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Offered in-person & online

Our therapists offer PTSD & trauma therapy in Henrico, VA

Get in-person or online care, and cover the majority of the costs with your insurance.

Get in-person or online care, and cover the majority of the costs with your insurance. Scheduling is easy — call our team and they’ll help you find your perfect match.

Connect with a therapist, psychiatrist or counselor near you
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686,000 people sought help with Thriveworks in the last year

Discover how starting Trauma/PTSD therapy can support your own journey toward a happier, more fulfilling life.

Meet with a provider as soon as this week

Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO, +22 more
Military / Veteran, Anger, Behavioral Issues, Coping Skills, Infidelity, +11 more

Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO, +21 more
LGBTQIA+, Anger, Coping Skills, Stress, Women’s Issues, +7 more

Aetna, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO, +20 more
Anger, Coping Skills, Self Esteem, Stress, ADHD, +9 more

Latoya Renea Smith

Hear from Latoya Renea Smith, Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC)

View Latoya Renea Smith's profile

What is your go-to approach for PTSD/trauma therapy?

I use internal family systems therapy and “parts work.” I use parts work because it helps increase awareness of the various parts within us impacted by trauma – giving each entity a voice, and learning what each needs, wants, and fears. Parts work strives for the integration of all those entities “within” by helping each part to understand each other's function, helping to increase overall compassion towards the “self.”

What tools do you teach in PTSD/trauma therapy?

I teach the following tools in trauma therapy: accurate identification of feelings and sensations; emotional regulation/distress tolerance skills; cognitive defusion skills (creating healthy distance between the self and unproductive thoughts/feelings/sensations); values assessment and exploration of activities that provide access to a sense of purpose, fulfillment, satisfaction, and meaning; as well as self-compassion and self-validation skills where clients are encouraged to relate themselves to personal friends, a loved one, or their “younger self.”

How do you know when a client is making meaningful progress in PTSD/trauma therapy?

I know a client is making meaningful progress when they report the ability to navigate a difficult situation with increased emotional regulation, understanding, and self-compassion.

What can clients do in their personal time to supplement PTSD/trauma therapy?

Clients can supplement their time in trauma therapy with mindfulness, deep-breathing exercises, grounding practices, and increased awareness and expression of their authentic emotions and sensory experiences in their day-to-day environments.

What should someone do to prepare for starting PTSD/trauma therapy?

To prepare for a trauma therapy session, someone can begin by identifying the unproductive thoughts/beliefs that lead to emotional distress and problematic behaviors so that the client is better prepared to interact with these thoughts in healthier ways, increasing their sense of regulation and personal agency.

Starting Trauma/PTSD therapy

What is PTSD/trauma therapy?

At Thriveworks, Trauma/PTSD therapy involves dedicated efforts to address and navigate through past and/or recent traumatic events. Therapists specializing in trauma create a secure environment to process and heal from these experiences, aiming to reduce trauma-related symptoms and enhance overall quality of life.

How does PTSD/trauma therapy work?

Our Thriveworks providers use Trauma/PTSD therapy treatments like eye movement desensitization and reprocessing EMDR, CBT, and exposure therapy with the goal of helping clients process the traumatic events they have experienced so that they can to start feeling safe and secure again.

Symptoms of PTSD

The symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can vary but often include:

  • Flashbacks and distressing memories of the traumatic event
  • Nightmares and sleep disturbances
  • Intense anxiety and irritability
  • Avoidance of reminders of the trauma
  • Negative changes in mood and thought patterns
  • Increased arousal, like difficulty concentrating or exaggerated startle response

How do you overcome PTSD triggers?

The best way to overcome PTSD triggers is to seek the assistance of a professional therapist, such as those at Thriveworks, who can help you to understand and treat your PTSD triggers.

What type of therapist is best for PTSD?

In most cases, a therapist who specializes in Trauma/PTSD therapy is the best type of mental health professional to address the symptoms of PTSD.

Is PTSD/trauma therapy conducted in person or online?

PTSD/trauma therapy at Thriveworks is conducted both in person and online by video. We encourage you to choose the option that works best for you.

How long should you go to therapy for PTSD?

If a client is working through a single traumatic event that occurred as an adult, trauma or PTSD therapy may only take a few months, but in general, it can take a year or more to effectively treat trauma symptoms and PTSD. The duration of treatment is highly dependent on the client and the severity of their symptoms.

How successful is therapy for PTSD?

The success rate of therapy for PTSD depends entirely on the individual’s symptoms, commitment to attending sessions, and personal abilities.

Need more help deciding?

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Impacts Millions

When you or a loved one are exposed to a shocking, troubling, dangerous or scary event, it’s natural to experience temporary emotional effects stemming from it. Situations such as those trigger our body’s “fight or flight” response, and then our brain tries to sort out what we’ve experienced while coming to terms with the triggering event. But sometimes your brain can’t resolve what you’ve been through, and instead gets locked in a harmful pattern that can alter its thought processes significantly. When that occurs a life-changing behavioral condition can result which is clinically referred to as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

According to the American Psychiatric Association (APA), PTSD is classified as any response to trauma that interferes with one’s ability to cope or function on a daily basis. Mental health professionals have found that over three percent of the U.S. population experience PTSD each year, and that a third of those cases are deemed to be “severe”. The most common examples of PTSD are found in military veterans who’ve been in combat situations, but there are other PTSD causes that people are exposed to including:

  • Sexual assault or abuse
  • Domestic violence
  • Transportation-related accidents
  • Verbal and/or physical altercations
  • Personal experiences like job loss or relationship breakups
  • Secondhand traumatic experiences like the death of a loved one

When you or someone close to you is challenged by PTSD it can be debilitating and interfere with that person’s health, relationships, and school and job performance.

