Trauma Recovery Resources: Crisis Support, Apps, and Tools for Healing

Trauma Recovery
Written By Sheila Vidal, PsyD

If you’re in immediate danger, call 911. For 24/7 crisis support, call or text 988 or chat at 988lifeline.org.

Navigating trauma, PTSD, or anxiety can feel overwhelming—but you don’t have to do it alone. I’ve curated this one‑stop resource hub to help you find trusted, evidence‑based support. You’ll find crisis lines, identity‑specific services, California & Virginia resources, and reputable skills/apps that complement therapy. I offer 100% online therapy for adults across California (PSY36022) and Virginia (0810007130), with a specialty in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) for trauma.

En español: Llama o envía un mensaje de texto al 988 y pulsa 2 para recibir ayuda en español.

Quick Guide (jump to a section)

Notebook and steaming coffee on a wooden desk by a window — trauma recovery resources hub for adults in California and Virginia.

Crisis Now (24/7)

Free, confidential, nationwide unless noted. Add these to your phone contacts.

Tip: If you can’t speak safely, text options are often quickest. If you’re outside the U.S., search your country’s emergency and lifeline numbers.

Non-Crisis Support

  • NAMI HelpLine — 1‑800‑950‑6264 (Mon–Fri), text/chat options; education & referrals.

Identity-Specific Hotlines

California & Virginia Resources

Because I practice in both states, these often help my clients most.

Accessibility: 988 provides multiple options for Deaf/Hard of Hearing callers.

Therapy-Adjacent Apps & Skills

These do not replace therapy, but many clients find them helpful between sessions. When possible, I recommend official VA/DoD tools because they’re free, secure, and evidence‑informed.

Evidence‑based apps (iOS/Android)

  • PTSD Coach — Education, symptom tracking, coping tools.

  • CPT Coach — Companion app for Cognitive Processing Therapy with a clinician.

  • PE Coach — Companion app for Prolonged Exposure therapy with a clinician.

  • Mindfulness Coach — Graduated training in mindfulness.

  • Virtual Hope Box — Grounding, relaxation, and coping tools.

  • MY3 — Build a personalized safety plan and support network.

Grounding ideas you can try today

  • 5–4–3–2–1 grounding: Name five things you see, four you feel, three you hear, two you smell, one you taste.

  • Temperature & breath: Hold an ice cube or splash cool water; then do slow exhale‑focused breathing (4 in, 6–8 out).

  • Values cue card (ACT): Write one value (e.g., “courage,” “family”) and choose one small action aligned with it today.

How to Build a Personal Safety Plan

A good plan is short, visible, and practiced.

  1. Warning signs (thoughts, feelings, behaviors that tell me I’m slipping).

  2. Coping strategies I can do alone (breathwork, values cue card, mindful walk, journaling).

  3. People/places I can contact and go to (friends, neighbors, public spaces).

  4. Professionals (therapist contact, primary care, psychiatrist).

  5. Crisis options (988, Veterans Crisis Line, local ED). Store these as phone favorites.

  6. Means safety (temporarily secure or remove items when risk increases).

When to Start Therapy

If symptoms are interfering with work, relationships, sleep, or you’re feeling stuck in cycles of avoidance or hypervigilance, therapy can help. In my online practice, I integrate ACT, CBT, CPT, PE, and mindfulness to support PTSD, Complex PTSD, attachment‑based challenges, anxiety, and mood concerns.

Confidential care for high‑security‑clearance professionals: I offer private, insurance‑free services for clients who require the highest level of discretion.

About Me

I’m Dr. Sheila Vidal, a licensed clinical psychologist and founder of Next Mission Recovery Psychology, PC. I provide trauma‑informed online therapy for adults across California and Virginia with a strong focus on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). My work is collaborative, culturally responsive, and grounded in respect for identity and lived experience.

Further Reading

Frequently Asked Questions

  • No. This page offers reputable resources, but it does not replace professional care or emergency services. Call 911 in life‑threatening emergencies and 988 for crisis support.

  • Apps can help you cope, but they are not crisis services. If you are in crisis, contact 988 or the Veterans Crisis Line.

  • Not at this time. I’m licensed in CA (PSY36022) and VA (0810007130) and offer online therapy to adults physically located in these states at the time of session.

Sheila Vidal, PsyD

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
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