Brian: in New York, if a psychiatrist has diagnosed you (and please note that it must be an MD Psychiatrist, not some Master's level or ph.d. type) with a mental illness and you want to own a handgun for your own protection, that psychiatrist must provide documentation that you no longer suffer from the illness.
PSTD is one of those BS diagnoses that can dang well stick with you forever, and stick you forever, if you don't get some level headed shrink to provide that you no longer suffer from the illness and that it is not likely to return.
Also, the shrink needs to document that the 'disorder', as it is not a mental illness, was transitory and the result of being victimized, and that it is not a permanent infliction or disability. Please understand that PSTD is nto a permanent mental illness, like schitzophrenia or a manic depressive disorder. PSTD can be effectively resolved. Again, PSTD is not a mental illness, it is a temporary or transitory disorder. The victim may exhibit symptoms - such as being overly cautious, avoidance of certain types of locations, changes in behavior designed to be more protective, but these are only symptoms and many butthole shrinks think these indicate an inappropriate response to being victimized, while never having been there themselves.
This woman needs to see a new shrink or the one who diagnosed her and get that shrink's new report that she no longer suffers from this illness and is not a danger to society or the community and that she should be able to avail herself of the means to individual and personal protection.
Now, if the shrink - and please recall that it must be a shrink- won't do that, get a 2nd opinion because the first guy is obviously a butthead. If it is a woman shrink and she doesn't think her client should own a handgun, go to a male shrink who is a shooter or a bit more cognizant of the need for self defense.
In other words, there is more than one way to rememdy this situation. If nothing else, find out who the local cop shrink is - they handle shooting situations and return cops to duty, armed. If a cop shooting doesn't result is PSTD then someone is bs-ing a lot of people. This victimized woman should be allowed to own the means to self defense. HTH and let us know what happens. Mikey.