Sometimes, when something profound happens to us - an accident, an assault, a loss, a painful experience that happened in childhood - the memory stays with us and it can feel like it will never go away. At Mente, our specialists treat trauma using a variety of therapeutic modalities, such as EMDR, to provide relief and resolution to this pain.

Trauma and PTSD treatment

How we treat trauma

EMDR

We use this type of therapy for trauma from a single event. You recall the memory and, under our guidance, reduce the impact of the memory. You can expect meaningful change within 8-12 sessions.

Schema Therapy

For trauma that started in childhood and became a pattern. When early experiences teach you that you are not safe, not wanted or not enough, those beliefs stay inside you long after the situation changed. Schema therapy focuses on the behavioural patterns, rather than only on the symptoms.

Phased treatment

If you feel like the world around you isn’t real, feel disconnected from your body, or experience yourself as more than one person, we do not begin with processing. We make sure to create stability first in order to maintain safety in therapy and build trust.

Common symptoms associated with PTSD:

  • Uninvited memories, that won’t go away

  • Nightmares, or trouble sleeping

  • Feeling easily startled, irritable, or feeling like you’re “always on alert.”

  • Avoiding people, places, or things because they remind you of what happened

  • Feeling numb, like you’re in a simulation, or that the world around you isn’t real

  • Feeling like you can’t move on from something.

You do not need a diagnosis to come in. Even if you’re not sure if it is PTSD, it is still affecting how you live, and that is more than enough of a reason to get checked out.

Who this is for, and who it is not

This is the right place if you are dealing with PTSD, complex PTSD, childhood trauma, dissociation, or trauma alongside an addiction problem.

Traumas and addiction often go hand in hand, and we can provide treatment for both issues without having to send you to multiple people. Learn more about addiction treatment here.

This is not the right place if you are in crisis, need to go into the hospital, or need medication as the main form of treatment. If you are not sure, we can help you to understand your problem and provide options for you if you are not a good fit for our level of care.

What Treatment looks like

First Appointment

60 minutes. We talk about what has brought you to therapy and what you want to change. We will not be doing any processing and do not need to talk about the trauma if you are not ready.

Assessment

We conduct assessments to measure your level of trauma to understand how best to help you. These are done in session.

Sessions

45-60 minutes. We will usually meet weekly at the start of treatment but we can meet every 2 weeks if that meets your needs better.

Duration

Single-incident trauma is often shorter than people expect, you can expect to see some symptom relief within the first few months of treatment. Heavier trauma that began in childhood takes longer, typically a year or more.

Cost and Insurance

Afl. 175-200 per session. See fees and insurance

FAQ

  • No referral is needed to book directly with us. If you want to use insurance (AZV+ or private insurance such as Citizens or Boogaard) requirements may vary by insurer. We can provide you with information that applies to your specific case before you book.

  • No. EMDR, for example, requires for less verbal detail than you might think. You stay in control of what you say and when; we will never force you to talk about something if you are not ready or uncomfortable. Some people process signficant trauma without ever fully describing it out loud.

  • For a single traumatic event, many people notice a change within a few months. For more significant traumatic experiences, the work is slower but you can start to notice some early changes in your day to today functioning, rather than the memories themselves.

  • Yes. Sessions are available in Papiamento, Dutch, and English

Get Started

If you are experiencing a crisis right now

Call 911 or go to the emergency department of your nearest hospital. Do not wait for an appointment.

Last reviewed 29/8/26 by drs. Jeff Feliciana