Details

Services for Individuals

Assessment

An intake assessment is typically our first meeting. During this session, I gather key information about your background, symptoms, and stress, betrayal, and/or trauma‑related experiences. This helps me understand your unique needs and begin building a foundation for treatment. Together, we use this information to create a personalized plan that supports your healing and recovery.

In addition to intake sessions, I also offer comprehensive trauma and PTSD assessment for individuals seeking clarity, diagnosis, or documentation. With more than two decades of experience conducting PTSD evaluations across clinical, research, and specialty care settings, I use evidence‑based tools and structured interviews to provide accurate, trauma‑informed assessment. Whether you need a standalone evaluation or an assessment to guide treatment planning, you’ll receive a thorough, culturally responsive process grounded in the best available science.

Accelerated PE therapy

Accelerated PE therapy includes all the core components of traditional Prolonged Exposure. Instead of meeting once per week, sessions occur three or more times weekly. This faster pace—often called an “intensive” or “massed” course of therapy—has been linked to quicker treatment gains and a lower risk of dropout. For many people, this structure offers a focused, time‑limited path toward meaningful change.

In addition to providing accelerated PE, I developed the nation’s only virtual Prolonged Exposure program within the VA and supported additional sites in creating and sustaining their own versions. We published our outcomes, demonstrating strong effectiveness and highlighting the promise of accessible, evidence‑based trauma treatment delivered virtually (Aosved et al., 2025). These experiences allow me to offer accelerated PE with a high level of precision, flexibility, and trauma‑informed care.

Traditional PE therapy

Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy is a structured, evidence‑based treatment for PTSD. It helps individuals safely approach and process traumatic memories. The goal is to reduce distress and support a sense of control and empowerment. PE is grounded in cognitive‑behavioral principles and delivered in a supportive, trauma‑informed way. For many people, it offers a clear, effective path toward meaningful healing.

I bring more than two decades of experience providing PE across clinical, research, and specialty care settings. I was trained as a PE clinician in 2007 by the treatment developers, Drs. Edna Foa and Elizabeth Hembree. Later, I served as a study therapist in the largest randomized controlled trial comparing PE to Cognitive Processing Therapy. In addition, I developed the nation’s only virtual PE program within the VA and supported other sites in building and sustaining similar programs. Our published outcomes demonstrated strong effectiveness and highlighted the promise of accessible, evidence‑based trauma treatment delivered virtually. This background allows me to offer PE with a level of expertise, precision, and compassion that supports clients in making real, lasting change.

PE core components include:

Education about PTSD:

PE therapy begins with clear, collaborative education about PTSD. We explore how trauma affects the brain and body and how avoidance can unintentionally keep symptoms going. Exposure helps interrupt this cycle by gradually facing what feels unsafe or overwhelming. Understanding these patterns is an essential first step in the healing process.

Breathing Techniques:

In the early stages of PE, I teach breathing techniques to help manage stress, anxiety, and daily distress. These skills support emotional regulation and provide a steady foundation for engaging in exposure work. They also offer clients a sense of grounding as they move through treatment.

In Vivo Exposure:

For in‑vivo exposure, I work closely with clients to identify activities, places, or situations that feel threatening because of trauma reminders—even when they are objectively safe. Together, we build a clear, collaborative plan for gradually approaching these situations in a way that feels supported and doable. I help clients understand the emotions and predictions that arise, and we track what actually happens as they practice. Over time, repeated and intentional exposure reduces distress, increases confidence, and expands the freedom to move through daily life without avoidance shaping every decision.

Imaginal Exposure:

With imaginal exposure, I guide clients through recalling and describing the traumatic event in a detailed, compassionate, and structured way. During sessions, I help them narrate the memory at a pace that feels supported, ensuring they remain grounded and never alone with the experience. We revisit the memory together—not to retraumatize, but to reduce avoidance, make sense of what happened, and create space for new insights to emerge. As this work continues, emotional intensity decreases, distress lessens, and clients often develop a clearer, more compassionate understanding of themselves and their experience.

