PTSD Treatment in Florida by Telehealth
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can follow a car crash, an assault, combat, a sudden loss, a hurricane, or any event that threatened someone’s life or safety. Ascend Psychiatry & Wellness offers PTSD treatment through psychiatric evaluation and medication management, with every appointment held over secure video so you can be seen from anywhere in Florida.
A psychiatrist’s role in PTSD care is medical: confirming the diagnosis, sorting out what else may be going on, and deciding with you whether medication belongs in the plan. Trauma-focused therapy is a separate service. Ascend provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management rather than counseling, and coordinates with an outside therapist when your plan includes one.
What PTSD looks like
Most people feel shaken after a frightening event. Nightmares, jumpiness and replaying the moment are common in the first days and weeks. PTSD is the name for symptoms that persist for more than a month and get in the way of work, relationships or sleep. Clinicians group the symptoms into four clusters:
- Re-experiencing. Unwanted memories that intrude without warning, nightmares, flashbacks that feel as if the event is happening again, and strong physical reactions to reminders.
- Avoidance. Steering clear of places, people, conversations or thoughts connected to the event, sometimes to the point of reorganizing daily life around it.
- Changes in mood and thinking. Persistent guilt, shame or blame, feeling cut off from other people, losing interest in things that used to matter, and difficulty feeling positive emotions.
- Arousal and reactivity. Being constantly on guard, startling easily, irritability or angry outbursts, trouble concentrating, and trouble falling or staying asleep.
Symptoms do not always start right away. For some people they surface months or even years after the event, often around an anniversary, a new stressor, or a reminder that catches them off guard.
Trauma that builds over time
PTSD is not limited to a single catastrophic event. Repeated exposure, such as long-term abuse, a violent relationship, or the daily work of first responders, nurses and military service members, can produce the same symptom pattern. Some people also describe lasting trouble with emotional regulation and self-worth on top of classic PTSD symptoms, a pattern often called complex PTSD. The Ascend blog covers this in recovery strategies for C-PTSD and in an article on the long-term effects of childhood trauma on adult mental health. For signs that it is time to involve a psychiatrist, see when to seek psychiatric help for PTSD and trauma.
Conditions that travel with PTSD
PTSD rarely shows up alone. Depression, panic attacks, other anxiety disorders, heavy alcohol or drug use, and chronic insomnia are frequent companions, and each one can make the others harder to manage. Part of a psychiatric evaluation is untangling these threads, because the order in which they are addressed shapes the plan. Ascend also treats depression and anxiety disorders, and its psychiatrists manage medications for patients with more than one diagnosis.
How PTSD treatment at Ascend works
A full evaluation first
Care begins with a 60-minute psychiatric evaluation by video. The psychiatrist asks about your current symptoms, how long they have lasted, sleep, mood, alcohol and substance use, medical history, medications you have tried, and how daily life has changed. Ascend describes its PTSD care as trauma-informed. The visit ends with a working diagnosis and a written treatment plan.
Medication management
When medication is part of the plan, Ascend’s psychiatrists prescribe antidepressants, including SSRIs and SNRIs, which are the classes the practice lists for PTSD. The choice depends on your symptoms, other conditions, current prescriptions and preferences, and it is discussed with you before anything is started. The medication management page explains how prescribing, monitoring and side effect management work.
Follow-up visits
Follow-up visits are 30 minutes. While a medication is new or being adjusted, they are typically every two to four weeks; once things are steady, the interval usually stretches to every one to three months. These visits track sleep, nightmares, side effects, and how symptoms are affecting work and home.
Working with a trauma therapist
Trauma-focused psychotherapy, such as cognitive processing therapy or prolonged exposure, is delivered by therapists. If you already see a therapist, Ascend’s psychiatrists can coordinate with them. If you do not, the practice can recommend therapists.
Why telehealth fits PTSD care
For many people with PTSD, getting to an appointment is its own obstacle: crowded waiting rooms, driving routes that pass reminders, or simply the effort of leaving a space that feels safe. A video visit removes those steps. You join from a private place you choose, on a phone, tablet or computer with a camera. Ascend’s psychiatrists are licensed in Florida and see patients statewide, and prescriptions go electronically to the pharmacy you use.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ascend treat PTSD?
Yes. Ascend provides psychiatric evaluation and medication management for PTSD, by secure telehealth video anywhere in Florida.
Is PTSD treated with medication or therapy?
Often both. Trauma-focused therapy is provided by a therapist, while medication is prescribed and monitored by a psychiatrist. The classes Ascend lists for PTSD are antidepressants, including SSRIs and SNRIs, and the practice coordinates with your therapist.
Can PTSD start years after the traumatic event?
Yes. Some people have few symptoms at first and develop PTSD months or years later, often after a new stressor or a strong reminder. A delayed start does not make the symptoms any less real, and a psychiatrist can evaluate them whenever they appear.
Can I keep seeing my current therapist?
Yes. Ascend does not replace your therapist. Your psychiatrist handles evaluation and medication and can coordinate with the therapist you already see.
Do I have to describe my trauma at the first appointment?
The evaluation focuses on your symptoms, history and how you are functioning now. You decide how much to share about the event itself, and you can tell your psychiatrist if a topic is too much to go into at that visit.
Insurance, fees and booking
Ascend accepts Cigna, Aetna, Optum, Medicare, Tricare, Oscar, UMR, Surest, UHS, Evernorth, Meritain, UnitedHealth, Allegiance, SureFit and NALC Health. Cash pay is $300 for the 60-minute initial evaluation and $150 for each 30-minute follow-up, and HSA and FSA funds are accepted. See fees and insurance for plan details. Psychiatric care at Ascend is provided by Dr. Cathleen Jane Gomez, MD, the practice’s founder, and Dr. Jack Long, MD. You choose your provider when you book.
In a crisis? Ascend provides outpatient psychiatric care and is not equipped for emergencies. If you are thinking about harming yourself or someone else, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, 24 hours a day. For a psychiatric or medical emergency, call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room.
This page is general education, not medical advice, a diagnosis, or a treatment recommendation. Always talk with a qualified healthcare provider about your own situation.