Trauma-Focused CBT for PTSD in Los Angeles & Online Across California

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How PTSD and Trauma Settle In

PTSD and trauma responses show up in patterns. An intrusion arrives unprompted in the middle of an ordinary day. Sleep stays light and short. The body acts as if the threat is still here, even when nothing in the room qualifies. The original event may have been months or years ago. The system that responded to it is still running.

Avoiding what reminds you of the event lowers the immediate distress. It also keeps the threat-response system active, because avoidance teaches your brain that the reminder is still dangerous. Over time, the list of avoided places, people, conversations, and reminders grows. The world gets smaller, and keeping it that small takes its own toll.

How We Treat PTSD and Trauma at Our Los Angeles Practice

PTSD therapy in Los Angeles at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles begins with an assessment. Your first session or two cover the trauma history, which symptoms have cost you the most, what you've already tried, and what you want to be able to do that PTSD is currently in the way of.

The treatment is one of three evidence-based trauma-focused approaches, matched to your situation. Trauma-Focused CBT combines education about trauma responses with skills for managing intrusions and gradual processing of the trauma narrative. Cognitive Processing Therapy works on the specific beliefs the trauma created or distorted, around safety, trust, power, control, and self-worth, and teaches you to weigh them against current evidence. Prolonged Exposure uses structured, gradual contact with the memory or the avoided situations, so the brain learns that the reminder isn't the threat.

All three are paced. We don't ask you to relive the trauma in session one. The first phase is stabilization and skills. The trauma work begins after that, at a pace you can tolerate, with your full agreement on what comes next. Nothing gets sprung on you. You set the pace.

You track progress with brief weekly questionnaires and session-by-session ratings. The numbers show how the protocol is working. If they're not moving by week four or five, the plan changes.

Trauma-focused CBT at CBT Los Angeles is structured around twelve to twenty weekly sessions, depending on the complexity of the trauma history and your goals. Some clients work longer when the trauma is layered, or when other presentations (depression, substance use, chronic pain) need addressing. By the end, you have a set of skills for reducing and managing intrusions, a different relationship to the memory itself, and a written relapse-prevention plan for when the system tries to come back online.

If you've been avoiding trauma therapy because you assumed it would mean reliving everything, the 15-minute consultation is where we tell you what the first weeks would actually involve.

Free 15-minute consultation. No pressure to schedule.

What to Expect

Trauma treatment in Los Angeles at Cognitive Behavioral Therapy Los Angeles runs in 50-minute sessions, weekly to start. You can meet your psychologist in person at our Westwood office on Wilshire Boulevard, our Pasadena office on South Marengo, or by telehealth from anywhere in California. Exposure sessions can run longer, depending on the need. Evening slots are available with most clinicians.

CBT Los Angeles is out-of-network. If you have PPO insurance, your plan likely reimburses 50 to 80 percent of the fee through the superbill we provide. HSA and FSA are accepted.

Your first contact is a free 15-minute phone call. We'll ask what brings you in, answer your questions, and match you with the psychologist whose trauma-treatment experience fits yours. If outpatient trauma-focused CBT isn't what you need, we’ll say so on that call.

Why Choose CBT LA for PTSD Treatment in Los Angeles

Trauma-trained doctoral clinicians from session one

Every clinician at CBT L.A. holds a doctorate in clinical psychology, and several have expert training in evidence-based trauma treatments and supervise trauma therapy at the graduate and postdoctoral level. Trauma work requires both clinical depth and careful pacing, and the depth of doctoral training allows for building the foundation for both. With us, the trauma-trained doctoral clinician is the one you work with right from session one.

Trauma-focused protocols, matched to your situation

We use the trauma-focused approach that fits your situation rather than a single approach by default. Some clients respond best to Cognitive Processing Therapy’s cognitive work, some to Prolonged Exposure’s gradual exposure treatment, some to Trauma-Focused-CBT's combination. Your psychologist works with you to choose what fits, and we adjust if the protocol isn't moving by week four or five.

Paced treatment that builds skills first

Coping skills come before processing the trauma material. We don't open with the worst memory. The first phase of treatment is stabilization and skills, and the trauma work begins at a pace you can tolerate, with your full agreement on what comes next.

If you want to know which trauma-focused approach is the right starting point for your situation, the consultation call is where to figure it out.

Start feeling better this week. Same-week appointments available.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is CBT for PTSD treatment effective?

Yes. TF-CBT, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Prolonged Exposure are the three most-studied treatments for PTSD, and are recognized as gold-standard treatments for PTSD, with consistent research support across diverse trauma types. None is a guarantee, but the evidence base for these approaches is stronger than for any other treatment for PTSD.

Why do you not recommend Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)?

The APA's 2025 PTSD treatment guidelines reclassified EMDR from a first-line to a second-line treatment, citing inconsistent research outcomes and limited long-term data. We focus exclusively on the trauma-focused CBT approaches with the strongest clinical support, prolonged exposure and cognitive processing therapy, which is why we do not offer EMDR. To learn more about this controversial treatment, click here: Does EMDR Therapy Work?

Will I have to relive the trauma in detail?

Eventually, you'll engage with the trauma material in a structured way, but not in session one and not in a single overwhelming retelling. The work is paced, and at your pace. Your psychologist won't bring you material you haven't agreed to engage with.

What if my trauma is more like ongoing stress than a single event?

Complex trauma and chronic stress can produce PTSD-like patterns even without a single identifiable event. The assessment in the first one or two sessions clarifies what's going on, which may be PTSD, complex PTSD, or another presentation that responds to trauma-informed work.

I do not want to talk about it at all. Can therapy still help?

Yes, especially at first. The first phase of trauma-focused treatment is stabilization using CBT interventions and skills, not narrating the trauma. We can begin work on sleep, hyperarousal, intrusions, reappraisal, and coping without engaging the memory material until you're ready and the protocol calls for it.

What if outpatient trauma therapy is not the right level of care?

We'll tell you on the consultation call and point you to the right resource. Severe PTSD with active safety concerns may need a higher level of care, and we work with providers across Los Angeles who do that work. We'd rather refer you well than start outpatient treatment that isn't a fit.

Start Trauma and PTSD Treatment with a Free 15-Minute Call

PTSD has a way of making every step toward treatment feel like another exposure. The 15-minute consultation is built to be the smallest possible one. We'll listen, answer what you want answered, and match you with the right doctoral psychologist for PTSD treatment in Los Angeles at our Westwood/Brentwood, Pasadena, or telehealth practice. No charge, no obligation to schedule anything else.

If outpatient trauma therapy isn't what you need, we'll tell you that too and help you find what fits.

The hardest part is the first call. It takes just a few minutes.

Take the first step today.

Medically Reviewed by Albert Bonfil, PsyD.
Updated June 2026.