cPTSD

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“Pain travels through families until someone is ready to feel it.”
— Stephi Wagner

Complex Post Traumatic
Stress Disorder

Welcome to your homecoming

Many of us have experienced deep hurt in our lives. That’s part of being human. When we experience betrayals by the hand of someone close to us; when these happen early in life; or happens too often, it can leave its mark.

There’s a felt sense of not being worthy, not belonging, not being in control of your own life, maybe even not knowing exactly who you are.

These wounds find places to live inside our body. Sometimes sitting inside our chest, weighing us down, sometimes disconnecting us from our emotions and leaving us numb, maybe never allowing us to relax.

Beginning your return home

What you might hope to gain in your treatment:

  • To work towards a more accepting and consistently loving relationship with yourself.

  • To uncover parts of yourself that may have been buried or suppressed. To understand yourself.

  • To attract and keep relationships in your life that are deeply rooted in mutual respect, support, understanding, and love.

  • To build a loving support network of friends and a reliable community you feel inspired to give back to.

  • To increase capacity for fun, laughter, joy, and pleasure.

  • To find balance in work and play.

  • To find ways to fairly and safely express anger.

  • To release the emotional weight you’ve been carrying.

What cPTSD is

And how it’s developed

When we trace back to its origins, most CPTSD occurs when someone is exposed repeatedly or chronically to extremely threatening events - especially when we’re unable to escape and feel helpless.

A lot of the time, this begins early in childhood when we grow up in dysfunctional households. This could look like one or more caregivers having untreated mental health or addiction issues, homes where we witnessed domestic abuse (including emotional abuse), or where severe neglect, shaming, and bullying frequently occurred.

CPTSD can also develop later in life from ongoing social stress, such as chronic discrimination, systemic racism, living in poverty, abusive relationships, and human trafficking.

R.D. Laing

“The only pain that can be avoided is the pain that comes from trying to avoid unavoidable pain.”

    • Staying away from places that remind you of traumatic events

    • Withdrawing and isolating yourself

    • Using cannabis, alcohol, other substances, or food to distract or soothe you when hard feelings come up

    • Spending hours and hours watching TV or playing video games

    • Caring so much about others that you ignore your own needs or wants

    • Being a perfectionist about things that don’t matter, or being highly critical of yourself or other people

    • Being known as a “workaholic” or keeping yourself so busy that you don’t have to feel things

    • Finding yourself “staring into space” or daydreaming for long periods of time

    • Having a hard time paying or keeping your attention on things

    • Feeling like you’re frequently a different person in different situations

    • Experiencing a sense of disconnection from your body or feeling emotionally “numb”

    • Struggling with your memory of long periods of your life

    • Being told you sometimes act like a much younger person, or feeling like you do

    • Having a hard time knowing what your own likes, dislikes, or needs are

    • Feeling ineffective, powerless, or having little hope for your future

    • Deep down feeling ashamed, guilty, or worthless

    • Having the sense that there is something “wrong” with you

    • Having difficulty finding purpose and meaning

    • Feeling “hyper aware” of everything around you

    • Having a hard time “shutting off” your mind and your awareness of your surroundings

    • Often being overwhelmed by sensory experiences (lights, sounds, feeling sensations, smells, etc.)

    • Scanning your surroundings constantly for threats; planning your exits in most situations

    • Expecting the worst to happen

    • Being told you’re “jumpy” or easily startled

    • Crying uncontrollably after what could be seen as “normal” every day challenges

    • Taking a long time to feel better again after something stressful happens

    • Often feeling irritable, or having a hard time controlling your anger

    • Experiencing feelings of anxiety or panic often

    • Feeling the urge to harm yourself to escape overwhelming feelings

    • Feeling numb or disconnected from your emotions

    • Wondering if you’re capable of experiencing joy or pleasure

    • Having nightmares frequently and waking up in a panic

    • Having traumatic memories come up in your mind at inconvenient times

    • Feeling like you are reliving traumatic events, or like they’re still happening

    • Finding yourself feeling overwhelmed, shaky, anxious - or shut down, helpless and collapsed after you are triggered

    • Experiencing flashbacks - intense images, emotions, or sensations that don’t make sense in the moment

    • Being highly sensitive to small changes in other people’s faces, body language, or posture

    • Feeling disconnected from other people, or like no one knows the “real” you

    • Avoiding spending time with others

    • Have difficulty trusting others, or knowing who might be trustworthy

    • Experiencing intense fear of being left or abandoned

    • Struggling to hear other people’s perspectives or views

    • Avoiding conflict whenever possible

    • Struggling to do things on your own, or relying too heavily on others

Common Signs of cPTSD

What you’ll gain

  • Return to your Authentic Self

    Complex trauma disconnects you from your true self, leaving you feeling unclear about your identity or trapped in patterns that don't reflect who you really are. It's possible to shed the old roles you’ve been stuck in and reconnect with your authentic self, finding clarity and strength.

