Understanding Complex Trauma and How Therapy Can Help
Trauma is a deeply personal experience that can leave lasting emotional and psychological scars. While many people think of trauma as stemming from a single, identifiable event, complex trauma often develops from prolonged or repeated exposure to distressing circumstances. Understanding complex trauma and how therapy can help is an important step toward healing and reclaiming your life.
What Is Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma comes from ongoing exposure to situations that feel inescapable, overwhelming, or unsafe. This might include experiences like childhood neglect, emotional or physical abuse, chronic invalidation, or living in an environment marked by instability or fear. Unlike single-event trauma, complex trauma can disrupt the development of a secure sense of self, leading to challenges with identity, relationships, and emotional regulation. The treatment of complex trauma tends to require a more holistic approach than does the treatment of single-event trauma.
If you’re dealing with complex trauma, you might notice:
Difficulty trusting others
Chronic feelings of shame or worthlessness
Emotional numbness or trouble identifying your feelings
Persistent anxiety or a sense of always being on edge
Patterns of people-pleasing, perfectionism, or self-sabotage
These struggles can make daily life and relationships feel overwhelming, leaving you stuck or disconnected.
How Therapy Can Help
Therapy provides a safe, supportive space to explore and address the impact of complex trauma. While taking steps towards healing can feel daunting, working with a skilled therapist can help you navigate your experiences with compassion and skill. Here are some ways therapy can make a difference:
Creating Safety and Trust: For those who’ve experienced complex trauma, building a sense of safety is essential. Therapy starts by creating a space where you can feel seen, heard, and respected without judgment.
Understanding Your Story: A therapist can help you make sense of your experiences, untangling feelings of shame, blame, or fear that often come with complex trauma. This process helps you reconnect with who you are at your core.
Developing Emotional Regulation Skills: Trauma can leave you feeling overwhelmed by emotions or completely shut down. Therapy can help you learn tools to better understand, manage, and express your feelings in ways that feel safe and manageable.
Healing Relationships: Complex trauma often affects how you relate to others, making trust and connection difficult. Therapy can help you explore these patterns and build healthier, more meaningful relationships.
Reclaiming Your Sense of Self: Trauma can distort how you see yourself, leaving you feeling unworthy or broken. Therapy works to rebuild self-compassion, self-worth, and a sense of empowerment, helping you create a life aligned with your values and desires.
Therapy Approaches for Complex Trauma
Certain therapeutic approaches are particularly effective in addressing complex trauma, including
Internal Family Systems (IFS): Helps you explore and heal the different "parts" of yourself that may carry trauma.
Somatic Experiencing: Focuses on releasing trauma stored in your body. I have found that this works best when paired with or preceded by talk therapy that helps people explore the narrative, relational, and emotional dimensions of their experiences.
Psychodynamic Therapy: Looks at emotional and relational patterns shaped by early experiences.
A trauma-informed therapist will tailor their approach to meet your unique needs and ensure you feel supported every step of the way.
Moving Toward Healing
Healing from complex trauma isn’t about erasing the past—it’s about reclaiming your sense of self and creating a life where you feel connected, empowered, and whole. Therapy can be an incredibly powerful tool in this process. People do not suffer relational trauma alone, and they also do not heal alone!
Please know that healing is possible and that you deserve support. A compassionate and skilled therapist can walk alongside you, helping you move from surviving to truly thriving.
