Clinical Psychologist Urges Compassion and Action This PTSD Awareness Day
- Schoen Clinic UK
- Jun 20
- 3 min read
Updated: Jun 27
PRESS RELEASE
June 20, 2025
“Trauma isn’t a sign of weakness - it’s a sign you survived”
LONDON, UK – As PTSD Awareness Day approaches on June 27, Schoen Clinic Chelsea is amplifying the message that trauma is not a personal failure; it’s a survival response to experiences that overwhelm the mind and body.
Dr Bradley Powell, Chartered Clinical Psychologist at Schoen Clinic Chelsea, offers fresh insight into the psychological and physical effects of trauma and why early access to the right treatment is crucial.
“When someone walks into my therapy room struggling with trauma, I don’t ask, ‘What’s wrong with you?’ I ask, ‘What happened to you?’” Dr Powell explains. “That shift in language matters. It reminds people that trauma is not a weakness, it’s a normal response to an abnormal situation.”
Understanding PTSD: More Than Flashbacks and Nightmares
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) can arise from a wide range of distressing experiences, not just war or disaster. Dr Powell highlights how people can be affected by violence, loss, bullying, neglect, or even the sudden end of a relationship.
“Trauma is subjective,” he adds. “What shakes one person to the core might not even register for someone else, but that doesn’t make it less valid.”
Common symptoms include:
Intrusive memories or flashbacks
Physical sensations like nausea or a racing heart
Hypervigilance and emotional numbness
Avoidance of triggers or situations
Feelings of guilt, shame or brokenness
Left untreated, PTSD can lead to long-term disruption in relationships, work and wellbeing.
Help Is Available – And Recovery Is Possible
The good news, Dr Powell emphasises, is that PTSD is highly treatable. National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) guidelines recommend trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) - both of which are offered by Schoen Clinic Chelsea’s expert mental health team.
“CBT helps you make sense of what happened, challenge damaging beliefs, and re-engage with life. EMDR can ‘unstick’ traumatic memories so they no longer feel like they’re happening in the present,” says Dr Powell. “These approaches have strong evidence behind them – and they work.”
Watch Dr Powell’s Message for PTSD Awareness Day
In his video for PTSD Awareness Day, Dr Powell speaks directly to those who may be struggling:
“Sometimes a traumatic event can make you feel like a burden or worthless. But with the right support, people heal. You’re not going mad – your body and brain are responding to something painful. There’s help, and there’s hope.”
What You Can Do: Support Yourself or Someone You Love
Dr Powell shares the following advice:
Talk to someone – don’t suffer in silence
Rebuild routine – even small steps help
Avoid avoidance – structured support is key
Validate your reactions – your brain protected you
Use grounding techniques to settle your nervous system
Look out for signs in others – offer support and compassion
ENDS
Press Contact: 📧 ukmarketing@schoen-clinic.co.uk 🌐 www.schoen-clinic.co.uk
Notes to editors:
Interviews with Dr Powell and other Schoen Clinic specialists available on request.
About Schoen Clinic Chelsea
Schoen Clinic Chelsea is a specialist private mental health clinic in the heart of London, offering evidence-based outpatient care for adults and young people. Its expert multidisciplinary team treats a wide range of conditions, including trauma, PTSD, anxiety, eating disorders, burnout and depression.
About Schoen Clinic UK Group
The Schoen Clinic Group was founded in 1985 and has since developed into Germany's fifth-largest privately-owned hospital group. It currently treats 300,000+ patients annually at 45 hospitals and clinics in Germany and the UK. The group also includes the leading online telemedicine clinic: MindDoc.
Schoen Clinic entered the UK healthcare market in 2017 providing award-winning, expert-led healthcare specialising in certain areas of medicine – now mental health and wellbeing, eating disorders and dementia care.
