Complex Trauma (C-PTSD)
Helping women heal from complex trauma is a true passion of mine.
Most of us are familiar with trauma. We know that soldiers who return from war, or folks that experience a horrific car accident can suffer long-lasting psychological effects from those single traumatic events.
However, as soon as I began doing therapy work in grad school, I quickly realized many more of us suffer from complex trauma (sometimes called C-PTSD). Complex trauma arises from repeated or prolonged exposure to adverse experiences. Things like growing up with emotionally neglectful parents or in a high-demand religion, being chronically bullied, living in a chaotic or financially unstable environment, suffering from chronic health issues, or having unsafe and unstable relationships, can all cause complex trauma.
Pioneering work by folks like Peter Levine, Pia Mellody, and Bessel van der Kolk has helped us understand that this complex trauma we carry around manifests in the form of poor self-esteem, relationship struggles, chronic anxiety, inability to make decisions, unexplainable anger, and a long list of other symptoms that make us feel sick, tired, stuck and restless.
Complex trauma is a relatively new concept that isn't always covered in traditional grad school training. That’s why finding a therapist who pursues additional training on their own is crucial. I’ve actively sought out advanced training in top treatment approaches for complex trauma, such as Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Coherence Therapy, NARM, Internal Family Systems, and DBT. I'm also committed to being a lifelong learner, constantly expanding my expertise in key areas like polyvagal theory, attachment trauma, and somatic therapy.