PTSD and Trauma Treatment in Waldorf, MD and Maryland
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a treatable response to frightening or overwhelming events. At Oasis of Hope we treat PTSD and trauma in Waldorf, MD and across Maryland by telepsychiatry, for patients ages 6 and up.
Insurance plans we accept
What PTSD & Trauma is , and what it is not.
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can develop after you live through, witness, or learn about a terrifying or life-threatening event, combat, an assault, an accident, abuse, a sudden loss, a medical emergency, or a disaster. Most people have distressing reactions in the first weeks after trauma, and for many those reactions ease on their own. PTSD is what we call it when the reactions persist, intensify, or get in the way of daily life.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness, and it is not something you should be able to get over by will. It is a recognized medical condition tied to how the brain and body store and respond to a threat. The memory can feel as if it is happening now, the nervous system stays on guard, and ordinary reminders can set off a reaction that is out of proportion to the present moment.
Trauma also shows up in forms that do not carry the full PTSD diagnosis, acute stress, adjustment difficulties, or the lasting effects of childhood adversity. Whatever the label, the experience is real and it responds to treatment. PTSD affects children, teenagers, and adults, and we treat trauma across that full range.
What it can look like.
PTSD symptoms usually fall into four groups and last more than a month; only a comprehensive evaluation can diagnose the condition, but these are the signs clinicians look for.
- Intrusive memories, nightmares, or flashbacks in which the event feels like it is happening again
- Avoiding people, places, conversations, or activities that bring the trauma to mind
- Staying away from your own thoughts or feelings about what happened
- Persistent negative beliefs about yourself, others, or the world ("nowhere is safe," "it was my fault")
- Ongoing fear, anger, guilt, shame, or feeling numb and cut off from people you care about
- Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy, or trouble remembering parts of the event
- Being easily startled, constantly on guard, or feeling keyed up and tense
- Irritability, angry outbursts, or reckless and self-destructive behavior
- Trouble sleeping or concentrating
- In children: re-enacting the event in play, clinginess, bedwetting, or new fears
How we treat PTSD & Trauma at Oasis of Hope.
Care begins with a comprehensive psychiatric evaluation. Diagnosing PTSD takes more than a symptom checklist, we take your full history, ask about what happened and how it affects you now, and check for conditions that often travel with trauma, such as depression, anxiety, or substance use. You leave that first visit with an initial diagnosis where one is warranted and a plan you understand and agree with. The evaluation is the required starting point, and it is available in person in Waldorf or by telepsychiatry anywhere in Maryland.
For PTSD, psychotherapy is the foundation of treatment. Our therapists are trained in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing), an evidence-based approach that uses guided bilateral stimulation to help the brain reprocess distressing memories so they lose their hold on the present. Through psychotherapy we also draw on cognitive-behavioral therapy to work on the thoughts and avoidance that trauma leaves behind, and on supportive and interpersonal approaches as your needs become clearer. We match the approach to you rather than fitting you to a method, and you do not have to retell every detail before you are ready.
Medication can help alongside therapy, and for some patients it makes the rest of the work possible. Through medication management, Charlotte Ayuk-Nkem, APRN, CRNP-PMH, a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner, can prescribe and adjust antidepressants and related medications that ease the nightmares, hypervigilance, and low mood that often come with PTSD. Medication is a tool, not the goal; we lay out the options and the trade-offs so the decision stays yours, made with accurate information.
Care can take place in person at our Waldorf office or by telepsychiatry across Maryland, and we treat patients ages 6 and up, including children and teenagers with a parent or guardian involved. When trauma overlaps with substance use, our addiction treatment works in step with your trauma care rather than apart from it.
Psychiatric Evaluation
Your first visit and full assessment
Learn morePsychotherapy
Talk therapy, matched to you
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The right medication, the right dose
Learn moreTelepsychiatry
Secure video visits, anywhere in Maryland
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Non-judgmental, evidence-based recovery
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Starting care is one phone call.
Your first visit is a 60 to 90 minute conversation, not an interrogation. We listen to your history at your pace, look at how trauma is affecting you now, and close with an initial plan, most often a combination of therapy and, where it helps, medication. You can meet in person at our Waldorf, MD office or by secure telepsychiatry anywhere in Maryland, whichever feels safer to you.
We accept 13 insurance plans, including Medicaid and Medicare, and we will verify your coverage before your first visit. If you are unsure where to begin, call us at 301-710-4218 and we will help you take the first step.
If you or someone you love is in immediate crisis, call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline) or call 911. Oasis of Hope is not an emergency service.
More conditions we treat
PTSD & Trauma questions
Common questions about ptsd & trauma and how we treat it at Oasis of Hope.
Still have a question? Reach out, we'll answer honestly.
Your first step is a single phone call.
Book a consultation online or call us directly. We answer Monday through Saturday, 8:30am–6pm.