Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is an evidence based therapy for PTSD. It is a type of cognitive behavioral treatment that is proven effective at decreasing symptoms of post traumatic stress. It is a short-term, individual therapy that addresses the trauma memories in safe and supportive environment guided by a trained therapist. WET is effective for many types of trauma including combat, sexual, childhood, and other types of traumatic events.
What Happens During Treatment?
WET includes 6 sessions of 30 minute each working one on one with a provider. You will usually meet with your therapist once per week. Treatment is structured with specific goals for each session.
These sessions include:
- Education from your therapist about PTSD
- Writing about your trauma in session
- Briefly reviewing the experience of writing your trauma with your therapist
Does WET really work?
Trauma-focused therapies, like Written Exposure Therapy, are currently first-line treatments for PTSD, and WET is specifically recommended by the VA/DOD. in recent trials, WET was found to be equivalently effective to longer more intensive forms of psychotherapy and patients found the treatment more acceptable.
Are there any downsides to WET?
WET involves talking about your trauma which can lead to distressing thoughts or disturbing memories which can be uncomfortable. Your therapist will talk with you about this, and help you.