Processing and Reflection:

After each exposure, I take time with clients to reflect on what they noticed—emotionally, physically, and cognitively. We explore any shifts in thoughts or beliefs, connect these changes to their broader healing goals, and make sense of what the exposure experience revealed. I help clients identify new learning, challenge old predictions, and integrate insights that emerge as they revisit the memory or approach avoided situations. This collaborative reflection deepens emotional understanding, reinforces progress, and supports lasting change.

Duration and Structure of PE:

Prolonged Exposure therapy typically lasts 8 to 15 sessions, depending on each person’s needs. In standard PE, sessions are held weekly, with practice assignments between meetings. The therapy is short-term and focused—designed to help individuals heal from traumatic experiences and regain a sense of safety and control.

Prolonged Exposure therapy is a powerful, evidence-based treatment for PTSD. It helps individuals break the cycle of trauma and fear, supporting a renewed sense of empowerment, safety, and emotional well-being.

Accelerated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Accelerated CBT includes all the core components of traditional Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Instead of meeting once per week, sessions occur three or more times weekly. This faster pace—often called an “intensive”—has been associated with quicker symptom improvement, stronger skill acquisition, and reduced risk of dropout.

I developed a model accelerated CBT program within the VA and facilitated the implementation of similar programs across multiple sites. Our outcomes have been published, demonstrating strong effectiveness and supporting the value of accelerated, evidence‑based care (Aosved et al., in press).

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

I offer structured, evidence‑based therapy rooted in Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Below are several CBT approaches I use in my work.

Unified Protocol (UP)

often use the Unified Protocol (UP) to help individuals manage anxiety, depression, trauma, stress, and other emotion‑driven challenges. UP teaches practical skills, integrates mindfulness, increases emotional awareness, and reduces avoidance through personalized, goal‑oriented sessions. Treatment is collaborative, culturally responsive, and tailored to support meaningful, lasting change.

I have used UP for more than a decade across clinical and specialty care settings. Within the VA, I developed and led the nation’s only virtual accelerated UP program—an innovative model designed to increase access, reduce wait times, and support rapid skill acquisition. I also partnered with additional sites to help them build and sustain similar programs. This experience allows me to deliver UP with a high level of expertise, flexibility, and clinical precision.

UP Core Components Include:

Mindful Emotion Awareness:

I help clients develop a grounded, compassionate awareness of their emotional experiences. Rather than fighting or suppressing difficult feelings, we practice noticing them with curiosity and without judgment. This skill becomes a foundation for responding intentionally rather than reacting automatically.

Cognitive Flexibility:

Together, we explore the thoughts, interpretations, and predictions that shape emotional reactions. I guide clients in examining these patterns with openness, identifying alternative perspectives, and building more flexible ways of thinking. My experience implementing UP across diverse settings helps me tailor this work to each person’s cultural context and goals.

Reducing Avoidance:

Avoidance is a natural response to distress, but it often keeps symptoms in place. I work collaboratively with clients to identify subtle and overt avoidance patterns—mental, emotional, and behavioral—and to replace them with more effective coping strategies. This process is paced thoughtfully and grounded in safety, autonomy, and respect.

Awareness and Tolerance of Physical Sensations:

Many emotional experiences show up in the body. I help clients understand these sensations, practice tolerating them, and learn that they are uncomfortable but not dangerous. Through interoceptive exercises, clients build confidence in their ability to stay present with physical cues that once felt overwhelming.

Emotion Exposure:

Emotion exposure is a structured, supportive process of approaching the situations, sensations, and internal experiences that trigger strong emotions. I guide clients through these exercises with care, clarity, and collaboration—helping them build mastery, reduce distress, and expand their capacity to engage fully in their lives. My experience running the nation’s only virtual accelerated UP program informs a flexible, effective approach that supports meaningful progress even in complex cases.

