Finding care
Finding a trauma and PTSD therapist in Tennessee, Kentucky, Georgia and Alabama
The VA’s National Center for PTSD names three talk therapies as working best for PTSD: Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE) and EMDR. Each has its own training and provider list you can check, such as EMDRIA’s directory and the official CPT roster. Ask a therapist which one they use and how they’ll measure progress. Veterans can get free counseling at Vet Centers.
For trauma and PTSD, there are specific therapies with strong support, and specific training behind each one. That makes it easier to check a therapist than for many other concerns. To find one, learn which therapies to ask about and who provides them, check training, use the VA’s decision aid, search, sort out cost and ask a few questions. Veterans and service members have extra options in step 8.
If you need help now
Call or text 988 any time. Veterans can call 988 and press 1, or text 838255. Each state’s crisis lines are on our state help lines page.
1. Learn the trauma therapies with strong support
The VA’s National Center for PTSD says the talk therapies that work best are:
| Therapy | What it does, per the VA | Usual length |
|---|---|---|
| Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) | teaches you how to change upsetting thoughts and feelings you’ve had since the trauma | about 12 weekly sessions, individual or group |
| Prolonged Exposure (PE) | teaches you to gradually approach trauma-related memories, feelings and situations you’ve been avoiding | about 8 to 15 weekly sessions, individual |
| Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) | helps you process the memory of the trauma while paying attention to a back-and-forth movement or sound | about 3 months of weekly 50- to 90-minute sessions |
The VA and Defense Department’s 2023 PTSD guideline recommends these three. It also suggests Written Exposure Therapy, a short five-session therapy, Ehlers’ Cognitive Therapy for PTSD and Present-Centered Therapy. It recommends that these treatments can be delivered by telehealth.
NIMH adds that a common type of CBT for PTSD can include exposure therapy and cognitive restructuring, and that it usually lasts 6 to 12 weeks but can last longer.
2. Decide who you want to see
Psychologists, clinical social workers, licensed professional counselors and licensed marriage and family therapists provide talk therapy for PTSD. The VA notes that in most states they can’t prescribe.
Psychiatrists can prescribe. Psychiatric nurse practitioners, who are registered nurse practitioners with specialized mental health training, can also prescribe in most states. Primary care physicians and physician assistants can often prescribe medication for PTSD too.
NIMH says it’s important to work with a mental health professional who has experience treating PTSD.
3. Check the therapist’s training
| Training | How to check | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| EMDR | EMDRIA’s Find an EMDR Therapist directory, with a filter for EMDRIA Certified Therapists | our EMDR guide explains the training levels |
| CPT | the official CPT Provider Roster at cptforptsd.com | Rostered providers have a license, completed live training and consultation, and finished cases. “Quality” providers also passed a review of recorded sessions. As of November 5, 2026, the roster listed about 16 providers in Tennessee, 13 in Kentucky, 30 in Georgia and 12 in Alabama. |
| PE | directories from the University of Pennsylvania’s Center for the Treatment and Study of Anxiety, by state, and from Emory University’s PE program | Penn’s certified PE therapists completed a four-day workshop and at least two supervised PE cases. |
| Trauma specialty in general | the International Society for Traumatic Stress Studies (ISTSS) Trauma Specialist Directory | lists ISTSS members who choose to take part, searchable by specialty, populations served and language |
None of these organizations guarantees results. EMDRIA, for example, says it doesn’t examine or warrant the competence of therapists in its directory. Check the license on your state board’s site too; our fit guide explains how.
4. Use the VA’s free decision aid
The VA’s PTSD Treatment Decision Aid (ptsd.va.gov/apps/decisionaid) is a free online tool that compares PTSD treatments side by side. You can print a summary of your goals, preferences and questions to bring to a provider, and the VA says nothing you enter is stored or shared. It’s open to everyone, not only veterans.
The aid suggests asking about cost and when payment is due before the first visit. It notes that if the treatment you want isn’t offered nearby, a clinician may connect you with someone who offers it locally or by telehealth.
5. Search LunahUP and your city
As of November 5, 2026, these LunahUP profiles list trauma or PTSD:
| State | Trauma | PTSD |
|---|---|---|
| Tennessee | 94 (trauma) | 51 (PTSD) |
| Georgia | 89 (trauma) | 37 (PTSD) |
| Kentucky | 42 (trauma) | 20 (PTSD) |
| Alabama | none yet | none yet |
Many more therapists treat trauma than list it. Cross-check names against the EMDRIA, CPT and PE directories above.
