Trauma & PTSD Care
Trauma isn't only about what happened — it's about what your nervous system kept doing long after the danger passed. Hypervigilance in calm rooms. Sleep broken by memory. Reactions that feel bigger than the moment. Post-traumatic stress is common, and it responds to care.
New Leaf provides psychiatric care for trauma and PTSD by telehealth across Florida and Colorado, with a particular welcome to veterans and first responders. Sheilah Battle-Stephens, PMHNP-BC, brings an unhurried, respectful approach to concerns that too often go unspoken.
How trauma can show up
- Intrusive memories, flashbacks, or nightmares
- Hypervigilance — feeling on guard even when you're safe
- Trouble sleeping, concentrating, or feeling calm
- Numbness, avoidance, or emotional distance
- Irritability, a short fuse, or being easily startled
- Symptoms tied to service, the job, an accident, loss, or a difficult history
A respectful, paced evaluation
You are never asked to relive more than you choose. Sheilah's evaluation is about understanding how trauma is affecting you now — sleep, mood, focus, daily function — so care can be built at a pace that feels safe. Trauma frequently travels with depression and anxiety, and part of the work is understanding the whole picture.
The tone is direct yet gentle. Many people carrying trauma have felt rushed or dismissed before; this is meant to be the opposite of that.
Psychiatric care within a team approach
Sheilah provides the psychiatric side of trauma care — careful evaluation and, where appropriate, a tailored and evidence-based medication plan to help with symptoms like sleep, mood, and anxiety. Trauma is best treated as a team, so she coordinates with and refers to trauma-focused therapists, whose talk-therapy work complements psychiatric care.
Everything here stays evaluative and honest — careful evaluation, a monitored plan, no promises about how a particular history will resolve.
A note for veterans, first responders, and everyone else
Care from your own private space can make a real difference when trust is hard-won. Visits are by secure video, with you located in Florida or Colorado at appointment time. If you or someone you love is in immediate danger, call or text 988 or 911; veterans can also reach the Veterans Crisis Line by dialing 988 then pressing 1. Telehealth is not for emergencies.
Frequently asked.
Do I have to talk about the trauma in detail?+
No. You control what you share and when. Sheilah's evaluation focuses on how trauma is affecting you now — not on making you relive it — and care is paced to feel safe.
Is this therapy for trauma?+
New Leaf provides psychiatric care — evaluation and medication management. Trauma-focused talk therapy is a distinct, complementary piece, and Sheilah refers to and coordinates with trauma therapists as part of a team approach.
I'm a veteran / first responder. Is this a good fit?+
Yes — veterans and first responders are especially welcome. Care from your own space, at your own pace, with a provider who listens, is a good fit for many. Sheilah can also coordinate with other providers in your care.
Can medication help with PTSD symptoms?+
For some people, a carefully chosen, evidence-based medication plan helps with symptoms like disrupted sleep, anxiety, and mood. Sheilah evaluates first and discusses options honestly, without promising specific outcomes.
What if I'm in crisis?+
Call or text 988 or 911 if you or someone you love is in immediate danger. Veterans can dial 988 then press 1 for the Veterans Crisis Line. Telehealth is not for emergencies.