specialized, evidence-based trauma therapy for ptsd in minneapolis + online across 43 states (psypact)
When PTSD makes your world feel smaller, reclaim the life you’ve put on hold.
Move past avoidance, challenge stuck beliefs, and find your way back to confidence in 8 to 15 sessions.
A Private-Pay, Out-of-Network Practice Focused on Personalized, expert Trauma Recovery.specialized trauma therapy for PTSD in minneapolis + online across 43 states
When you’ve experienced a traumatic event—whether combat, sexual assault, or an accident—your brain’s natural instinct is to protect you. It often does this in two powerful ways: through avoidance and by rewriting what you believe.
To stay safe, you might start skipping social gatherings, steering clear of certain places, and pushing down memories the moment they surface. Eventually, this survival mechanism backfires, making your world feel smaller and full of "no-go" zones. At the same time, your natural search for meaning can get stuck in deeply painful places: It was my fault. I can't trust anyone.
These thoughts don't feel like mere beliefs—they feel like absolute facts. Together, the avoidance and the stuck thoughts quietly shape everything: how you relate to others, whether you feel secure, and whether you think healing is even possible for you.
You don’t have to manage these symptoms forever. There is a structured path out.
Real recovery requires more than just talking about the past; it requires untangling the specific mechanisms keeping you stuck. At Polusny Therapy, we use specialized, time-limited protocols designed to target both sides of the trauma response: the behaviors that restrict your life, and the beliefs that heavy your mind.
A Private-Pay, Out-of-Network Practice Focused on Personalized, expert trauma Recovery.online therapy for trauma + PTSD
Proven Protocols, Not Just “Talk Therapy”
Evidence-based. Results-focused. Time-limited.
Prolonged Exposure (PE) Therapy
Going from avoiding your life to living it. PE is a structured, time-limited therapy (typically 8-15 sessions) that helps your brain process traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge. We focus on two main components:
In Vivo Exposure: We don't just talk about your fears—we map out a concrete plan for you to safely re-enter the world. Whether it’s driving a specific route, navigating a crowded space, or staying present at a family dinner, you will learn to gradually reclaim your daily life.
Imaginal Exposure: In the safety of our sessions, we process the traumatic memory out loud. By confronting the story rather than running from it, your brain begins to categorize the event as a past memory rather than a present threat.
The Outcome: You won't forget what happened, but the memory will no longer hijack your nervous system. You become the narrator of your story again.
Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)
Dismantle the narratives keeping you stuck. CPT is a highly structured, 12-session cognitive protocol that shifts the focus from the memory itself to the lasting, distorted meaning the trauma left behind. We target recovery through two primary mechanisms:
Pinpointing Stuck Points: We bypass circular conversations and systematically locate the exact, repetitive thoughts—like "It was my fault" or "I can't trust anyone"—that drive your anxiety and stall your daily life.
Challenging the Narrative: Together, we put those thoughts on trial. You’ll learn to step back and evaluate your beliefs using a disciplined, logical framework rooted in objective facts rather than forced positivity or trauma-driven assumptions.
The Outcome: You cannot change the past, but you can strip it of its power to distort your present. CPT gives you a realistic, reality-based perspective so you can move forward securely.
expert trauma therapy in minneapolis + online across 43 states
Rooted in Science. Driven by Outcomes.
You aren’t looking for a generalist. You’re looking for a specialist who intimately understands the complex mechanisms of trauma, resilience, and recovery.
As a professor and board-certified clinical psychologist with over three decades of experience specializing in traumatic stress, my work goes beyond traditional counseling. My approach is grounded in decades of leading federally funded research programs on PTSD. This means the protocols we use in this practice—like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT)—are delivered with the highest level of clinical expertise available.
We don’t settle for the temporary management of your symptoms. We work toward a definitive shift—dismantling the impact of trauma so you can build a life where you feel capable, powerful, and entirely free to move through the world again.
