense.
Will it be too much?
This is the most common worry, and it’s a fair one. PE goes step by step. You help decide the order, and we start with things that feel manageable. Most people find the anticipation is harder than the work itself.
PE or EMDR?
Both are well-supported treatments for PTSD. PE involves talking through the memory in detail. EMDR doesn’t require that. We’ll talk about which fits you better, and some people use parts of both.
If you’re wondering whether PE or EMDR could help, reach out and we can talk it through.