“After nearly 11 years I had a night's sleep without a nightmare" - Innovative Trauma Therapy Pilot Helps Veterans Recover Faster

An innovative therapy programme being piloted by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust's Traumatic Stress Service is helping veterans living with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD). The outcome is showing that these individuals can achieve significant recovery in a fraction of the time traditionally required.

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing repeated or long-term trauma, something many veterans experience during their service. While regular Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can happen after a single shocking event, CPTSD occurs when trauma happens over months or years. This prolonged stress can impact a person's ability to regulate their emotions, leading to persistent feelings of shame or worthlessness, making it very difficult to trust and form stable relationships with others.

Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) recommended treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Typically delivered through weekly 50-minute sessions over several months, treatment can take between four and six months to complete and, in cases of Complex PTSD, significantly longer.

The new intensive EMDR model, described as "eight months of therapy in two weeks", aims to accelerate therapeutic progress through a concentrated programme of treatment. It was designed to support veterans experiencing trauma, anxiety and PTSD. The approach delivers a focused block of therapy intended to achieve faster symptom reduction, shorten overall treatment duration and enable deeper processing of traumatic memories.

Led by Humber Teaching NHS Foundation Trust’s Consultant Clinical Psychologists Dr Anne Parry and Dr Lynsey Holmes, the pilot was delivered by a multidisciplinary team including psychologists, an occupational therapist and a Veterans' Mental Health Practitioner. Veterans attended multiple treatment sessions each day over a two-week period, including two individual 90-minute EMDR sessions daily, psychoeducation and group physical activity.

The programme is among the first of its kind within an NHS Trust and builds on emerging evidence from international research, private practice and regional evaluations of similar approaches used with police populations.

Early outcomes have already been highly encouraging, of the ten participants so far:

• 80% no longer met the criteria for Complex PTSD immediately following treatment.
• 90% required no further treatment related to the traumatic memories for which they were originally referred to the service.
• 60% required no further treatment at all and were discharged from secondary mental health services following the intensive programme.
• Four participants required only a small number of additional sessions to process either a further traumatic memory or unrelated issues that arose during therapy.

Compared with traditional EMDR treatment pathways, which can extend over many months, even years, the intensive model has demonstrated the potential to provide a more streamlined route to recovery while increasing service capacity and responsiveness.

Feedback from participants has been overwhelmingly positive. One veteran said:

"This treatment has genuinely been life changing. Going into it, I had real doubts about whether it would work for me. But I can honestly say now that it has made a profound difference to my life in ways I did not think were possible. What has stood out most throughout this journey is the consistent compassion, professionalism, and understanding shown by every therapist involved. The level of care, patience, and sheer determination to help 'damaged veterans' like myself rebuild our lives is something I will never forget. It is not just a service; it is a lifeline."

Another participant said:

"The programme, though hard, was of great benefit to me. All members of the team made me feel safe throughout. After nearly 11 years I had a night's sleep without a nightmare."

While the initial findings are extremely promising, the Trust places patient safety at the forefront of services and the team continue to evaluate the approach carefully, monitoring longer-term outcomes. This ongoing evaluation ensures the benefits of intensive treatment will be maintained and provide further evidence for the potential of this innovative model to improve care for veterans experiencing the lasting effects of trauma.