Although the Unified Protocol is not a trauma‑focused therapy, it is highly effective for emotional patterns that often accompany trauma—such as anxiety, avoidance, shame, and difficulty regulating intense emotions. For individuals seeking trauma‑focused care, I also offer several evidence‑based treatments, including Prolonged Exposure (PE), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Trauma‑Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR), and Written Exposure Therapy (WET).

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)

Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) helps individuals understand how trauma, stress, and betrayal can shape beliefs about safety, trust, power, and self‑worth. Through guided reflection and practical tools, CPT supports people in identifying unhelpful patterns, reducing self‑blame, and developing more balanced, compassionate ways of understanding their experiences. Treatment is collaborative, culturally responsive, and focused on restoring clarity, confidence, and emotional flexibility.

My history with CPT began in graduate school in 2002 and deepened through direct training with the treatment developer, Dr. Patricia Resick, during my postdoctoral fellowship in 2006. I later served as a fidelity consultant on a CPT telehealth study with diverse Veterans across the Pacific Islands, supporting clinicians in delivering the model with accuracy, cultural responsiveness, and clinical integrity.

In my work, I use CPT to help clients examine the meanings they’ve carried—often for years—and understand how trauma has influenced their interpretations of themselves and the world. Together, we identify “stuck points,” explore how these beliefs developed, and test more flexible, values‑aligned perspectives. My two decades of experience delivering trauma‑focused CBT treatments shape how I implement CPT, offering clients a structured, supportive pathway toward healing and renewed self‑trust.

Concurrent Treatment of PTSD and Substance Use Disorders Using Prolonged Exposure (COPE)

I use COPE to support individuals navigating both PTSD and substance use disorders. COPE integrates Prolonged Exposure (PE) with cognitive‑behavioral strategies for reducing substance use, allowing clients to address trauma symptoms while building practical tools for managing cravings, triggers, and high‑risk situations. I guide clients through structured exposure, collaborative coping‑skills training, and thoughtful planning that supports safety, autonomy, and meaningful progress in both areas. This approach helps reduce avoidance, strengthen emotional regulation, and create a clearer path toward stability, recovery, and renewed confidence.

Trauma Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR)

Trauma‑Informed Guilt Reduction Therapy (TrIGR) is an evidence‑based approach designed to help individuals who carry significant guilt, shame, or self‑blame after traumatic or morally distressing events. TrIGR provides a structured, supportive space to examine the meaning of these emotions, understand their origins, and develop healthier, more accurate interpretations of one’s actions and intentions. This therapy reduces the weight of guilt while strengthening self‑compassion, values‑aligned living, and a renewed sense of integrity and purpose.

I use TrIGR to help clients carefully explore the beliefs they hold about what happened, the standards they apply to themselves, and the ways trauma can distort responsibility. I guide clients through a thoughtful, collaborative process of clarifying what truly aligns with their values, identifying where unrealistic guilt has taken root, and building pathways toward self‑forgiveness and moral repair. My background in trauma‑focused care and my long‑standing commitment to culturally responsive, values‑driven healing shape how I deliver TrIGR—ensuring clients feel supported, understood, and empowered as they move toward relief and renewed meaning.

Written Exposure Therapy (WET)

I use Written Exposure Therapy (WET) as a brief, evidence‑based treatment for PTSD that helps individuals process traumatic memories through structured writing. WET offers a focused, time‑efficient approach for people who want trauma‑focused care without extensive homework or between‑session assignments. The model is grounded in the same principles as other exposure‑based therapies—approaching the memory rather than avoiding it—but uses writing as the primary method for processing.

I guide clients through a series of structured writing sessions where they describe the traumatic event in detail, focusing on thoughts, emotions, and sensory experiences. I create a calm, supportive environment that helps clients stay grounded while engaging deeply with the memory. After each writing period, we reflect on what they noticed—emotionally, physically, and cognitively—and how the experience is shifting their understanding of the event. This process reduces avoidance, decreases distress, and supports new insights about what happened and what it means.

My background in trauma‑focused care, including two decades of experience delivering evidence‑based PTSD treatments across clinical, research, and specialty care settings, shapes how I implement WET. Clients receive a structured, compassionate approach that honors their pace, supports emotional safety, and helps them move toward relief and renewed confidence.

