Complex Trauma Therapy

Trauma doesn't look the same for everyone. Some people develop symptoms after a single traumatic event, while others experience difficulty following repeated or prolonged trauma, particularly trauma that occurs within the context of relationships or during childhood.
​
Complex trauma or CPTSD and Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can overlap, but they are not the same thing. Understanding the difference can help you find support that fits your experiences and goals. PTSD refers to symptoms associated with a single trauma event. Complex trauma is more than a single moment or memory. When difficult or traumatic experiences happen repeatedly, especially over a long period of time, they can influence your sense of safety, relationships, emotions, self-worth, and ability to cope with everyday life. 

Do I have complex trauma or PTSD?

A therapist can help you understand your symptoms, experiences, and treatment options. Whether you're experiencing PTSD, the effects of complex trauma, or trauma-related symptoms that don't fit neatly into one category, therapy can be tailored to your individual needs. Your experiences don't have to fit perfectly into a diagnostic label for your pain to deserve support.​

What is PTSD?

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition that can develop after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event. Trauma may include events such as serious accidents, violence, sexual assault, natural disasters, combat, or other experiences involving actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.
​
Symptoms often include the following: Intrusive memories or unwanted thoughts, nightmares or distressing dreams, flashbacks or feeling as though the event is happening again, avoidance of reminders of the trauma, feeling constantly alert, tense, or easily startled, changes in mood, thoughts, or beliefs, difficulty sleeping or concentrating, and feeling disconnected or emotionally numb. Not everyone who experiences trauma develops PTSD, and experiencing trauma-related symptoms does not necessarily mean you have a diagnosable disorder. 

What is complex trauma?

Complex trauma or CPTSD generally refers to repeated or prolonged exposure to traumatic experiences, particularly when those experiences occur in relationships or situations where it is difficult to escape. Examples of this may include the following: childhood abuse or neglect, chronic emotional or psychological abuse, repeated domestic or interpersonal violence, ongoing exposure to unsafe or unpredictable environments, exploitation, coercion, repeated betrayal or prolonged traumatic experiences. Complex trauma can affect how you relate to yourself, other people, and the world around you. It may influence emotional regulation, relationships, boundaries, self-esteem, identity, and your sense of safety. A person can experience complex trauma without currently meeting diagnostic criteria for PTSD.

How Complex Trauma Affects Me

The effects of complex trauma can show up in many areas of life. You may experience the following: anxiety, fear, persistent feelings of being on edge, difficulty trusting others, trouble feeling safe in relationships, shame, guilt, harsh inner critic, emotional numbness, feeling disconnected, difficulty regulating emotions, trouble setting boundaries, people-pleasing, difficulty expressing your needs, intrusive memories, nightmares, avoidance, difficulties with concentration, trouble with sleep, difficulty trusting other people and fear of abandonment. 
These responses can make sense in the context of what you've experienced. Therapy can provide an opportunity to understand these patterns without judgment.These responses can be understandable adaptations to experiences that once required you to protect yourself.

Complex Trauma Treatment

At the Center for Mental Health and Wellness, we offer a collaborative trauma-informed approach by understanding your individual experiences, needs and desired outcome. Rather than expecting you to "move past" what happened, we work together to understand how your experiences may continue to affect you today and how to navigate in a way that is helpful for you now. Below is a general outline of the trauma therapy process. 

Safety and Stabilization

We work on grounding, emotional regulation, coping strategies, boundaries, and other skills that can help you feel more stable and present. Before processing traumatic experiences, it is important to develop a stronger sense of safety and emotional stability. ​

Understanding Trauma Responses

Learning how trauma has affected your nervous system, emotions, thoughts, relationships, and behaviors can help you make sense of experiences that may otherwise feel confusing or overwhelming.

Trauma Processing

When you feel ready, therapy may include approaches designed to help you process traumatic memories and experiences in a paced and supportive way. We will work collaboratively rather than forcing you to discuss anything before you're ready. Evidence-based trauma treatments like EMDR can be helpful for you to process traumatic experiences and reduce the ongoing impact of trauma. ​

Relationships and Boundaries

We can explore patterns in relationships, attachment, trust, communication, and boundaries. Complex trauma can make trust, communication, boundaries, and intimacy difficult. Therapy can help you recognize relationship patterns, identify your needs, and develop healthier ways of connecting with others. Working toward relationships that feel safer and more secure.

Reconnecting With Yourself

Healing can involve developing a stronger sense of identity, self-worth, agency, and compassion. Together, we can explore who you are beyond what happened to you and what you want your life to look like moving forward. Prolonged trauma can affect the way you see yourself and the world around you. Therapy can help you develop greater self-understanding and compassion while separating your identity from what happened to you.

Take the Next Step

You don’t have to navigate this alone. Seeking therapy is a positive step toward healing. Therapy is not about erasing your past. It's about helping you have more choice in how you live your life today. Trauma responses often develop as ways of adapting to difficult circumstances. With the right support, it is possible to develop new ways of responding, build greater emotional flexibility, and create relationships and routines that feel safer and more fulfilling.
​
If the effects of complex trauma are impacting you, reach out for support. At the Center for Mental Health and Wellness, we provide compassionate, nonjudgemental, trauma-informed therapy to help you better understand what you have experienced, develop effective coping strategies, and move toward greater stability, connection, and choice in your life. Schedule an initial consultation to get started.

Schedule Now