
What is trauma?
Trauma is that which overwhelms, whether suddenly or by degrees. Trauma is that which leaves the person fractured to some degree, out of touch with themselves and others.
There are many obvious forms of trauma such as auto accidents or violent assault, and there are many less obvious forms that have to do with chronic deprivation of one kind or another, physical, emotional, or both.
“Complex trauma,” a term adopted by everyone except the authors of DSM 5, generally refers to an admixture of traumatogenic factors, both assaultive and depriving types, often occurring repeatedly or chronically across a wide span of time. Not infrequently, those suffering complex PTSD symptoms report highly inadequate early attachment environments, even suffering abuse from close caregivers in many cases. Therefore, not surprisingly, working with complex trauma can often mean working with attachment wounds as well.
There are many treatments available currently and most people can expect to recover extremely well from traumatic events if they were singular events suffered in an otherwise average life path. EMDR, for example, has become well known as a specialized version of Exposure Response Prevention therapy. Various schools of “somatic therapy,” therapy that focuses on the body and it’s responses, have been evolved as well, for example Blackstone’s Realization Process, Ogden’s Sensorimotor Therapy, Levine’s Somatic Experiencing, or Porges’ Polyvagal Theory. All of these therapies and many others offer excellent resources.
With regard to complex trauma however, well, it’s complex. There is usually a longer course of treatment required because we often have to find ways of addressing very early wounding and/or there are multiple mutually reinforcing traumatogenic events that have to be slowly untangled.
In my own work with complex trauma I tend to emphasize soothing and safety at first. I utilize a mixture of techniques drawn from the somatic therapies listed above, in combination with various meditation techniques, to help you find ways to self-soothe. I also emphasize an understanding of the person as a relational animal. Using primarily attachment theory and the still evolving understanding of our neural architecture, I find ways to help you understand the responses of your body-mind in your present day life. From that base I support you in making decisions in your life that move you towards stability and safety, and help you process emerging feelings and memories as they occur.