Therapy for Complex Trauma

Therapy for complex trauma: A safe space for healing

Traumatised people can feel chronically unsafe in their own bodies. The past is alive in the form of intrusive memories, nightmares and flashbacks. Everyday life contains triggers, and these can become so frequent, unpredictable and unbearable that a life of avoidance becomes inevitable. Life can be lonely and isolating when you are alone with your experience of trauma. But you will not be alone in your journey of trauma recovery. You will be supported by a caring, knowledgeable and non-judgemental ally.

And so, the first step to trauma recovery is to help you to build a sense of safety and emotional stabilisation. To find ways of restoring power and control. It is never too late to seek help for trauma, no matter how long ago it happened. You can learn to foster trust in the therapeutic relationship. To become empowered by a relationship which helps to create safety, allows for remembrance and mourning, and promotes reconnection with everyday life. We will approach your symptoms with curiosity and compassion using concepts from EMDR and Internal Family Systems talk therapy. This first healing step encourages deep reflection, enhanced awareness and better understanding of self.

I will support you to understand and manage your trauma responses so that you are able to integrate progress more fully into everyday life.

Together we will rebuild your life so it has positive meaning and purpose

Only once this has been achieved will we then start to focus on modifying and processing your memories of the traumatic events. Where appropriate we can also use REWIND therapy or EMDR to help with the reprocessing of any significant traumatic memories. Clients often find that once the worst memories are dealt with, the power goes out of the related memories too.

In the final phase of your therapy for complex trauma, we will go beyond the actual experiences of trauma to address other life issues, such as relationships, work, family and recreational activities. You will start to rebuild your life so that it has positive meaning and purpose. You will find ways to challenge and stretch yourself. You will reconnect with healthy ways of being and leave behind the maladaptive coping strategies that have held you back. You will take back control of your life in manageable steps, at a pace that you are comfortable with. But you will not do any of this alone. We will do this together.

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What is Complex Trauma?

Complex trauma can be defined as the experience of multiple, often connected traumatic events, along with the long‑term challenges that come from trying to cope with or survive those events. Unresolved complex trauma can lead to the development of complex PTSD. A psychological stress injury resulting from ongoing or repeated threat over which you had little or no control. These are likely to have been situations where you felt helpless and powerless to avoid great harm and suffering. Situations where you felt that there was no real hope of escape.

Examples of complex trauma include (but are not limited to):

Childhood abuse, neglect or abandonment
Domestic violence or abuse in adult relationships
Repeatedly witnessing violence or abuse, i.e. gang activity, living in a dangerous neighbourhood or having carried out active service in the armed forces.
Repeated exposure to traumatic incidents where there has been a threat to, or loss of life, i.e. 999 workers and emergency personnel
Being forced or manipulated into prostitution

You can read more about the body-brain responses to complex trauma in an article I wrote about PTSD and traumatic memory.