PTSD Therapy in Dubai
PTSD therapy in Dubai offers a compassionate path to healing for individuals struggling with the emotional aftermath of trauma.
Whether caused by a single event or prolonged exposure to distress, post-traumatic stress can deeply affect your sense of safety, identity, and relationships.
Dr Millia is a UK-trained Consultant Psychiatrist, I support clients through evidence-based treatments such as EMDR, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and trauma-informed psychiatry—helping you process pain and reconnect with life.
PTSD is not a sign of weakness. Unresolved Trauma signals that the nervous system has found the best response to survive when something unbearable happens.
As a UK-trained Consultant Psychiatrist with over 25 years of clinical experience, I’ve worked with thousands of clients navigating trauma, PTSD, grief, loneliness pain and complex emotional wounds. I offer PTSD therapies in Dubai using evidence-based trauma therapies like EMDR therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and trauma-informed psychiatry.
If you’re wondering what PTSD really is—and how to heal—this guide is for you.
What Is PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a set of symptoms that people experience after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) may develop after witnessing or experiencing a terrifying event. It can stem from:
- War or violence
- Car accidents
- Assault
- Sudden bereavement
- Natural disasters
What Are the Symptoms of PTSD?
If you’re experiencing a few of the following symptoms, it may be time to seek professional advice or even PTSD Therapy.
- Intrusive thoughts or flashbacks of the traumatic event
- Panic attacks triggered by sounds, smells, or places
- Feeling like the event is happening now
- Emotional numbing or dissociation (Cognitive Dissociation, Emotional Dissociation)
- Avoidance of reminders
- Derealization, Depersonalisation
- Nightmares, insomnia, or sleep disruptions
- Hypervigilance or nervous system overdrive
- Flash-forward fears (e.g., “It will happen again”)
- Insomnia
Unresolved Trauma can bring fatigue, exhaustion, stress and burnout.
Can PTSD Symptoms Emerge Later?
Yes—this is called Delayed PTSD. It often arises months or even years after the trauma experience, especially when:
- The person had to stay strong for others
- The trauma was minimised or suppressed
- Support was unavailable
Delayed PTSD can be resolved with PTSD therapies.
Can Traumatic Losses Cause PTSD?
Yes. Traumatic grief often triggers PTSD symptoms, especially when the loss was:
- Sudden or violent
- Illness-related or war-related
- A homicide or unexpected death
PTSD Therapy can be applied for traumatic grief in similar ways to help individuals process both the pain of loss and the shock of the event.
Delayed PTSD
Sometimes, Post-Traumatic stress disorder can flare up months or years after the event has happened. This is often because the person forced themselves to cope by suppressing or avoiding the thoughts, feelings and memories, by numbing and disconnecting from the reality of the experience. Often when they feel there is no choice but to do so, or no safe support, or fear of getting judged and shamed.
Vicarious PTSD
PTSD that is a aftermath of hearing bad events that may have happened to others. Common in health care professionals, and service providers whether they are ambulance workers, or even employees of corporate companies who have heard of tragic events happening to their colleagues.
Some highly sensitive people can feel traumatised by hearing from sources about horrible events that have happened to someone else and feel it as if it is their own feeling or start to ruminate over it with flashbacks and nightmares. Vicarious Trauma: PTSD Without Direct Exposure
Many healthcare professionals, therapists, teachers, and first responders experience Secondary PTSD—also called Vicarious Trauma.
Symptoms include:
- Nightmares
- Emotional burnout
- Intrusive mental images
- Empathic overwhelm
This kind of PTSD is common among highly sensitive individuals who absorb others’ pain deeply.
Why does one get PTSD symptoms?
Understanding the Roots of Post-Traumatic Stress
PTSD—Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—is not a result of someone’s weakness. It happens when an overwhelming event or series of events exceeds the nervous system’s capacity to cope.
PTSD may develop because:
The Brain Gets Stuck in “Survival Mode”
When someone experiences something terrifying, the brain’s alarm system (amygdala) becomes hyperactive. If the trauma isn’t processed correctly, the brain stays on high alert, long after the danger has passed. The state of arousal is stuck at the highest danger point in a freeze state, unable to see a way out of the trapped situation, and this continues even after the danger has passed.
There Was No Safe Space to Process It
PTSD is more likely to occur when someone:
- Didn’t receive support or comfort afterward
- Felt trapped or powerless during the event
- Had to suppress their emotions to survive
- Was blamed, disbelieved, or ignored
Priming experiences of early childhood
People with histories of childhood trauma, neglect, or attachment wounds may have a more sensitised nervous system—making them more vulnerable to developing PTSD later in life.
