Trauma Therapy
Are You Living With Complex Trauma?
Anxiety, self-doubt, and feelings of insecurity are part of being human; none of us will get through life without experiencing some form of distress or dysregulation. But when symptoms become chronic and increasingly disruptive to our overall quality of life, it signals that our systems are overloaded and not processing stress effectively.
While these challenges can have a significant impact on our individual wellbeing, it’s usually our interpersonal connections where we’re likely to notice problems. Whether we feel trapped in unhealthy patterns that have been present since childhood, or we simply aren’t finding satisfaction in our relationships—our challenges might be a result of over-functioning and being the hero for everyone else.
Our therapists are complex trauma specialists who understand the long-term effects of growing up in the shadow of codependency and an inconsistent home environment. Working alongside you throughout the therapy process, our goal is to help you tap into your most authentic self, let go of the need to over-perform, and heal trauma on a deep level as you experience more nurturing relationships in your life.
Trauma Can Happen In The Context Of A Relationship
“Trauma” can be an intimidating word, and few of us are eager to identify our experiences as such. After all, it’s a term that is usually associated with violence, destruction, and catastrophe.
Yet, relational trauma is insidious in that rather than being some sudden, life-changing event, it often results from big or small attachment injuries that occurred regularly in childhood. In many cases, these relational injuries happen because unavailable or inconsistent caretakers cannot meet the emotional needs of the children they’re caring for.
A High ACEs Score Is An Indicator Of Complex Trauma
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) usually occurs as the result of a single incident, while complex PTSD (CPTSD) occurs over a prolonged period of time, often due to recurring relational injury. Relational trauma is invisible; it’s not always evident to the outside world—or even to the people experiencing it. And in fact, many complex trauma survivors don’t begin to identify or process their experiences until adulthood.
Extensive research about Adverse Childhood Experiences, or the ACEs study, was completed throughout the 90s to help experts better understand the long-term impacts of early trauma and relational injuries. This research determined that survivors of certain childhood traumas— particularly those having to do with attachment injuries inflicted by parents or caregivers—were significantly more likely to develop emotional and relational challenges in adulthood. [1]
If you grew up in an environment where you were the “helper,” the “parent,” or otherwise expected to prioritize everyone else’s needs ahead of your own, chances are you have a somewhat high ACEs score. You may have developed the belief that your self-worth is tied up in how much of yourself you give to others. It makes sense, then, if you feel anxious, overwhelmed, and under-fulfilled.
If this sounds like you, then you may be dealing with codependency—and we know how to help. As therapists who’ve centered our practice around treating codependency, we know how to heal relational injuries in a way that promotes a healthy relationship with yourself and others.
Therapy Is An Effective Way To Heal Trauma And Complex PTSD
At The Codependency Clinic, we work with individuals in therapy who are suffering from the long-term effects of complex relational trauma. If you were raised by a narcissistic, alcoholic, borderline, or otherwise inconsistent parent, our highly effective combination of experiential, somatic, and relational approaches can help promote short-term relief while facilitating healing on a deep level.
Our Approach
We use evidence-based, trauma-informed therapy methods that can meaningfully reduce the distress experienced in the body. While treatment for CPTSD is always individualized to the needs of each client, we are likely to draw from:
The Pia Mellody Method, developed specifically for adult children of inconsistent or unavailable parents, to treat the childhood trauma that sets up codependency.
Somatic Experiencing and other body-based approaches to help with trauma that is in the body.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) to change the way trauma is stored in the nervous system and neutralize triggers
Internal Family Systems (IFS) to understand all of the different parts of you so that we can begin to integrate your experience.
For clients looking to expedite the counseling process or for those with scheduling limitations, our Return to Self weeklong codependency retreat has proven to target complex trauma in a way that might otherwise take months or years in weekly therapy.
We know that despite giving your absolute all to your relationships, they can be a source of stress and anxiety in your life. By healing relational trauma at the root, you can experience enhanced emotional wellbeing and more joy in your connections.
Common Concerns About Treatment For Trauma And CPTSD...
I don’t characterize my childhood as being traumatic, and I don’t want to spend therapy blaming my parents.
Our therapists use a blameless model and recognize that you are ultimately the expert on your life. That said, if you were the “parent” in your childhood home environment—regularly prioritizing others’ needs above your own—then it’s possible you experienced relational injuries or traumas that affect you to this day.
Therapy is an opportunity to understand how your early relationships formed the basis of your emotional awareness and identity. We treat our clients and their families with professionalism and empathy, acknowledging that even if your home environment was less-than-nurturing, you would like to have healthy and manageable relationships with your family.
I’ve already tried to address my trauma/CPTSD in therapy but did not get the results I wanted; what makes your approach worthwhile?
As highly trained therapists specializing in complex PTSD, we know from personal and professional experience that talk therapy alone is usually insufficient for addressing trauma and codependency. That’s why we incorporate evidence-based experiential therapy methods that actually change the way trauma is stored in the body.
Many of our clients have worked with other therapists in the past only to end up with the same symptoms or complaints—yet they’re able to find both long- and short-term relief through our practice.
Addressing trauma from so long ago will make the treatment process too long and complicated.
It’s true that you’ve been over-functioning for a very long time, but that doesn’t mean you can’t experience healing relatively quickly in the process of addressing your trauma and CPTSD in counseling. Our approach is designed to target trauma on every level, changing the way stress is both stored and experienced.
If weekly sessions don’t feel like the most efficient use of your time, you may want to consider our Return to Self retreat, which offers months or years of trauma treatment in the span of one week.
Trauma Can Be Healed
You weren’t born with codependency; it is a complex strategy that helped you manage the family you grew up in. Just like you learned to be codependent, you can learn to be secure functioning—likely emerging from therapy with more skills than your peers who never address their trauma. To get started with one of our complex trauma specialists, book a consultation or schedule your first counseling session today.
[1] https://www.cdc.gov/violenceprevention/aces/about.html
