To help increase understanding of the causes, symptoms, impact and treatment for PTSD, and to mark PTSD Awareness Day (27 June 2025), Combat Stress, the UK’s leading veterans’ mental health charity, is offering access to a specialist training course; ‘Trauma and PTSD’. 

The course will be available for no charge through the charity’s training platform, Combat Stress Learning, between Sunday 1 June and Thursday 3 July, and will include seven short topics: 

• What is PTSD?
• PTSD and the brain
• PTSD and the family
• How to support someone with PTSD
• Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD)
• The impact to exposure to traumatic material; vicarious traumatisation 
• Moral Injury 

These topics will take around 90 minutes to complete, and you can undertake them in your own time at a pace that best suits you. You can also choose from two different variants of the course available – one specifically for friends, family and carers of veterans and the other is aimed at professionals working with, supporting or treating veterans.   

On Thursday, 3 July, all those who have completed the course will have the opportunity to have an interactive live one-hour Q&A session with Dr Vicky Aldridge, Principal Clinical Psychologist and Clinical Lead at Combat Stress. During the session, Vicky will answer any further questions about PTSD, or the training.  

To register, please visit Combat Stress’ website using the 'Apply' button above.  

Combat Stress, the UK's leading veterans' mental health charity, provides clinical treatment and support for veterans from the British Armed Forces, focusing on those with complex mental health issues resulting from their experiences during military service. When some military personnel leave service, their experiences can’t easily be left behind. Without treatment, psychological trauma can eventually tear lives apart.

For over a century, the charity has helped former military personnel with mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anxiety and depression.

Combat Stress services are provided across the UK, in-person and online. At a time that can be isolating and daunting, the charity is here to help.