Does the nature of the trauma event matter?
Yes, the nature of the event does matter. However, it’s only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to why someone develops PTSD.
Here’s how the nature of the trauma plays a role, alongside individual, relational, and systemic factors:
Intensity & Perceived Threat
Events that are life-threatening, terrifying, or violent—like assault, war, natural disasters, or serious accidents—are more likely to trigger PTSD. The key factor here is how overwhelming or threatening the event felt at the time.
Duration and Repetition
One-time events (e.g. car accident) may lead to PTSD, but prolonged or repeated traumas (e.g., ongoing abuse, captivity, neglect) are more likely to lead to Complex PTSD (C-PTSD), which affects identity, trust and emotional regulation. Read more on Complex Trauma and Complex PTSD here:
- Complex Trauma: Symptoms and How We Can Heal
Personal Meaning of the Event
What matters is not just what happened, but what it meant to the person:
- Was it humiliating?
- Did it involve betrayal by someone trusted?
- Did it completely undermine their sense of safety, control, or dignity?
Even events that might seem “minor” to others can feel devastating depending on the emotional context.
Lack of Support After the Event
A traumatic event is far more likely to result in PTSD if:
- The person didn’t receive empathy or comfort afterward
- They were blamed, disbelieved, or silenced
- There was no opportunity to process what happened safely
Pre-existing Vulnerabilities
Someone with a history of:
- Childhood trauma
- Mental health conditions
- Attachment injuries
- Neurobiological sensitivities
…may be more likely to develop PTSD after an event, even if the event wasn’t “extreme” by societal standards.
Explore Medication Options (If Needed)
For some, medication can support emotional regulation and improve sleep, especially during the early stages of trauma recovery. This should be discussed collaboratively with a psychiatrist, with informed consent and a careful review of pros and cons.
Neurodivergence and PTSD
Many Neurodivergence clients who have Autism and ADHD also experience Trauma from Shame of being different. This impacts their self-worth and confidence. On the other hand, knowledge of neurodivergence helps therapist adapt to the client. Many therapists can miss ADHD and Autism in clients, and this can have an impact on the outcomes. s
Create a Safe, Supportive Environment
Healing requires safety. This includes:
- Reducing toxic or triggering environments
- Surrounding yourself with emotionally supportive people
- Setting boundaries where needed
Use Mind-Body Practices to Regulate the Nervous System
PTSD lives in the body, not just the mind. Trauma-informed yoga, grounding exercises, breathwork, or creative therapies can help you:
- Reconnect with your body
- Regulate overwhelming emotions
- Build a felt sense of safety
Understand What’s Happening to You
Psychoeducation is powerful. When you learn why you feel the way you do, you start to develop compassion for yourself. This softens shame and builds a foundation for trust with your inner system.
Books like:
- “The Body Keeps the Score” – Bessel van der Kolk
- “Healing the Fragmented Selves of Trauma Survivors” – Janina Fisher
- “Self-Therapy” – Jay Earley (IFS-focused)
…can be helpful starting points.
Ready to Begin Your Healing Journey?
If you’re based in Dubai and feel ready to gently explore your story, I offer a safe, confidential space using evidence-based trauma therapies like IFS and EMDR.
Dr. Millia is a Level 3 Advanced Internal Family Systems therapist trained with world’s leading trainers Dr Richard Schwartz and others. Dr Millia is based at the First Psychiatry Clinic.
Additional Resources
- Grief and Bereavement Support
- How to Choose the Right Therapy
- Adult ADHD Testing & Diagnosis
- Hidden Signs of ADHD in Adults
- Understanding ADHD in Women
- EMDR therapy in Dubai
- PTSD Therapy in Dubai
- FAQ about EMDR
- Depression therapy Dubai
- Complex Trauma Therapy in Dubai
- IFS Therapy Dubai
- Internal Family Systems Therapy Dubai
- Benefits of IFS Therapy
Book a Consultation
Click here to get in touch
Or email: info@firstpsychiatryclinics.com
Reading more
IFS Therapy
EMDR Therapy
Neurodiversity
Expat and Mental Health
Contact Details
Dr Millia
- Consultant Psychiatrist & EMDR & IFS Therapist
- First Psychiatry Clinic
- Villa 975 Municipality 363856
- Al Manara, Umm Suqeim 2
- Dubai, UAE
- Office Number: +971 4 221 6000
- E-mail: info@firstpsychiatryclinics.com