What is Written Exposure Therapy?

Maya was in a serious car accident on her way home from a night shift. She walked away with only minor physical injuries, but months later she’s still jumpy in the car, avoiding certain routes, and having nightmares about headlights coming toward her. She can’t stop replaying the moment of impact in her mind, and any sudden braking or honking makes her body flood with panic. At work, she finds herself spacing out, having trouble concentrating, and feeling guilty that she “should be over it by now.”

By the time she comes to therapy, Maya is exhausted from trying to push the memories away. She is afraid that processing her trauma in therapy will make her feel so awful that she won't be able to keep up with her busy life as a mother and nurse. She has decided to try Written Exposure Therapy with her therapist so she can keep her functioning while quickly working on being able to drive again without re-living the worst night of her life.

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Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief, structured treatment for posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that uses writing as the main way to work with a traumatic memory. Instead of talking in circles about what happened, WET gives us a clear plan: over about five sessions, you write about one traumatic event in detail. This includes you detailing what happened, what you thought and felt at the time, and what it means to you now. My job as a therapist is to guide the process, support my clients, and help their nervous system do something it’s been trying to do for a long time: put this experience in the past where it belongs.

WET will not erase your memory or your story. Your therapist's aim is to help the trauma memory shift from something that painfully interrupts your daily life to something that is contained and more manageable. Many people notice that over time, the memory feels less overwhelming, and PTSD symptoms begin to ease.

Why “Just Forget About It” Doesn’t Work

When something traumatic happens, it doesn’t neatly file itself away as “one bad day.” It can show up later in your body, emotions, thoughts, and behavior in ways that are confusing and exhausting.

Surivors aften hear: “It’s over now. Just forget about it and move on.” If you’ve tried that, you probably already know it doesn’t work.

Trauma memories are often stored differently from everyday memories. Instead of one coherent story, you might have:

• vivid fragments of certain moments and complete blanks around others

• strong emotions (fear, shame, panic) with no clear “picture” attached

• body sensations that make no sense in the context of your day

Because of this, a trauma survivor can both know that a trauma isn't presently happening again while extremely convincingly feeling as though it is. Trying to shove it away often brings short-term relief but keeps the memory stuck and unprocessed.

How Written Exposure Therapy Helps

WET uses deliberate, repeated writing to help your brain reorganize the trauma memory. When you write about what happened in detail, on purpose, with support, you give your brain a chance to:

• connect the scattered pieces of the memory

• link the facts of what happened with the feelings that go with them

• place the event into your overall life story, instead of it feeling like it’s always happening “right now”

Over time, this often leads to feeling more in control of the memory, rather than feeling like the memory controls you.

What Happens in a Typical WET Session?

WET is usually completed in five sessions. Each session is structured so you know exactly what to expect.

In a typical session, you and your therapist:

1. Do a brief check-in about how you’ve been and how trauma-related thoughts or feelings have been showing up.

2. I give you clear instructions for that day’s writing (for example, “Write the story from beginning to end, including what you thought and felt”).

3. You rate your distress level.

4. You write continuously about the trauma for about 30 minutes.

5. You rate your distress again, and we spend a few minutes helping you ground and talking about how the writing experience was for you.

You do not have to read your writing out loud to your therapist line by line. We focus on how it felt to write, any patterns you’re noticing, and how the trauma is affecting your life now.

What the Therapist does While You’re Writing

People often wonder, “What are you doing while I’m writing.... are you just... staring at me?”

When my clients are writing, I stay present and attentive. I keep track of time and pay attention to how they seem to be doing so I can step in if they're overwhelmed or need a break. I might jot down a few notes or glance at the clock, but my role is to hold the container so you can focus on your story without feeling alone with it.

You’re always allowed to ask questions or tell me something isn’t feeling doable. Once you start writing, we try to keep interruptions to a minimum so your brain can stay with the story. We can slow down, pause, or adjust if needed. Just remember that

Why Write in Session Instead of at Home?

It’s a fair question: why not just give you a worksheet and have you write at home?

Writing in session means:

• you have support while you do something emotionally demanding

• we can make sure the writing is focused and long enough to be effective

• we can help you ground and come back to the present before you go back into your day

Many people understandably avoid trauma work if they’re left to do it on their own. WET builds in a safe structure and a clear time frame so you’re not carrying this alone.

Getting Ready for Sessions and Taking Care of Yourself

Because WET can stir things up (in a way that’s part of the healing process), preparation and self-care matter.

Before sessions, it can help to:

• plan your day so you’re not rushing in and out

• choose a private, comfortable space if we’re meeting virtually

• have water, tissues, and anything grounding (like a blanket or fidget) nearby

• remind yourself why you chose to do this work and what you hope will be different in your life

After sessions, clients are encouraged to:

• plan something gentle, like a shower, a walk, or a familiar show

• notice what your body needs—food, water, rest, or movement

• use grounding skills if you feel stirred up (feeling your feet on the floor, naming objects in the room, slow breathing)

• limit big demands right after sessions if possible

• be kind to yourself if you feel more emotional or tired than usual; that’s your nervous system processing something hard, not you failing

Does WET Work?

Research suggests that WET can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms and is about as effective as some longer, more time-intensive trauma therapies. Many people appreciate that it is:

• brief and clearly structured

• focused on one central traumatic event

• writing-based, which can feel more concrete or less intimidating than talking in detail

• flexible enough to be done in person or via telehealth

It isn’t the right fit for every single person or every single situation, but for many, it can be a powerful part of their healing.

Final Thoughts

Saying yes to WET does not mean you’re agreeing to be re-traumatized. It means you’re choosing to work with your trauma in a focused, supported way, instead of continuing to be ambushed by it.

If you’re curious about whether Written Exposure Therapy might be a good option for you, we can talk about your specific situation, your goals, and what you need to feel as safe as possible while doing this work. You get to decide if and when you’re ready.