Half of the Veterans participating will be randomly chosen to receive Present Centered Therapy (PCT) and the other half will learn Transcendental Meditation (TM). Participating Veterans will be randomly assigned to receive Present Centered Therapy or Transcendental Meditation.
PCT is a non-trauma focused therapy given through a therapist trained specifically to deliver this treatment. It’s called “present centered” as the goal is to help the person develop an approach to dealing with their symptoms rather than revisiting past traumatic events.
TM is a form of meditation that is done sitting quietly with eyes closed. It involves the repetition of a silent-used sound that will be given, this is called a mantra. The mantra is typically practiced for 20 minutes twice a day and is taught by a certified instructor.
Both treatments will require the same number of visits and amount of time. In addition to the treatment visits, you will also attend assessment visits before treatment, after treatment, and at two follow-up periods 3 and 6 months after treatment to evaluate changes in your symptoms.