Symptoms of PTSD Include these

Therapists separate PTSD symptoms into four different categories based upon their characteristics, those being: re-experiencing, avoidance, arousal and reactivity, and cognition and mood. Here are the four categories and their corresponding symptoms:

  • Re-experiencing: Flashbacks; disturbing or frightening thoughts; nightmares; reliving the traumatic event with physiological indicators like sweating and rapid pulse
  • Avoidance: Ignoring or repressing emotions and/or thoughts related to the traumatic event; trying to escape reminders of it by avoiding people, places, situations and things
  • Arousal and reactivity: Trouble falling or staying asleep; startling easily; feeling tense or “on edge”; and unexpected emotional outbursts, notably anger
  • Cognition and mood: Memory loss or difficulty remembering; feelings of guilt, self-blame, or blaming of others; not finding enjoyment in previously enjoyed activities; negative thoughts about oneself and hopeless thoughts about the world in general

A PTSD client can present with symptoms from one or more of these categories which helps clinicians make a definitive diagnosis. If you or someone close to you has PTSD, that person is also at risk for other mental health conditions such as anxiety, grief, depression, substance abuse and suicidal thoughts. At times the coexisting mental health issues make it more complicated for the individual with PTSD to get help. Fortunately there is effective therapeutic counseling, also known as coaching, available to help someone with PTSD begin to get his or her life on the right track again.

How does Counseling for PTSD Work?

Counseling, or coaching, sessions for PTSD clients are very individualized and based on the symptoms, traumatic experience(s) involved and coexisting mental health conditions. Coaching services are designed to help you or your loved one make sense of their negative experiences and feelings, devise a plan to stay safe, learn healthy life coping behaviors, connect with additional resources and support, and to start making posttraumatic growth improvements.

Either primary or add-on psychotherapeutic methodologies that have shown promise in treating people with PTSD include these:

  • Exposure therapy
  • Cognitive processing therapy (CPT)
  • Eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)
  • Hypnotherapy
  • Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)
  • Psychotropic medications

The good news for you or someone you care about is that a majority of clients with PTSD who receive professional coaching assistance are able to recover.

Thriveworks Henrico Counselors and Nurse Practitioners Understand PTSD

PTSD counseling caan assist you or your loved one in overcoming its challenges while developing a more positive outlook on life. For more information on our PTSD coaching services, or how to become a certified Thriveworks Henrico, VA coach, call: (804) 205-3408 today or go online to book your appointment.

Pricing & insurance

Our therapists accept most major insurances. We accept 585+ insurance plans, and offer self-pay options, too.
Learn more about pricing for therapy and counseling services at Thriveworks.

Our Henrico therapists and counselors accept 24 insurance plans

  • Aetna

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia Medicare Advantage

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Virginia | Exchange

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS HMO

  • CareFirst Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Virginia | BCBS PPO

  • Carelon

  • Carelon | Medicare Advantage

  • Cigna | Evernorth

  • Cigna | Evernorth Medicare Advantage

  • Compsych

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Self-pay costs at Henrico
Talk therapy

Talk therapy

Includes individual, couples, child/ teen, & family therapy

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Talk therapy

Psychiatry

Includes reducing symptoms with medication & management

First session

$1

Ongoing sessions

$1

Hear from our clients

5.0 Learn about verified reviews
★★★★★
Very insightful, knowledgeable, offers excellent feedback and coping mechanisms. Latoya is a joy to work with!
Lora Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I appreciate the enthusiasm from my Clinician
Sophie Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
The assessments aren't nuanced enough, it's not an either òr situation, I'm a widower in counseling (married 50 years, Widowed 36 mos) Depression and anxiety are part of grief along with a whole constellation of emotions. Profoundly unique to each individual. My Therapist Patricia McCarty has been great, and has helped me a lot. Thank you
Read more The assessments aren't nuanced enough, it's not an either òr situation, I'm a widower in counseling (married 50 years, Widowed 36 mos) Depression and anxiety are part of grief along with a whole constellation of emotions. Profoundly unique to each individual. My Therapist Patricia McCarty has been great, and has helped me a lot. Thank you
Gregory Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Good experience!Looking forward to working with Tricia.
Leslie Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
jennifer Brown is easy to talk to and explain the situation and feelings to. she listens and helps you to see all sides of the situation.
Janice Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
Wendy listens to me and provides me with insightful advice to move forward.
Jack Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
The ease on getting matched to someone, and the flexibility of appt methods.
Joshua Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review
★★★★★
I have been with Jennifer Brown for quite a while and she has been a great listening ear and has offered many coping skills for the many challenges in my life. I don't feel rushed or made to feel that my feelings/thoughts are insignificant.
Susan Mar 2025
Thriveworks.com verified review

Where to find us

Getting here

We share a building with Tranquility Yoni Steam. Across the street is Divine World Changers International Ministries. We are near the intersection of Gayton Road and Cambridge Drive.

Phone number

(804) 265-4857

Languages spoken by VA providers

  • English
Monday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Saturday 8:00am - 9:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 9:00pm

Shown in ET

Monday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Tuesday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Wednesday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Thursday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Friday 8:00am - 9:30pm
Saturday 8:00am - 6:00pm
Sunday 8:00am - 6:00pm

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