PTSD - Thomas Ottavi, PhD

We commonly associate PTSD with military veterans. But who else can be affected by post-traumatic stress disorder? What are the signs and symptoms? What are the options for help?

Thomas Ottavi, PhD, has spent 23 years a licensed psychologist doing youth and adult work consulting with schools and agencies where trauma effects and PTSD were significant and common issues.

Dr. Ottavi cares for patients in Dubuque at Medical Associates Clinic and is also a behavioral health officer in the Iowa Army National Guard. He is certified in Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) therapy, which is an integrative psychotherapy approach that has been extensively researched and proven effective for the treatment of trauma, including PTSD.

We're happy to partner with Iowa's Healthiest State Initiative and the Make It OK campaign to bring you this content! It's OK to have a mental illness - many people do. It's OK to talk about mental illness - talking makes people feel less alone. It's OK to seek help with mental illness - life can get better. 

Resources mentioned in this podcast include:

• National Institute of Mental Health
• Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs) 
• The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
• PTSD Coach

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