Choosing a PTSD Treatment that's right for you

What are effective treatments for PTSD?

If you have PTSD, you have several effective treatment options - we explored these hereXXX.

Even among these four 'gold standard' treatments, there are differences which can impact how well a person may respond to them, and which one is best. At the time of writing (Jan 2026), there is no scientific way to know which treatment is best for a specific person. However, experienced clinicians can assist you to consider your options and establish which is likely to best address your needs.

How do I know which treatment to choose?

There are several factors your therapist will as you to consider in making a treatment decision:

What treatment options are available to you - that is, what are the therapists you have access to actually trained in?

Do you feel you can work well with your therapist - do you feel safe, and heard, even when they have to gently challenge you?

Which treatments best meet your goals (what you want to get out of therapy) and your prferences (what you like or don't like in therapy or the therapeutic relationship)

Do you have other physical or mental health conditions that are important to address as well, and do you have the supports to do so?

These are some questions to consider in selecting the best treatment for you. Your clinician will help you develop a 'treatment plan' - essentially the road map you will use to get you from Session 1 to Session 6 or 12 with your goals being met. This treatment plan will be created using what we call 'shared decision making'.

What is shared decision making?

Shared decision making is the term health professionals use to describe working together with the client to make the best decisions about their treatment. The goal is to help ensure you have the information you need to choose a treatment that is best for you.

While the clinician is the expert in the different treatments and how they work, only you are an expert on what your preferences are and what goals you have. Shared decision making allows us to collaborate and use our shared experise to build you the right treatment plan.

Asking questions is important - if you can't ask your clinician questions, that is a big issue! You should feel free to ask for more information or resources to learn about the different treatments. You can ask for explanations on the benefits and risks of treatment, how they work, and what to expect. With your consent, your clinician can explain these to your partner or carer if this is something you would like.

PTSD Treatment Decision Aid

Like most Australians, we here at Strength Within do not like re-inventing the wheel or doing work for work's sake - as such, we are very happy to recommend the US Veteran's Affairs PTSD Treatment Decision Aid to support your decision making about PTSD treatment options. It is a free, science based online tool about the evidence based PTSD treatment options.

Using the PTSD Treatment Decision Aid, you can:

• Read more about treatments and watch videos explaining how they work

• Build a chart to compare the treatments you think might work best for your

• Build a summary of your treatment preferences and things you like (or don't like!) about different treatments

• Gain confidence in how to talk to your therapist or doctor about treatment options.