Services for Organizations

Accelerated CBT Program Development

I help organizations design and implement accelerated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (i.e., PE, UP, etc.) programs that are evidence‑based, inclusive, and outcomes‑driven. My approach integrates the latest research in trauma‑informed care with each organization’s unique needs to create streamlined treatment models that reduce symptom burden efficiently—without compromising clinical precision or cultural humility. Whether supporting a clinic, training institute, or mental health organization, I offer customized program development that enhances accessibility, sustainability, and clinical impact.

Group Consultation for Prolonged Exposure (PE) Clinicians

I provide structured group consultation for clinicians delivering Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy. I was formally trained as a PE consultant and supervisor in 2008 by the treatment developers, Drs. Edna Foa and Elizabeth Hembree, and I have provided group PE consultation to VA clinicians for more than 17 years. These sessions strengthen fidelity, build confidence, and deepen clinical nuance. In a collaborative, supportive space, clinicians troubleshoot challenges, refine protocol delivery, and integrate culturally responsive practices.

For organizations engaged in program development or implementation facilitation, group consultation promotes clinical consistency, supports ongoing skill development, and fosters a culture of reflective practice. This process helps teams sustain impact and maintain alignment with excellence in trauma‑focused, evidence‑based care.

Individual Consultation for PE Clinicians

I offer ongoing individual consultation for therapists who have completed initial training in Prolonged Exposure (PE) therapy and want expert support as they begin delivering the model. I was formally trained as a PE consultant and supervisor in 2008 by the treatment developers, Drs. Edna Foa and Elizabeth Hembree, and I have provided individual PE consultation to VA clinicians for more than 17 years. These sessions offer detailed, case‑specific guidance that helps clinicians refine their skills, strengthen fidelity, and build confidence in their practice.

I provide consultation for both traditional and accelerated PE. For clinicians delivering accelerated PE, consultation occurs multiple times per week to match the intensive pace of treatment. This structure ensures timely support, protocol fidelity, and responsive guidance as clinicians navigate high‑frequency sessions. Whether a therapist is implementing PE for the first time or seeking advanced consultation to deepen clinical nuance, my approach is collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in two decades of trauma‑focused expertise.

Implementation Facilitation for Accelerated CBT

I provide hands‑on implementation facilitation to help clinics, programs, and mental health teams integrate accelerated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) into existing systems. I have developed, implemented, and sustained two accelerated CBT programs within the VA, and I have supported additional programs—residential and outpatient, in‑person and virtual—in building and maintaining similar models. My approach includes strategic planning, leadership and clinician coaching, workflow optimization, and fidelity monitoring, all tailored to the realities of each setting.

Implementation facilitation bridges clinical innovation with operational practicality. I work closely with teams to strengthen infrastructure, enhance cultural responsiveness, and ensure sustainable, high‑quality delivery. Whether an organization is launching a new initiative or scaling an existing program, I offer structured, collaborative guidance that supports consistency, efficiency, and long‑term impact in trauma‑focused, evidence‑based care.

Training

I provide training on a range of evidence‑based, trauma‑focused, and implementation‑focused topics for clinicians, programs, and organizations. I was formally trained as a PE trainer in 2009 by the treatment developers, Drs. Edna Foa and Elizabeth Hembree, and from 2009–2025 I helped lead national PE training initiatives across the VA. My training approach is practical, culturally responsive, and grounded in two decades of clinical, research, and program‑development experience.

Training topics include:

• PTSD assessment and case conceptualization
• Traditional Prolonged Exposure (PE) implementation
• Accelerated PE implementation
• Accelerated CBT implementation
• Virtual/telehealth delivery of PE
• Supervision of accelerated PE implementation
• Overcoming institutional betrayal and supporting recovery in systems‑impacted populations

Each training is tailored to the needs of the organization, blending clinical expertise with operational insight to support sustainable, high‑quality trauma‑focused care.