PTSD Treatment Decision Aid
by National Center for PTSD · U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs
An interactive tool from the VA's National Center for PTSD explaining five psychotherapies (CPT, EMDR, PE, present-centered therapy, written exposure) and medication options, building a side-by-side comparison chart and preparing questions for a clinician. Takes 30-40 minutes. The best free entry point for a person with symptoms: it names only treatments with guideline-level evidence, gives each a fair hearing rather than selling one, and ends with a printable comparison to bring to a provider. Not veteran-only despite the VA branding.
More resources on Trauma & PTSD
Comparison of Prolonged Exposure vs Cognitive Processing Therapy for PTSD Among US Veterans
Answers the question a reader arrives at immediately after the decision aid — 'which of the two leading therapies is better?' — with primary data rather than advocacy, and its answer (near-equivalent, so choose on fit and tolerability) is the honest one. A randomized trial of 916 US veterans comparing prolonged exposure with cognitive processing therapy. Prolonged exposure produced a statistically greater symptom reduction, but the difference was not clinically meaningful and both treatments improved symptoms substantially. Open access, JAMA Network Open 2022.
Trauma and Recovery: The Aftermath of Violence
The conceptual spine of the complex-trauma half of the topic, a role no guideline document fills. The 1992 book that introduced complex PTSD and set out a three-stage recovery framework of safety, remembrance and mourning, then reconnection. Draws on combat veterans and survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The 2022 edition adds a new epilogue.
Getting Unstuck from PTSD: Using Cognitive Processing Therapy to Guide Your Recovery
The first self-help workbook built on cognitive processing therapy, co-written by CPT's originator. Step-by-step exercises and downloadable worksheets guide readers through identifying and re-examining stuck points, the trauma-related beliefs that hold symptoms in place. 305 pages, 2023.
ISTSS Prevention and Treatment Guidelines for PTSD and Complex PTSD
International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies guidelines grading prevention and treatment interventions for children, adolescents, and adults. Includes two open-access position papers on Complex PTSD, a presentation most national guidelines do not address as a separate diagnosis. It is the only guideline-grade source that grades interventions for Complex PTSD specifically. The methodology-and-recommendations document and both Complex PTSD position papers are open-access PDFs. Member-walled evidence summaries are not needed to use it.
APA Clinical Practice Guideline for the Treatment of PTSD in Adults
The American Psychological Association's evidence-graded recommendations for treating PTSD in adults, updated in 2025 from fifteen systematic reviews. Covers cognitive behavioral therapy, cognitive processing therapy, and exposure therapy, stating the strength of evidence behind each recommendation. The document that settles what 'evidence-based' means for this topic, and the correct counterweight to the popular-press trauma literature.
Psychological First Aid
Johns Hopkins course on psychological first aid built around the RAPID model: reflective listening, assessment of needs, prioritization, intervention and disposition. Learners can triage acute crisis reactions, reduce immediate distress, recognize when to refer for further mental health care, and practice self-care.