What Is Complex Trauma? Causes, Symptoms & Healing – C-PTSD

In this episode of The Aspiring Psychologist Podcast, Dr. Marianne Trent delves into the topic of complex trauma (C-PTSD). She explores what complex trauma is, how it manifests in adulthood, and most importantly, the potential for healing. Through a fictional but realistic case study, Marianne demonstrates the profound impact of complex trauma and shares effective therapeutic approaches for recovery. To grab £10 off the Our Tricky Brain Kit and / or The Feel Better Academy use Code: YouTube10 at checkout: https://www.aspiring-psychologist.co.uk/ Key Takeaways Understanding Complex Trauma: The difference between single-event trauma (PTSD) and chronic trauma (C-PTSD). Case Study of Sarah: A powerful illustration of how childhood trauma can shape adult life. Manifestations of C-PTSD: Anxiety, self-doubt, hypervigilance, and physical symptoms. Therapeutic Approaches: Compassion-Focused Therapy, EMDR, Somatic Therapy, Internal Family Systems, and Schema Therapy. Hope and Healing: Recovery is possible with the right support and therapeutic interventions. Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 00:44 - What Is Complex Trauma? 01:33 - Causes of Complex Trauma 02:29 - Case Study: Sarah’s Childhood 03:27 - Sarah’s Adulthood Struggles 05:18 - Impact of Sexual Abuse 06:18 - How C-PTSD Shows Up in Adulthood 07:21 - Healing and Therapy Approaches 08:29 - Compassion-Focused Therapy (CFT) 09:33 - Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing (EMDR) 11:00 - Somatic Therapy and Body-Based Approaches 12:40 - Internal Family Systems (IFS) and Schema Therapy 13:31 - EMDR Training and Recommendations 14:29 - Message of Hope for Trauma Survivors 15:33 - Feel Better Academy and Support Resources 16:26 - How to Support the Podcast 17:47 - Closing Remarks Links: 🫶 To support me by donating to help cover my costs for the free resources I provide click here: https://the-aspiring-psychologist.captivate.fm/support 📚 To check out The Clinical Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3jOplx0 📖 To check out The Aspiring Psychologist Collective Book: https://amzn.to/3CP2N97 💡 To check out or join the aspiring psychologist membership for just £30 per month head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/membership-interested 🖥️ Check out my brand new short courses for aspiring psychologists and mental health professionals here: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/short-courses ✍️ Get your Supervision Shaping Tool now: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/supervision 📱Connect socially with Marianne and check out ways to work with her, including the Aspiring Psychologist Book, Clinical Psychologist book and The Aspiring Psychologist Membership on her Link tree: https://linktr.ee/drmariannetrent 💬 To join my free Facebook group and discuss your thoughts on this episode and more: https://www.facebook.com/groups/aspiringpsychologistcommunity Like, Comment, Subscribe & get involved: If you enjoy the podcast, please do subscribe and rate and review episodes. If you'd like to learn how to record and submit your own audio testimonial to be included in future shows head to: https://www.goodthinkingpsychology.co.uk/podcast and click the blue request info button at the top of the page. Hashtags: #aspiringpsychologist #dclinpsy #psychology #assistantpsychologist #psychologycareers #podcast #psychologypodcast #clinicalpsychologist #mentalhealth #drmariannetrent #cptsd #ptsd #complextrauma Mentioned in this episode: Sponsored by WriteUpp Tap to Pay This episode is sponsored by WriteUpp. Their Tap to Pay app turns your smartphone into a card reader, helping private practitioners take secure payments without additional hardware. Use code MARIANNE30 for a free 30-day trial and 30% off your first 6 months at this link: https://writeupp.com/?refid=142336