6. Work out how you’ll pay
Most health plans cover outpatient trauma therapy. Our insurance guide explains how, and our EAP guide covers free sessions through work. EMDRIA’s directory can be filtered by insurance accepted.
7. Ask these questions
- “Which of CPT, PE or EMDR do you provide? Where did you train?”
- “Are you on the CPT roster, or EMDRIA certified?”
- “How will we measure progress?” The VA lists measured progress as one of four signs of good PTSD care, with being involved in your care, getting a proven treatment and actually improving.
- “How many sessions do you expect?”
- “Do you offer telehealth?”
8. Check veteran and military options
VA care. Every VA medical facility is required to offer PTSD specialty care, either through a PTSD clinical team or a PTSD specialist, and that care includes at least one of CPT, PE or EMDR. Veterans can self-refer to VA mental health care. Find a facility at va.gov/find-locations.
Vet Centers offer free, confidential counseling for veterans, service members and their families in a non-medical setting, including for PTSD and military sexual trauma. Eligibility includes anyone who served in a combat theater or experienced military sexual trauma, regardless of era, plus several other groups. The Vet Center call center, 1-877-927-8387, is free and open around the clock. Our four states have 19 main Vet Centers:
| State | Vet Centers |
|---|---|
| Tennessee | Chattanooga, Clarksville, Johnson City, Knoxville, Memphis, Nashville |
| Kentucky | Lexington, Louisville |
| Georgia | Atlanta (College Park), Augusta, Columbus, Lawrenceville, Macon, Marietta, Savannah |
| Alabama | Birmingham (Hoover), Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery |
Many run satellite sites in smaller towns. Lexington alone lists nine across Central and Eastern Kentucky.
TRICARE. If you have TRICARE, our TRICARE guide covers costs and referrals.
The short version
- The VA names CPT, PE and EMDR as the talk therapies that work best for PTSD.
- You can check training on EMDRIA’s directory, the official CPT roster, and the Penn and Emory PE directories.
- The VA’s free PTSD Treatment Decision Aid helps you compare options and prepare questions.
- Ask how progress will be measured.
- Veterans can use VA PTSD care and free Vet Center counseling. Our four states have 19 main Vet Centers.
Questions before your next step
What is the best therapy for PTSD?
The VA’s National Center for PTSD says the talk therapies that work best are Cognitive Processing Therapy, Prolonged Exposure and EMDR. Each usually takes about 8 to 16 sessions.
Link to this answerHow do I find an EMDR therapist?
Search EMDRIA’s Find an EMDR Therapist directory and use the filter for EMDRIA Certified Therapists. Our EMDR guide explains the training levels.
Link to this answerHow do I find a CPT therapist?
Search the official CPT Provider Roster at cptforptsd.com, run by the treatment’s developers. It lists providers who met rostering requirements, by state.
Link to this answerIs there free PTSD counseling for veterans?
Yes. Vet Centers offer free, confidential counseling for eligible veterans, service members and families. Call 1-877-927-8387 any time.
Link to this answerCan trauma therapy be done by telehealth?
Yes. The VA and Defense Department’s PTSD guideline recommends that these treatments can be delivered by telehealth. The therapist must be licensed in the state where you are.
Link to this answerSources & approach
LunahUP Directory wrote this guide to explain practical search and appointment choices. Public health and professional references support the general information; the directory’s own workflows describe how LunahUP works. Provider-specific facts are supplied on the linked profiles. This guide has not been clinically reviewed and does not offer individual medical advice.
- VA National Center for PTSD: Treatment Basics
- VA National Center for PTSD: Talk Therapy and the CPT, PE and EMDR pages
- VA National Center for PTSD: Types of Providers
- VA National Center for PTSD: Signs of Good PTSD Care
- VA National Center for PTSD: Find a Provider
- VA National Center for PTSD: VA PTSD treatment programs
- VA PTSD Treatment Decision Aid (ptsd.va.gov)
- VA PTSD Treatment Decision Aid (ptsd.va.gov), part 2
- VA/DoD clinical practice guideline for PTSD, 2023
- NIMH PTSD publication
- EMDRIA certification requirements and directory (emdria.org)
- EMDRIA certification requirements and directory (emdria.org), part 2
- CPT Provider Roster (cptforptsd.com)
- CPT Provider Roster (cptforptsd.com), part 2
- PE directories: University of Pennsylvania CTSA
- PE directories: Emory University
- ISTSS Trauma Specialist Directory
- Vet Centers (vetcenter.va.gov)
- Vet Centers (vetcenter.va.gov), part 2
To suggest a correction, use directory support.