  • Connection & Co-regulation

    We’re wired to connect to others, especially in times of distress. When we feel supported by someone who can stay calm, present, and see us for who we are, it regulates and restores safety to our nervous system. Co-regulation will be a key part of the process, allowing you to experience vulnerability without fear of rejection and build trust in both yourself and others.

  • Body Awareness

    Trauma often teaches us that our bodies are places of danger, and our nervous system rightly disconnects us when there’s simply too much going on inside. You’ll engage in new strategies that allow you to experience sensations and emotions again at a gentle pace. In treatment, we’ll help you reclaim your body as a place of safety, where you can fully connect with yourself, regulate your emotions, find a sense of balance and groundedness.

  • Know Your Nervous System

    Complex trauma can have us swinging between feeling restless, anxious, or irritable, or perhaps feeling heavy, lethargic, and numb all in the course of a day. You’ll gain an understanding of your nervous system which will empower you to predict these changes, pull yourself out of these extreme states, and find compassion for yourself.

  • Widen Your Window of Tolerance

    Treatment can improve your ability to manage overwhelming emotions and experiences. By increasing your capacity to stay present and grounded, you'll gain more control over your reactions, improve emotional regulation, and feel more confident navigating life's challenges with resilience.

  • Increase your Presence in the Moment

    You’ll begin to gently reconnect with your body’s natural rhythms and inner wisdom. By slowing down and getting curious about your inner experience, you can learn to stay more present and grounded—even when life feels overwhelming. Over time, this deeper connection to yourself allows for more ease, aliveness, and a greater sense of meaning in everyday moments.

Want to know more?

Contact Rachel to chat about your inquiry.

For inquires about next steps, please feel free to reach out here.

If you’re interested in scheduling a consultation together please provide any scheduling restrictions we may need to work within, your general availability, and your time zone.

Delivered in a way that works

Thoughtful exploration of how you came to be who you are today

Genuine, caring, & present
co-regulation through our therapeutic relationship

Education about your nervous system

Tools to rebuild who you are in a way that aligns with your values

Exercises to reconnect you with your body & emotions

  • Adult Children of Emotionally Immature Parents:How to Heal From Distant, Rejecting, or Self-Involved Parents.
    Author: Lindsay Gibson (2015).

    Codependent No More: How to Stop Controlling Others and Start Caring for Yourself.
    Author: Melody Beattie (2022).

    Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving.
    Author: Pete Walker (2013).

    Dissociation Made Simple: A Stigma-Free Guide to Embracing Your Dissociative Mind and Navigating Daily Life.
    Author: Jamie Marich (2022).

    No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems Model.
    Author: Richard Schwartz (2021).

    The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, mind, and body in the healing of trauma.
    Author: Bessel Van Der Kolk (2015).

    Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers: An Acclaimed Guide to Stress, Stress-Related Diseases, and Coping.
    Author: Robert Sapolsky (2004).

  • Polyvagal Exercises for Therapists and Clients: 50 Client-Centered Practices.
    Author: Deb Dana.

    The Finding Solid Ground Program Workbook: Overcoming obstacles in trauma recovery.
    Authors: Hugo Schielke, Bethany Brand, & Ruth Lanius (2022).

  • Body of Knowledge Card Deck: Sensorimotor practices for awareness, regulation, and expansion.
    Author: Pat Ogden (2024).

    The Finding Solid Ground Program Workbook: Overcoming obstacles in trauma recovery.
    Authors:Hugo Schielke, Bethany Brand, & Ruth Lanius (2022).

    I also recommend any form of mindful physical activity including yoga, walking, stretching, etc.

  • Alcoholics Anonymous 12-Step Program: https://www.aa.org/

    Al-Anon 12-Step Program: https://al-anon.org/

    Codependents Anonymous 12-Step Program: https://coda.org/

    Griefshare Group: https://www.griefshare.org/

    Eating Disorder Programming and Groups: https://sheenasplace.org/

    Narcotics Anonymous 12-Step Program: https://na.org/

    Sex and Love Addiction Anonymous 12-Step Program: https://slaafws.org/

Resources

Ready for next steps?

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