Complex Trauma Recovery
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Complex Trauma Recovery – Recovering from Childhood Abuse or PTSD
What is Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma differs from PTSD in the following ways:
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- It is a type of trauma that occurred repeatedly and cumulatively.
- The abuser often also served a dual role as the victim’s parent or caregiver.
- The abuse took place during a developmentally vulnerable time, such as childhood or adolescence.
The trauma can be as invasive as repeated physical abuse or sexual abuse or it can be subtler, such as living in a home that was always emotionally unpredictable and frequently critical. Examples include living with an angry, alcoholic father or an emotionally erratic mother who imposed her own anxieties onto the child – perhaps a parent with a personality disorder. In each situation, the child spends the day trying to read the emotional tone of the caregiver in order to predict the best course of action to avoid trouble. Oftentimes, the child is being abused by the same parent or caregiver that he or she is dependent upon for food, shelter, and clothing. This adds to the complexity of the trauma. In order to survive, the child learns to regulate love and fear in a constantly changing environment.
How Does Complex Trauma Affect Me?
An abused child is not receiving the nurturing or love which would promote an understanding of self and a general sense of security. The child is conditioned to interact with the world from a heightened state of threat assessment, which means he or she socializes without healthy trust, connection, or attachment. The child can no longer modulate his or her own emotions because others dictate the emotional state. Complex trauma creates a significantly diminished range of emotional choices. Fight, flight, or freeze is his or her norm, which leads to an overactive sympathetic nervous system. This can cause problems with digestion, sleep and anxiety, among others.
The outcome of complex trauma too often leaves the imprint of “It’s my fault” and “I’m not good enough” as the narrative for all adult interactions. An inability or a difficulty to maintain close friendships or long-term relationships can be the result. Emotional responses may often “hijack” the person, causing him or her to feel out of control with fear, anger, panic, sadness, and sometimes, the physical body. Complex trauma can also cause a disconnected or disassociative experience. The triggered emotion may leave the adult feeling like a child. The reaction to a situation is grossly out of proportion to what would be expected, but the body and brain are operating in past “trauma time,” where the reaction would have been appropriate and even necessary for survival.
Complex trauma can be connected to chronic headaches, gastrointestinal problems, chronic illness, sleep disorders, persistent panic or anxiety, aggression, disorderd eating, self harm, addiction, depression and sexual dysfunction.
What Does Complex Trauma Counseling & Therapy Look Like?
Due to its nature and complexity, treatment requires specialized training from a trauma therapist who knows how to implement grounding and stabilization techniques and disassociative integration strategies.
Collaborative and holistic treatment may be beneficial, such as complementing talk therapy with EMDR, equine therapy, yoga therapy, and mindfulness and meditation.
Meet our counselors who specialize in this issue
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- Christopher “Chris” JonesLPC, LPC supervisorDallas & Fort Worth$155 per 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Abuse Recovery, ADHD, Adolescents, Adoption & Foster Care, Adulting, Complex Trauma Recovery, Conduct Discorder, EMDR, Failure to Launch, Oppositional Defiance, Parenting, PTSD Recovery, Quarter-Life Issues, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Young Adults in Transition
- Courtney CallawayLPCDallas & Fort WorthFees:
Therapy: $130 per session
Yoga: $70 per hour session
$90 per 1.5 hour sessionSpecialties: ADHD, Adolescents, Adulting, Anxiety Disorders, Bullying, Child Counseling, Child or Play Therapy, Cutting, Depression, EMDR, Grief & Loss, Self Harm, Stress Management, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Tweens & Teens, Yoga Therapy - Lexie MillerLPC Intern, LCDC Intern
Supervised by
Chris Jones, LPC-SDallas OfficeFees: $115 per 50 min sessionSpecialties: Complex Trauma Recovery, Cutting, Depression, EMDR, Grief & Loss, Self Harm, Sexual Abuse Recovery, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Women's Issues, Young Adults in Transition - Adriana SpeikerLPC-Intern, LCDC-Intern Supervised by
Chris Jones, LPC-SDallas & Fort WorthFees;
Therapy: $115 per 50 min
Veteran/Military discount: $65 per 50 minute session Psychotherapeutic yoga:
$90 per 50 min sessionSpecialties: Addiction & Substance Abuse, Anxiety Disorders, Behavioral Addictions, Depression, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, Eating Disorders, EMDR, Mindfulness Training, Psychotherapeutic Yoga, PTSD Recovery, Stress Management, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Veterans & Military, Yoga Therapy - Cortney EdwardsLPC Intern Supervised by
