PTSD Coach

US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)

About this app

PTSD Coach was designed for Veterans and military Servicemembers who have, or may have, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). This app provides users with education about PTSD, information about professional care, a self-assessment for PTSD, opportunities to find support, and tools that can help users manage the stresses of daily life with PTSD. Tools range from relaxation skills and positive self-talk to anger management and other common self-help strategies. Users can customize tools based on their preferences and can integrate their own contacts, photos, and music. This app can be used by people who are in treatment as well as those who are not.

PTSD Coach was created by VA’s National Center for PTSD and DoD’s National Center for Telehealth & Technology.

Ratings and reviews

They have a lot of activities but some of them move too fast, or the speaker sounds angry and aggressive, as opposed to calm. I noticed my anxiety increased after some of the activities. In contrast, I also have a life time membership to the Calm app and Headspace, and I find those mindfulness and meditation apps to be more beneficial that this one. I was recently diagnosed with PTSD and had high hopes for this app but maybe it's geared more towards veterans who are used to taking orders

During a recent crisis I used grounding and thought shifting through the app, it made me feel like the people who put the app together "get it" in a way that most people don't. When stress is high it's hard to remember what tools I have and where to find them, the app uses the same strategies I'm learning in therapy and it feels seamless to use it when I need it. Explore the app before you need it, there are a lot of options and it's easier to find what works for you when you're calm and safe.

Amazing app, no add-on costs. You can track your overall mental health and PTSD symptoms over time. Great for those with depression and anxiety too. You can connect to Vets if you want. There is no pressure. I get in my head and this helps me crawl out. A lot of different therapies, like sound, music, guided meditation, sayings, pictures, customizable pics, and this helps.

What’s new

- export your safety plan to the Safety Plan app
- bug fixes and performance improvements