The Woodlands office · in person and online
Trauma and PTSD Therapy in The Woodlands, TX
For the reaction that seems bigger than the moment, the guard you never quite let down, and the past that still steers some choices. Trauma and PTSD therapy in person on Sawdust Road, near I-45, or by secure video from anywhere in Texas.
- 2219 Sawdust Rd, Suite 1204, The Woodlands 77380
- Insurance billed at your plan’s rate
- Self-pay $150, or $100 with an associate
- Mon–Fri, 10am–6pm
- Usually seen within about a week
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.
Counselors at our Sawdust Road office
What it can look like
How trauma tends to show up later
Trauma is not only about one big event. It can come from something repeated, or from growing up without feeling safe.
Bracing without knowing why
A tone of voice, a smell or a crowded room sets you on edge. Your body reacts before your mind has caught up.
Hard to trust, hard to rely on
Letting people close, or counting on them, feels risky. Doing it all yourself can seem safer.
Numb, or too much
Some days you feel very little. Other days the feelings arrive all at once and take a while to settle.
If it is PTSD
When it has become PTSD
PTSD is a specific pattern that can follow trauma. It can start right after an event or surface years later, often when life gets quieter.
Back in the moment
A sound, a smell or a date pulls you back as if it were happening now. Afterwards you feel drained for hours.
Always on watch
You sit facing the door and notice every exit. Relaxing in public takes work.
Nights that do not help
Falling asleep is slow, and dreams can bring it back. Tiredness makes the days harder too.
In the sessions
What trauma and PTSD counseling in The Woodlands works on
- Safety firstTools to bring yourself back to the present when something sets you off, practiced until they come easily.
- Understanding your reactionsSeeing how the ways you protected yourself made sense then, and deciding which ones you still need.
- Trust and boundariesWorking out who is safe to lean on, and how to say no without feeling guilty for days.
- Your story, your paceTalking about what happened only as much as you choose, when you feel steady enough to do it.
- Sleep you can rely onA steadier routine for evenings and a plan for the nights a bad dream wakes you.
- What the event taught youLooking at beliefs it left behind, about danger, blame or yourself, and checking whether they still fit.
- Taking back groundReturning gradually to places and activities you have avoided, in an order you choose.
- Flashback or panic?Learning to tell a flashback from a panic attack, so you know which skills to reach for.
How the work goes
Trauma and PTSD therapy at our office in The Woodlands
Trauma therapy here starts with feeling steadier in the present, and only then turns toward the past, if and when you want it to. You set the pace, and you can pause at any point.
Most of it draws on cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT).
Do I have to talk about what happened?
You can begin without telling it, and go into detail only if you choose to. A lot of the early work is on sleep, trust and everyday reactions, and it does not need the full story.
Who you might meet
Who you might see in The Woodlands
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Kellie Lomas
LPC
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Jon Shuffler
LCSW
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Brenda Resendez
Clinical Director · LPC
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AJ Huynh
Director · LPC
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Ricardo Alvarez
LPC
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Denise Laird
LPC
Google reviews
What clients of this office have written
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Great to have a sounding board when Life tests your limits!
S.C. -
[He] is a great counselor with a patient and understanding attitude. He has a metaphor for every situation that you may face…
D.H.
Cost
What counseling costs here
We check your benefits first and tell you the estimated cost before you book. It stays an estimate until your plan confirms it.
Plans we currently work with
Aetna, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, Original Medicare and seven more: see all twelve plans. Medicaid is not one of them, and we cannot bill it.
Before you book
Questions about trauma and PTSD therapy in The Woodlands
Does it count as trauma if nothing dramatic happened?
It can. What matters is how an experience still affects you now, not whether it would make the news.
You do not need a diagnosis or a full account to start.
Can I start without a PTSD diagnosis?
Yes. Plenty of people living with PTSD were never formally assessed; start with what is hardest right now, whether that is sleep, being on edge or avoiding places.
Can trauma look like anxiety?
Often. After trauma, the body can stay on alert, which feels a lot like constant worry, jumpiness or trouble sleeping.
Working out whether the anxiety has roots in something that happened shapes the plan. We also offer anxiety treatment in The Woodlands.
Are flashbacks the same as panic attacks?
They can feel alike: a racing heart, fast breathing, a sense of danger. A flashback is tied to a memory and can feel like reliving it, while a panic attack can come out of nowhere, with no memory attached.
Some people have both. Your counselor will help you tell them apart, and we also offer panic disorder treatment in The Woodlands.
Can PTSD come from something that happened to someone else?
Yes. Witnessing an event, or learning that it happened to someone close to you, can lead to PTSD, and so can repeated exposure to distressing details through work.
First responders, nurses and others who hear hard stories every day are no exception.
Can I ask for a specific approach, like EMDR?
Yes. Ricardo Alvarez, based at this office, is trained in EMDR; put it on the form, and we will say before you book whether he has room.
Can trauma affect my body as well as my mind?
It often does: tension, headaches, stomach trouble and poor sleep are common after trauma.
Counseling includes ways to calm the body, not just talk, and your doctor can check anything that needs it.
How long does PTSD counseling take?
It varies with what happened, how long ago, and what is going on now. Your counselor will review progress with you regularly, so you can see whether the plan is working.
What is a first session like?
It starts with one short form, in your own words. We read it, match you with a counselor, and tell you the estimated cost before you book.
From there you can start with a free consultation or go straight to a first session with your counselor. Sessions are weekly and one to one, in person at our Sawdust Road office or by secure video from anywhere in Texas.
You choose what to share and when; “I am not ready to talk about that” is always a fine answer.
What if the first counselor is not the right fit?
Tell us. Fit matters more than almost anything else in whether counseling helps, so we do not treat it as a complaint.
Under the Reset, your first session with a new counselor is free. The Reset is about fit only, not a promise about results.
Also at this office
Related counseling in The Woodlands
Start with what this week has been like
Acceptance Path Counseling provides weekly counseling from licensed Texas counselors, in person at our office in The Woodlands and by secure video across Texas. We are not a psychiatry practice and do not prescribe medication.
We do not offer group therapy, psychological testing, or intensive or inpatient programs, and will help you find them if you need them. Counseling is not an emergency service.
In crisis or thinking about suicide? Call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline, any time.
If someone is in immediate danger, call 911.