Chris Jones, LPC-SFort Worth Office$90 per 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Addiction & Substance Abuse, Adolescents, Ayurveda & Lifestyle, Bipolar Disorder, Child Counseling, Child or Play Therapy, Childhood Abuse Recovery, Codependency Issues, Depression, Divorce & Breakups, Failure to Launch, Family Issues, Men's Issues, Mindfulness Training, Mood Disorders, New Parents, Postpartum Depression, Pregnancy Issues, Sexual Identity, Tweens & Teens, Yoga Therapy - Chelsey CharbeneauC-IAYT, E-RYT 500, YACEPDallas OfficeFees: $135 per 50 min sessionSpecialties: Anxiety Disorders, Borderline Personality, Childhood Abuse Recovery, Dealing with Chronic Illness, Depression, Emotional Abuse Recovery, Families & Mental Illness, Geriatric Counseling, Mindfulness Training, Panic Attacks, Physical Abuse Recovery, PTSD Recovery, Social Anxiety, Stress Management, Virtual Counseling Sessions, Yoga Therapy
- Laura Abbott CoanPsychotherapeutic YogaDallas OfficeFees: $105 for 50 min sessionSpecialties: ADHD, Adolescents, Anxiety Disorders, Ayurveda & Lifestyle, Body Picking, Complex Trauma Recovery, Depression, Eating Disorders, Insomnia, Meditation, Mindfulness Training, Psychotherapeutic Yoga, PTSD Recovery, Stress Management, Trichotillomania, Women's Issues, Yoga Therapy
- Kim SalisburyE-RYT500 Yoga Alliance, Yoga Therapist with IAYTDallas OfficeFees: $100 per 50 min sessionSpecialties: Addiction & Substance Abuse, Anxiety Disorders, Dealing with Chronic Illness, Dealing with OCD, Depression, Eating Disorders, Exercise Addiction, Extreme Dieting, Geriatric Counseling, Insomnia, Mindfulness Training, Panic Attacks, PTSD Recovery, Stress Management, Virtual Counseling Sessions, Yoga Therapy
- Katy BranchflowerMasters Level InternDallas Office$55 per 50-minute sessionSpecialties: Abuse Recovery, Childhood Abuse Recovery, Couples Counseling, Grief & Loss, Life Changing Events, Marriage Counseling, Relationship Issues, Stress Management, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Women's Issues, Young Adults in Transition
- Chris HornMasters Level InternFort Worth$55 per 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Anxiety Disorders, career counseling, Drug and Alcohol Abuse, First Responders, Major Depression, PTSD Recovery, Young Adults in Transition
- James WoodromeLPC-Intern Supervised by
Kelly Pedersen, LPC-SAustin OfficeFees: $90.00 for a 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Adolescents, Anger Management, Child or Play Therapy, EMDR, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Young Adults - Mark ShoemakerLPC Intern - Supervised by Jack Dickerson, LPC-SPlano/Richardson OfficeFees: $105 for 50 min sessionSpecialties: Abuse Recovery, Anger Management, Childhood Abuse Recovery, Christian Counseling, Christian Marriage Counseling, Complex Trauma Recovery, Couples Counseling, Depression, Emotional Abuse Recovery, Major Depression, Marriage Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Men's Issues, Physical Abuse Recovery, Relationship Issues, Spousal Abuse Recovedry, Suicidal Thoughts, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Tweens & Teens
- Jody RichLPC-Intern Supervised by
Kelly Pedersen, LPC-SAustin OfficeFees: $90.00-$110.00 for a 50 minute session.Specialties: Addiction & Substance Abuse, Aging Issues, Anger Management, Codependency Issues, Couples Counseling, existential issues, Family Issues, Relationship Issues, Stress Management, Trauma & Abuse Recovery - Jenny WangLPC, LPC-SupervisorFriscoFees: $150 for a 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Anxiety Disorders, Christian Counseling, Christian Marriage Counseling, Couples Counseling, Dealing with OCD, Death & Dying, Depression, Divorce & Adjustment, Divorce & Breakups, Emotional Abuse Recovery, Family Issues, Grief & Loss, Infidelity, Kids, Teens & Tweens, Life Changing Events, Marriage Counseling, Parenting, Sexual Abuse Recovery, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Tweens & Teens
- Dieula PrevilonLPC & Life CoachFrisco & Plano/RichardsonFees: $130 for a 50 min sessionSpecialties: Abuse Recovery, ADHD, Adolescents, Anxiety Disorders, Biracial Couples, Blended Families, Childhood Abuse Recovery, Christian Counseling, Christian Marriage Counseling, Couples Counseling, Depression, Divorce & Adjustment, Divorce & Breakups, Emotional Abuse Recovery, Grief & Loss, Infidelity, Life Changing Events, Major Depression, Marriage Counseling, Marriage Counseling, Panic Attacks, Parenting, Physical Abuse Recovery, Sexual Abuse Recovery, Social Anxiety, Spousal Abuse Recovedry, Stress Management, Trauma & Abuse Recovery, Tweens & Teens, Veterans & Military, Young Adults, Young Adults in Transition
- Carrie CravensLCSWPlano/RichardsonFees: $130 for a 50 minute sessionSpecialties: Adolescents, Adoption & Foster Care, Anxiety Disorders, Blended Families, Child or Play Therapy, Codependency Issues, Family Issues, Kids, Teens & Tweens, Life Changing Events, Parenting, Relationship Issues, Social Anxiety, Stress Management, Tweens & Teens, Women's Issues, Young Adults in Transition
- Kelly PedersenLPC Supervisor,
Clinical DirectorAustin OfficeFees: $130 for a 50 minute session.Specialties: Christian Counseling, Complex Trauma Recovery, Couples Counseling, Divorce & Breakups, EMDR, Last-Ditch Marital, Pre-Marital, PTSD Recovery
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