PTSD Resolution Conference 2025

Being Exceptional: The Challenge of Difference

Date: Saturday, 4 October 2025

Time: 9:00 – 16:30 (includes lunch, 6 hours CPD)

Venue: The Victory Services Club, 63–79 Seymour Street, London W2 2HF

PTSD Resolution's 2025 Annual Conference, "Being Exceptional: The Challenge of Difference," brought together mental health professionals at The Victory Services Club on Saturday, 4 October, delivering powerful new approaches to treating trauma in society's most marginalised populations within the forces veterans' community.

The sold-out event featured leading experts addressing the intersection of trauma with addiction, poverty, criminal justice involvement, and safeguarding challenges. Attendees received 6 hours of CPD-certified training whilst engaging with cutting-edge research and practice-based evidence from the frontlines of trauma recovery.

Charles Highett, CEO of PTSD Resolution, said: "This conference exceeded our expectations in bringing together practitioners who truly understand the challenges of working with people on society's margins. The feedback from attendees has been overwhelmingly positive – they found real, practical solutions they can implement immediately in their work with veterans and other vulnerable populations."

Highlights from the Day

Dr Ben Grall, National Lead for Veterans at Change Grow Live, presented ground-breaking approaches to integrated care for veterans with co-occurring PTSD and addiction. His session, "No Veteran Left Behind," demonstrated how combining Human Givens Therapy with evidence-based addiction treatment is creating pathways to recovery for veterans previously considered unreachable. Dr Grall revealed that more veterans in the UK now die by suicide than in combat, making this integrated approach critical.

Carmen Kane and Chris Elliott introduced the innovative "Just What We Need – Veterans" (JWWN-V) programme, a 12-week therapeutic intervention adapted specifically for ex-service personnel. Elliott, himself a veteran and beneficiary of PTSD Resolution's services, brought lived experience to the presentation, demonstrating the power of veteran-led co-facilitation in group therapy settings.

Adrian McNulty, Director of Operations at Lucy Faithfull Foundation, delivered a challenging session on safeguarding and sexual abuse prevention, exploring the intersection of trauma, technology, and offending behaviour. His presentation on the Stop It Now helpline provided practical strategies for working in high-risk environments whilst maintaining therapeutic effectiveness.

Dr Sarah Troughton, NHS Veterans Network Clinical Lead, explored moral injury's impact on veterans and marginalised groups, examining how socioeconomic disadvantage compounds trauma. Her session highlighted the critical need to understand multiple morally injurious events in clients' lives.

Chris and Dr Julie Parsons from LandWorks shared remarkable success stories from their rehabilitation programme, reporting reoffending rates below 6% and employment rates above 90% for programme graduates. Notably, they revealed that 36% of their recent trainees report PTSD, up from 13% overall since 2013.

New Research Unveiled

Bill Andrews, PTSD Resolution's Research Coordinator, presented early findings from Project ITQ, utilising the International Trauma Questionnaire across hundreds of therapy cases. The data provides crucial insights into Complex PTSD in veterans and validates the effectiveness of treatment approaches for those outside mainstream clinical settings.

Charles Highett added: "The research presented today proves what we've long believed – that effective trauma treatment is possible even for those facing the most complex challenges. Our own data shows 82% of veterans complete their treatment programme, with up to 79% achieving reliable improvement for PTSD cases, all at just £940 per therapy course."

Looking Ahead

The conference's focus on "Being Exceptional" presented the challenge to move beyond tick-box approaches to genuine engagement with clients who don't fit traditional service models. Discussions throughout the day emphasised practical, evidence-based solutions rather than theo kkretical frameworks.

PTSD Resolution, which has treated over 5000 clients nationwide and has operated in 39 prisons across the UK, continues to expand its reach to veterans and families often excluded from other services. The charity's network of 200 therapists provides free, prompt treatment with no GP referral required. The charity's network of 200 therapists provides free, prompt therapy, with the first appointment usually available within 15 days of registration.

Charles Highett concluded: "Today's conference demonstrated the power of bringing together practitioners who work at the sharp end of trauma recovery. The insights shared will directly impact how we support veterans dealing with addiction, those in the criminal justice system, and people facing severe hardship. We're already looking forward to our 2027 conference."

This year's theme, “Being Exceptional: The Challenge of Difference,” challenges therapists, professionals, and organisations to look deeper, beyond box-ticking, to real engagement and transformation. As always, the conference is grounded in the mission of PTSD Resolution: to deliver fast, free, and effective therapy to veterans, reservists, and their families.

Featured Topics & Speakers:

Addiction and Trauma in Veterans

Dr Ben Grall – Specialist Doctors at Change Grow Live / CGL National Lead for Veterans
Discussing integrated care models for substance misuse and PTSD, including work with veterans still using.

Poverty and Moral Injury:

Dr Sarah Troughton – Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Lead, NHS Veterans Network
Exploring how financial hardship, abandonment, moral injury and socio-economic trauma affect mental health and recovery.

Criminal Justice and Reintegration

Chris Parsons – Director, LandWorks
On successful pathways for reintegration to society for those in and exiting the criminal justice system. Sharing real-world strategies for supporting ex-offenders to rebuild their identity.

Child Protection and Sexual Risk

Adrian McNulty – Director of Operations, Lucy Faithfull Foundation
This session will explore working therapeutically in high-risk safeguarding environments, where trauma, technology and offending behaviour intersect. The nature and scale of child sexual abuse and the work of the Lucy Faithfull Foundation supporting those who offend and those impacted.

Complex PTSD and the International Trauma Questionnaire (ITQ): What the Data Tells Us

Bill Andrews – PTSD Resolution
Presenting new research findings from PTSD Resolution’s use of the ITQ across hundreds of therapy cases. This session explores how veterans and other clients meet the criteria for Complex PTSD, what changes are observed through therapy, and what the data reveals about trauma recovery outside mainstream clinical settings. A vital look at evidence-based practice from the margins.

Why Attend?

6 hours of CPD-certified learning
In-depth, practical sessions from frontline experts
Case-led insights on trauma, addiction, justice and recovery
A fresh perspective on what “exceptional” really means in therapeutic practice
Networking with peers, lunch included

This is not just a conference. It is a call to improve how we respond to trauma, not with rhetoric but with purpose, understanding and action.