“What psychotherapy is best for PTSD?”

Thank you for asking your question. I use a personalized approach. There is something called evidence based care. In brief this means where is the abundance of research. I would recommend Cognitive Behavioral, Mind-Body, EMDR, NeuroFeedback as potential best options. I look forward to hearing your story and how I may best assist.

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) is the best therapy for PTSD. This sounds fancy but it is really effective and often allows you to get past trauma because it addresses it in a way that does not rely on it.

PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder - is a phenomenon which may occur, following a significant life event, or when an individual has been exposed to a particularly unwelcomed event, experience, something that has occured to a loved one: put simply, when we do not properly contextualize a series of disturbing stimuli, they are processed [coded into our thoughts/memories] through/using our "fight/flight" response (specifically the Amygdala), rather than the normal processing pathway, which utilizes the hippocampus and frontal lobes contained in the brain.
There are a number of treatment options available for patients suffering with PTSD. The most common, and most evidence based approach, is for behavioral treatment which simultaneously utilizes the core features of cognition, specifically, the ones which impact our behaviors the most. This approach, referred to as Cognitive Behavioral Theory (CBT), is evidence-based, requires the patient to engage in work in between sessions, and is highly interactive. (Unlike the paradigm of lying on the couch, a CBT therapy approach puts a great deal of responsibility on the patient to report on past, present and future events in life, as well as understand the connection between a patient's thoughts and their behaviors. When a patient is able to appropriately understand, and thus contextualize the traumatic event, victims living with PTSD report a significant reduction in the symptoms associated with PTSD.
There are a number of other treatment paradigms which are designed to highlight and directly treat the symptoms, and underlying source of maladaptive coping skills which lead the patient to experience an event traumatically as opposed to objectively, or appropriately subjectively.
EMDR (eye movement desensitization reprocessing) is another option, some clinicians say is the best option, to treat PTSD.
Eye <https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/picture-of-the-eyes> movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) is a fairly new, nontraditional type of psychotherapy
<https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/guide-to-psychiatry-and-counseling>.
It's growing in popularity, particularly for treating post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD <https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/post-traumatic-stress-disorder>). PTSD often occurs after experiences such as military combat, physical assault, rape, or car accidents.
Although research continues, EMDR remains controversial among some healthcare professionals.
At first glance, EMDR appears to approach psychological issues in an unusual way. It does not rely on talk therapy or medications <https://www.webmd.com/drugs/index-drugs.aspx>. Instead, EMDR uses a patient's own rapid, rhythmic eye
<https://www.webmd.com/eye-health/ss/slideshow-eye-conditions-overview> movements.
These eye movements dampen the power of emotionally charged memories of past traumatic events. (https://www.ptsd.va.gov/understand_tx/emdr.asp)
Traditional Psychotherapy is effective, but not as effective as CBT therapy or Narrative Therapy. However, current research has identified a brand new technique - termed Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy - which has been shown to be especially effective. Ketamine Assisted Psychotherapy (KAP), combines the cathartic experiences of psychotherapy with the naturally "broadening" components of Ketamine medication. Ketamine has been found to be 1) very safe, 2) highly effective for several treatments, and 3) is a short term treatment which provides long term benefits. In my practice, I recommend either KAP or a form of narrative therapy, combined with aspects of CBT and psycho-education. It is important to understand the symptoms of PTSD can be easily 'tended to.' The real challenge is finding the source, the "root" of why a patient was unable to utilize their inherent coping strategies. The old adage used with weeds in any garden, in which the gardener is only able to completely rid themselves of a weed is if they "pull it up, root and stem." This is how this clinician conceptualizes PTSD.
1. identifying the source (what happened?)
2. naming and then tracking the extent of the symptoms associated with the
diagnosis of PTSD.
3. Ensuring the patient was appropriately diagnosed (it is not uncommon for a clinician with less experience to mis-identify a patient's symptoms and simply assume they are consistent with PTSD, rather than the diagnosis now left unattended.)
4. Working with the patient, providing psycho-educational information, in order to determine which treatment approach would be a) most indicated, and b) agreed upon by both patient and clinician.
5. Initiate the treatment
6. track the progress of the treatment, using the symptoms of PTSD as a rubric
7. When the symptoms have been reduced by 70%, exploring coping mechanisms and the patients natural defences
8. Finally, guiding the patient through 'recovery' and working with them to develop the cognitive features necessary to face any future triggers or deleterious exposures.
9. Ensuring the patient understands early identification of pre-trauma
10. Tapering treatment frequency and duration down (1x a week, to bimonthly, to monthly, to just checking in with the patient every 2 or so months.

Trauma focused cognitive behavior therapy. It is essential that you find
someone who is trauma informed.

EMDR, CBT/ Seeking Safety.

Check this link out for some insight into your question:
https://www.webmd.com/mental-health/what-are-treatments-for-posttraumatic-stress-disorder