How PTSD Affects Relationships — and What Can Help

Trauma & Relationships
Written By Dr. Sheila Vidal

Post-traumatic stress doesn’t just affect your inner world. It often shows up in the places we most want to feel safe: our relationships.

Whether rooted in childhood trauma, a single overwhelming event, or long-term emotional harm, PTSD can leave lasting echoes in how we connect with others. You might notice this in difficulty trusting partners, emotional withdrawal, intense reactivity, or fear of abandonment. These patterns aren't signs of failure. They're signs of a nervous system shaped by survival.

Two people sitting apart on separate benches facing the ocean, symbolizing emotional distance, trauma-related disconnection, and the healing process through trauma-informed therapy.

Photo by Serkan Göktay via Pexels.

How PTSD Disrupts Connection

PTSD affects the brain’s ability to regulate fear, interpret safety cues, and tolerate vulnerability. This can create emotional distancing, heightened sensitivity to rejection, or a tendency to shut down in moments of closeness.

In romantic relationships, this might look like:

  • Feeling detached or emotionally numb

  • Avoiding intimacy or expressing affection

  • Becoming overwhelmed by conflict or criticism

  • Reading neutral actions as threatening

  • Feeling unworthy of love, or afraid it will be taken away

In friendships and family relationships, it might show up as:

  • Pulling away when stressed

  • Feeling like a burden to others

  • Difficulty asking for support

  • Becoming overly self-reliant

Trauma and Attachment Styles

Many people with PTSD or complex trauma also experience insecure attachment styles. If you learned to suppress needs (avoidant attachment) or cling to connection (anxious attachment), these strategies may have protected you once—but feel painful now.

These patterns aren’t personality flaws. They’re adaptations to inconsistent, neglectful, or frightening relational experiences. Therapy can help untangle them.

How Trauma-Informed Therapy Can Help

Healing in relationships often begins by building safety in one: the therapeutic relationship.

At Next Mission Recovery, I offer trauma-informed therapy designed to:

  • Understand how your past shapes current connection patterns

  • Identify triggers and emotional reactions in relationships

  • Develop nervous system regulation and self-soothing tools

  • Strengthen healthy boundaries and trust

  • Foster deeper emotional resilience and secure attachment

Evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) help address these symptoms while honoring your pace and emotional readiness.

Therapy isn’t about fixing you. It’s about supporting your ability to connect safely and authentically—with others and with yourself.

Online Therapy for Adults in Virginia

Virtual therapy allows you to begin this work from the privacy of your own space. Whether you're in a committed relationship, newly dating, or navigating family dynamics, online trauma therapy provides flexibility and support without sacrificing depth.

Take the First Step Toward Relational Healing

If PTSD or trauma is affecting your relationships, you don’t have to navigate it alone. Begin with a free consultation. We'll explore your story, your goals, and what healing might look like for you.

Further Reading

  • American Psychological Association. (2023). Understanding PTSD

  • Mikulincer, M., & Shaver, P. R. (2007). Attachment in Adulthood: Structure, Dynamics, and Change. Guilford Press.

  • Simpson, J. A., & Rholes, W. S. (Eds.). (2015). Attachment Theory and Research: New Directions and Emerging Themes. Guilford Press.

  • American Psychological Association. (2021). What is Telepsychology?

  • National Center for PTSD. (n.d.). Relationships and PTSD — U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

  • Levine, A., & Heller, R. (2010). Attached: The New Science of Adult Attachment and How It Can Help You Find – and Keep – Love. TarcherPerigee.

Dr. Sheila Vidal

I’m Dr. Sheila Vidal, a licensed clinical psychologist in the State of Virginia and a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional. I provide trauma-informed online therapy for adults across Virginia, offering evidence-based care to help individuals navigate the lasting effects of traumatic stress, PTSD, and complex emotional challenges. Although I currently reside in Northern California, I offer virtual psychological services exclusively to residents of Virginia.

I earned my Master of Arts degree in Diplomacy and Military Studies from Hawaii Pacific University, where I was honored with the "Best Graduate Paper" award for my thesis on interwar revolution in Vietnam from 1954 to 1959. Driven by a passion for understanding human behavior and resilience, I went on to earn a Master of Arts in Clinical Psychology and a Doctorate in Clinical Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology in Washington, DC.

During my time in Washington, DC, I completed clinical training at the DC Superior Court, providing psychological assessments to at-risk youth, including Spanish-speaking unaccompanied minors. I completed my postdoctoral training at the Kennedy Krieger Institute/Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, where I focused on behavioral psychology and supported children and families navigating complex trauma and behavioral health challenges.

As a clinical psychologist with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, I gained extensive experience providing evidence-based trauma treatment to Military Veterans, Reservists, First Responders, Law Enforcement Personnel, and their Caregivers. My clinical work encompassed a wide range of mental health concerns, including those related to PTSD, Moral Injury, and Military Sexual Trauma (MST).

My extensive academic training, international teaching background, and fieldwork abroad have strengthened my cultural competence in working with diverse and historically marginalized populations impacted by trauma. I specialize in treating PTSD, trauma-related conditions, and the complex intersection of mood and personality disorders that often emerge following prolonged or early-life traumatic experiences.

At Next Mission Recovery, I am committed to providing culturally responsive, trauma-informed online therapy that fosters resilience, promotes healing, and supports sustainable growth. Through a compassionate, evidence-based approach, I strive to create a therapeutic space where clients feel respected, validated, and empowered to move toward meaningful recovery.

https://www.nextmissionrecovery.com/about
Next

How Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) Helps with Anxious Thoughts and Attachment Patterns