Written Exposure Therapy - Christchurch
When trauma lingers, it can leave you feeling stuck in cycles of avoidance or emotional numbness. Written Exposure Therapy (WET) is a brief, evidence-based approach that helps you process trauma by writing about it in a structured way. Instead of avoiding painful memories, WET gives you a safe, contained method for facing them gradually, often in just five sessions. This approach is particularly helpful if you’re looking for a focused method that doesn’t require talking in depth about your experiences out loud.
How does WET help with trauma?
WET is designed to help you process trauma by writing about the same event across multiple sessions. This repeated written exposure allows your brain to re-encode the memory in a more organised and less distressing way. Each session builds on the last, giving your nervous system time to adjust to the memory instead of avoiding it. Unlike therapies that involve ongoing discussion, WET focuses entirely on the writing process, making it a straightforward and time-efficient option. Research shows this can reduce PTSD symptoms without requiring you to talk extensively about the trauma
What to expect in sessions
WET typically involves five sessions, each around 50 minutes. In the first session, you’ll briefly discuss how trauma has affected your life and receive clear, structured instructions for your first writing task. You’ll then spend the remainder of the session writing about your most distressing trauma memory in as much detail as possible, focusing on what you felt, thought, and experienced at the time.
In each of the following sessions, you’ll begin with a short check-in and then spend about 30 minutes writing again, continuing to explore the same traumatic event. You’re encouraged to include any new details, feelings, or thoughts that arise. After each session, you hand your writing to your therapist, who reads it between sessions. This allows them to tailor the next writing prompt to focus on unresolved aspects of your experience, such as specific moments, beliefs, or emotional responses that still carry intensity.
The process helps reduce avoidance and keeps you emotionally engaged, while offering enough structure to feel manageable. Over time, it can lessen distress and make the memory feel less intrusive and more integrated.
Is WET Right for me?
WET may be a good fit if you're looking for a structured, time-efficient way to address trauma without extensive talking or long-term therapy. It’s especially helpful if you’ve experienced a single traumatic event or a few clearly defined ones, and you're ready to face the memories directly. However, WET might not suit everyone. It involves confronting distressing memories through writing and does not include a lot of verbal discussion or the opportunity to challenge negative beliefs you may hold. If you prefer more open-ended approach or want a more cognitive approach, a different modality may feel more appropriate.
Choosing the Right Trauma Therapy
Each trauma therapy we offer works in a different way. Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT) is often used with children and adolescents to teach coping skills alongside trauma processing. Written Exposure Therapy (WET) provides a highly focused, writing-based approach. Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) supports you to understand and shift unhelpful beliefs. Narrative Exposure Therapy (NET) helps you build a structured life story, and TrIGR is designed to address trauma-related guilt and moral conflict.
Trauma-Focused therapy options
For more information about the trauma therapies that we offer, please see view our modality pages below.
If you’re unsure which approach is the best fit, we can help you explore what might feel most supportive based on your goals and preferences.
Book WET Therapy in Christchurch
If you're looking for a focused, writing-based method to work through trauma, Written Exposure Therapy may be the right fit. It’s a brief, structured approach designed to help reduce distress without requiring long-term therapy or detailed verbal processing. Feel free to contact us if you’d like to learn more or arrange an initial appointment.
“I can shake off everything as I write; my sorrows disappear, my courage is reborn.”