Treating Trauma and complex PTSD

When I first trained to become a therapist, the focus was primarily on anxiety, depression, substance abuse. My initial schooling did not prepare me for the large number of folks coming into my office suffering from Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) and dissociative disorders. It drove me to seek out additional training and specialization in trauma treatment; both for family-of-origin trauma as well as other traumatic events.

Research has shown that trauma can get stored in the body and wreak havoc on our lives and relationships, and this is a relatively new finding. I half-joke that the psychotherapy field only recently figured out that we have bodies and not just heads.

But there is good news: In the last several decades, there have been incredible advances in complex trauma treatment thanks to the groundbreaking work of Peter Levine with Somatic Experiencing, the cutting edge research of Bessel van der Kolk regarding the effects of trauma on development, Eye-Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Internal Family Systems (IFS), and also Pia Mellody's Post-Induction Therapy that treats developmental immaturity as it results from trauma.

It can be challenging to find a therapist who is fully trained in all of these treatments, but I encourage you to put together the pieces with multiple therapists if needed. There is no one expert nor just one right treatment, and so it will require some self-advocacy and intuition about who/what is the right fit for you.

As part of my commitment to being a trauma-informed therapist, I am fully trained in Pia Mellody's Post Induction Model, EMDR Level II Certified, Accelerated Resolution Therapy Basic Trained, Internal Family Systems (IFS) Level I trained, and I am a Somatic Experiencing practitioner. I am also a person who is committed to growing my capacity for healing racialized trauma. In addition, I participate in a monthly consultation group with Charme Davidson, an expert in treating dissociative disorders including Dissociative Identity Disorder.

If you are looking for a trauma-informed therapist in Minnesota (where I am located), check out this new resource provided by the Minnesota Trauma Project:

Some other treatment pieces I might recommend could include:

  • Somatic Experiencing (SE)

  • Eye Movement Desensitization and Re-Processing (EMDR)

  • Treating Developmental Trauma (work of Pia Mellody)

  • Trauma intensives and workshops

  • Survivors Workshop (at the Meadows)

  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

  • Group Work

  • 12-Step Meetings and sponsorship

  • Self-study via books and recordings

  • Medication

Or if you lost in the maze, feel free to reach out and if I can't help you, I'll give you some referral options. Or check out my thoughts on Finding a Therapist. Good luck!