PTSD: National Center for PTSD

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) for PTSD

What type of treatment is this?

Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is an individual therapy for PTSD in which you will write about your trauma and the feelings you have about it. It lasts for 5 sessions.

How does it work?

People with PTSD often avoid thinking about the trauma because it feels too stressful to manage. Avoiding things that remind you of the trauma can help you feel better in the moment, but not in the long term. WET works by having you write the details of the trauma. By learning that you can tolerate the negative feelings that come up, you will start to experience the memory with less distress over time. You also will find that physical responses like rapid heartbeat or sweating will decrease. And talking with your provider about your writing sessions can help you develop new ways of thinking about the traumatic event and what it means to you.

Video

How does WET work?

Hear providers explain how WET uses writing to help you change the way you think about a trauma.

What can I expect?

Your provider will start by giving you an overview of PTSD symptoms and the treatment. In each session, your therapist will give you a specific writing direction and ask you to write about it for 30-minutes. After writing, you will talk briefly with your provider about how the writing went. You will give your writing to the provider so that they can read through it and make sure that your writing is on track to help you benefit from the treatment.

Video

What can I expect?

Hear providers explain what each session of WET is like.

In between sessions, your provider will simply ask you to try not to avoid any trauma memories that come up, but there will be no specific assignments between sessions. Over time you will learn to manage thoughts and feelings about the traumatic event and find new meanings that help reduce your PTSD symptoms.

Is it effective?

Yes, WET is an effective treatment for PTSD.

Video

Is it effective?

Listen to providers describe the effectiveness of WET.

How long does treatment last?

WET usually takes 5 weekly sessions, so treatment lasts about 1 month. Sessions are 1 hour each. And the benefits of WET often last long after your final session with your provider.

What are the risks?

The risks of doing WET are mild to moderate discomfort when writing about trauma-related memories. These feelings are usually brief and people tend to feel better as they keep doing WET. Most people who complete WET find that the benefits outweigh any initial discomfort.

Group or individual?

WET is an individual therapy. You will meet 1-to-1 with your provider each session.

Will I need to talk about my trauma?

You will not need to talk about your trauma. You will write in detail about your trauma. Your clinician will read your writing between sessions.

Video

Will I need to talk about my trauma?

Hear more about the focus of your therapy sessions.

Will I have homework?

No, you will not have homework. You will be asked to allow yourself to think about any trauma memories that come up naturally.

How available is this in VA?

Somewhat. Some VA medical centers offer WET in their specialized PTSD programs. Smaller VA facilities that do not offer WET may be able to use videoconferencing to have you receive WET from a provider at another location.

Does VA have an app for that?

No, currently VA has not developed an app for WET.

How do you choose the best treatment?

Are you trying to figure out which PTSD treatment is best for you? The PTSD Treatment Decision Aid is an online tool with more videos and information about Written Exposure Therapy and other treatments that work. You can use the decision aid to compare treatment options and make a summary of your treatment goals and preferences to share with your provider. Together, you can work to choose the treatment option that is best for you.