PTSD therapy without the metroplex commute
The Dallas–Fort Worth area stretches across several counties and dozens of cities. A therapy appointment that looks close on a map can mean a long crawl on LBJ Freeway, I-35E or I-30 in each direction, and the stress of the drive can undo some of the calm a session is meant to build. For someone living with post-traumatic stress, traffic, crowded parking garages and unfamiliar buildings are not small things.
Dr. Audrey Kteily has served the DFW metroplex for over two decades from her long-standing practice in Coppell. Today her practice is fully online. Whether you live in Fort Worth, Arlington, Irving, Richardson, Plano, Frisco, Denton or McKinney, you can meet with her from home over secure video and skip the freeway entirely.
What is PTSD, and how is it treated?
Post-traumatic stress disorder is a set of lasting reactions that can develop after a frightening or life-threatening experience. Common symptoms fall into four groups: re-experiencing the event through memories, nightmares or flashbacks; avoiding reminders; negative changes in mood and beliefs; and feeling keyed up, jumpy or unable to sleep.
Complex PTSD tends to develop after trauma that is repeated or prolonged, such as childhood abuse, domestic violence or years in an unsafe environment. In addition to PTSD symptoms, people with complex PTSD often struggle with shame, intense emotions and difficulty trusting others.
PTSD is treatable. Therapy helps the brain and body learn that the danger has passed, reduces the power of triggers and helps you rebuild a life that is not organized around avoiding pain. Public health organizations such as the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and the World Health Organization offer overviews of trauma and recovery if you want background reading.
Kinds of trauma Dr. Audrey treats
Trauma comes in many forms, and there is no threshold you need to meet before asking for help. People across DFW reach out after experiences such as:
- Serious car accidents, including crashes on the metroplex's busy highways
- Physical or sexual assault, at any age
- Domestic violence or a controlling, frightening relationship
- Childhood abuse, neglect or growing up with a parent's addiction
- The sudden or violent death of someone close
- Medical emergencies, a frightening diagnosis or a difficult birth
- Severe storms, house fires or other events that threatened home and safety
Some people remember a single clear event. Others describe a slow build of fear and stress over years. Both are valid starting points for therapy.
How Dr. Audrey approaches trauma recovery
Dr. Audrey's trauma work follows a phased approach so that you are never pushed faster than you can handle:
- Safety and stabilization. You learn how your nervous system responds to threat and practice grounding, breathing and distress tolerance skills. As a C-DBT certified clinician, she often draws on dialectical behavior therapy for this phase.
- Processing. When you are ready, you gradually explore the memories and beliefs connected to the trauma, such as "it was my fault" or "nowhere is safe," and begin to loosen their grip.
- Reconnection. Therapy turns toward relationships, work, school and the parts of life trauma pushed aside. This is where many people notice the biggest changes in daily life.
Throughout, she pays attention to what often travels with trauma: anxiety and panic, depression, self-harm, substance use, sleep problems and grief. You can see the full list of concerns she treats on her other specialties page.
When one person's trauma affects the whole household
PTSD rarely stays inside one person. A partner may feel shut out. Children may tiptoe around a parent's anger or startle response. A teen's trauma may show up as conflict with siblings or slammed doors rather than tears. Family members often want to help but do not know how.
Dr. Audrey earned her doctorate in Family Studies and specializes in family systems counseling. She can include partners, parents or siblings in some sessions so the people closest to you learn how trauma works and how to respond in ways that help. Because sessions are online, a spouse in Dallas and a young adult child in Fort Worth can join the same call.
Parents of a traumatized child may want guidance of their own. This article on how parent counseling improves parenting skills explains what that looks like, and what a family counselor does describes joint sessions in more detail.
Teens and young adults
Teenagers across DFW face pressures that can compound trauma: large high schools, intense academic and athletic competition, social media and, for some, unsafe relationships. Dr. Audrey works with teens ages 12 to 18 and young adults 18 to 29. Learn more on the adolescent issues page or in this article on teen counseling for Coppell-area adolescents.
Can I do online PTSD therapy from anywhere in DFW?
Yes. Dr. Audrey is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor-Supervisor, so anyone physically located in Texas during the session can work with her, from Dallas and Tarrant counties to Collin and Denton counties and beyond. Sessions run on Central Time and are scheduled flexibly around work, school and family life.
The video platform is secure and HIPAA-compliant. Your link opens in a browser, with no app to install. All you need is a private room, a stable connection and a device with a camera. Many trauma survivors find that being in their own space makes it easier to stay present in hard conversations.
Online sessions also make consistency easier. Trauma recovery tends to build in small steps, and missing appointments because of weather, a late meeting or a sick child can stall that progress. When a session only requires closing a door and opening a laptop, it is easier to keep showing up during the weeks when showing up matters most. If you move within Texas, or split time between a home in Dallas and family in Fort Worth, your therapy can continue without starting over with someone new.
If you are in crisis, call or text 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or 911. Dr. Audrey's practice is not a crisis service.
Credentials and experience
Dr. Audrey Kteily's education spans a Bachelor's in Psychology and a PhD in Family Studies from Texas Woman's University and a Master's in Counseling from Dallas Baptist University. She has been a Texas LPC since 2001 and an LPC-Supervisor since 2004, and she is also licensed as an LPC in New Jersey and an LMHC in New York.
She is a Certified Family Life Educator through the National Council on Family Relations, C-DBT certified through Evergreen Certifications, and a published author in the field of family dynamics. Her practice is LGBTQ+-friendly and LGBTQ+-owned. Visit the About Dr. Audrey page for her full background, or read about the practice. Professional standards for counselors are set out by groups such as the American Counseling Association, and research on trauma treatment is indexed by the National Center for Biotechnology Information.
Start PTSD therapy from anywhere in the metroplex
Dr. Audrey is an out-of-network provider. Each superbill she provides can be sent to your insurer for possible out-of-network reimbursement, so look up your out-of-network mental health benefits ahead of time. Questions first? Use Ask Dr. Audrey or the home page request form.
Most people start with a quick text. Keep health details out of the text; a short note that you are interested in PTSD therapy is plenty. She replies within one business day.
Ask for a first PTSD therapy session, or text or call (917) 905-3183.