Whole-person care guide

All the ways to treat trauma and PTSD

Trauma affects both mind and body, and healing usually means caring for both. Below is every approach with research behind it, in order, from trauma-focused therapy to body-based and newer options.

PTSD can be treated, and many people make a full recovery. The best research supports trauma-focused therapies, which help the brain work through what happened. Body-based practices settle the nervous system and can make that therapy easier to do.

We sort the options by how strong the research is. Each card tells you what the approach is, what it involves, what studies found and who offers it.

Whole Wellbeing Atlas lists providers. We do not give medical care. Bring this guide to your doctor or therapist and decide together. In a crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline). You can also go straight to the closest emergency room.

Written by the Whole Wellbeing Atlas Editorial Team and reviewed on September 29, 2026. You will find every source at the bottom of the page. How we write and check our guides.

Find these options close to home

Type your ZIP code and we will show local providers under each approach.

Step 1

Best evidence

Clinical guidelines name these first. This is the place to begin.

Traditional

Trauma-focused therapy: CPT, prolonged exposure, trauma-focused CBT

Structured therapy, most often 8 to 16 sessions, that helps you work through the trauma so it holds less power over you. Major guidelines rank it ahead of medication.

Who offers itSocial workers, counselors and psychologists with training in CPT, PE or TF-CBT.

Cost and insuranceInsurance often pays. Veterans can get it through the VA, often at little or no cost.

Evidence: PTSD clinical practice guideline, VA/DoD, 2023; PTSD guideline, American Psychological Association

Traditional

EMDR therapy

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing) has you recall the memory while you follow guided eye movements. Many guidelines recommend it as a first-line therapy for trauma.

Who offers itTherapists with EMDR training or certification.

Cost and insuranceInsurance often pays.

Evidence: VA/DoD guideline, 2023; NICE guideline NG116

Step 2

Good evidence

Solid trials support these. They pair well with first-line care.

Traditional

Medication

Some antidepressants ease PTSD symptoms: sertraline, paroxetine, fluoxetine and venlafaxine. They are advised when therapy is out of reach or does not do enough on its own.

Who offers itA psychiatrist or psychiatric nurse practitioner.

Cost and insuranceInsurance usually pays.

Evidence: VA/DoD guideline, 2023

Alternative

Exercise

Adding physical activity to usual care lowers symptoms of both PTSD and depression.

Who offers itPhysical therapists, exercise physiologists and personal trainers.

Cost and insuranceCosts vary.

Evidence: Psychiatry Research, 2015. Rosenbaum et al., meta-analysis

Step 3

Some evidence

The studies are smaller or mixed. Many people like these as extras next to their main care.

Alternative

Trauma-sensitive yoga

A meta-analysis of trials found that yoga lowered PTSD symptoms. It also helps many people feel at home in their body again, at a safe pace.

Who offers itYoga teachers who have trained in trauma-sensitive methods.

Cost and insuranceClasses run about $15 to $30.

Evidence: BMC Psychiatry, 2018. Cramer et al., meta-analysis

Alternative

Meditation and mindfulness

Across trials, regular meditation brings modest relief from PTSD symptoms.

Who offers itTherapists with mindfulness training, and meditation teachers.

Cost and insuranceOften free, or close to it.

Evidence: Psychological Trauma, 2017. Hilton et al., meta-analysis

Alternative

Acupuncture

A few trials found fewer PTSD symptoms, but the evidence is thin. Use it next to trauma-focused therapy.

Who offers itLicensed acupuncturists.

Cost and insuranceUsually $75 to $150 a visit.

Evidence: Journal of Trauma and Dissociation, 2018. Grant et al., meta-analysis

Alternative

Massage and bodywork

Many people use it to ease physical tension and feel less keyed up. There is little research on it for PTSD in particular.

Who offers itSomatic bodywork practitioners and licensed massage therapists.

Cost and insuranceUsually $70 to $130 a visit.

Evidence: Little research looks at PTSD directly.

Step 4

Emerging or specialist

Research is still under way, or these are kept for when first treatments fall short.

Progressive

Stellate ganglion block

A shot near a bundle of nerves in the neck. In one controlled trial, PTSD symptoms were lower after eight weeks. Research continues.

Who offers itPain medicine doctors and anesthesiologists at specialty clinics.

Cost and insuranceUsually paid out of pocket.

Evidence: JAMA Psychiatry, 2020. Rae Olmsted et al.

Progressive

MDMA-assisted therapy

Phase 3 trials showed promising results, yet in August 2024 the FDA chose not to approve it. You can only get it in research studies.

Who offers itOnly research programs.

Cost and insuranceYou cannot get it outside clinical trials.

Evidence: Nature Medicine, 2021. Mitchell et al., phase 3 trial

Near youOnly in research settings. None of our listed providers offer it.

Check with a doctor first if

Sources

Do you provide one of these?

Listing is free. Show up under your approach, in your ZIP code, right beside the research.

Get featured Search all providers