Your resilience is built on evidence.
| Published Author
| Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist
| Certified PE Therapist
| Nationally Recognized PE Trainer & Consultant
I Certified CPT Quality Provider
| Published Author | Board-Certified Clinical Psychologist | Certified PE Therapist | Nationally Recognized PE Trainer & Consultant I Certified CPT Quality Provider
specialized, trauma therapy or PTSD | Minneapolis or Online nationwide
FAQs
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Traditional talk therapy can be incredibly supportive for managing daily stressors or navigating life transitions. However, when it comes to PTSD, decades of clinical research have revealed a tough truth: supportive talk therapy alone does not successfully reduce PTSD symptoms. While speaking generally about your past might feel comforting in the moment, studies show it doesn't target the root of trauma, and unstructured venting can sometimes keep you stuck in the same emotional loops.
The gold-standard treatments I specialize in, like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), are fundamentally different. They are active, highly structured, and specifically designed to rewire how trauma is processed by your brain and nervous system.
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Yes. Through PSYPACT, I provide secure, high-level virtual care to clients in Minnesota and across 43 other states. Research studies have demonstrated that online PE is just as effective as in-person treatment, allowing you to do the work from the privacy of your own environment.
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I am a private-pay, out-of-network provider. This allows me to prioritize your absolute privacy and ensure your treatment is dictated by your progress—not by an insurance company’s arbitrary restrictions or diagnostic requirements.
Specialized, evidence-based trauma protocols like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) are highly structured, time-limited investments. While traditional, weekly supportive "talk therapy" can easily span several years—costing thousands of dollars over time without providing a definitive cure—these advanced protocols are designed to achieve lasting, measurable change in a matter of weeks.
The Timeline: A complete, standard course of PE or CPT typically spans 8 to 15 sessions.
The Estimated Investment: Based on my specialized rate of $300-375 per clinical session, a full, life-changing trajectory of treatment averages an upfront total investment of roughly $2,400 to $4,500.
When you look at the math, investing in a targeted, 3-to-4-month specialist protocol is significantly more cost-effective—and emotionally liberating—than paying open-ended copays for years of therapy that merely helps you cope with symptoms rather than resolving them.
For clients who wish to utilize their out-of-network insurance benefits, I gladly provide a monthly Superbill (an itemized receipt of services) which you can submit to your insurance company for potential direct reimbursement.
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Yes. In evidence-based trauma protocols like Prolonged Exposure (PE) and Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), out-of-session practice—often referred to as homework—is a core component of your recovery.
While traditional talk therapy relies almost entirely on what happens during your 50 minutes in the office, structured protocols are designed to help you generalize your healing into your actual, daily life. The real transformation happens between our appointments, when you apply the tools we discuss to your real-world environment.
What it looks like: Depending on your treatment plan, practice might involve listening to session recordings, gradually re-entering activities or places you’ve been avoiding, or completing brief worksheets to systematically challenge "stuck points" in your thinking.
What the science says: Decades of clinical research consistently show a direct correlation between homework completion and successful outcomes. Clients who actively engage in out-of-session practice achieve significantly greater reduction in PTSD symptoms, experience faster relief, and maintain their progress long after therapy ends.
If your goal is efficient, time-limited therapy that yields lasting, structural change, consistency outside of our sessions is the absolute baseline. Think of our weekly sessions as the training ground where we map out the strategy; the out-of-session practice is where you actively rebuild your world and reclaim your resilience. We will always collaborate closely to ensure each task feels manageable, relevant, and directly aligned with your personal recovery goals.
Your world doesn’t have to stay this small.
Reclaiming your life from PTSD doesn't happen all at once, but it does start with a single, manageable step. Here is exactly what the path forward looks like:
1. Schedule a Free Consultation
We will start with a brief, 20-minute phone consultation. This is a completely no-obligation conversation where we’ll discuss what you’re experiencing, outline how specialized trauma protocols work, and determine if my practice is the right fit for your goals.
2. Complete Your Initial Intake
If we decide to move forward together, we will schedule a comprehensive initial evaluation. In this session, we will look closely at your specific symptoms, map out your unique "stuck points" and patterns of avoidance, and personalize a time-limited protocol (PE or CPT) best suited to your recovery.
3. Begin Your Healing Journey
From there, we dive into active, structured treatment. Over the course of 8 to 15 targeted sessions, we will work systematically to dismantle the impact of trauma, untangle heavy narratives, and build a concrete foundation for lasting resilience.