Complex Trauma (CPTSD)
What is Complex Trauma?
Complex trauma is often used to describe the impact of repeated or prolonged experiences of stress or adversity, particularly when these occur within important relationships or environments where safety or support may have been limited.
You may hear the term CPTSD (Complex Post-Traumatic Stress) used in discussions of complex trauma. While CPTSD is recognized in the diagnostic system used by the World Health Organization (ICD-11), it is not currently included as a separate diagnosis in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, which is commonly used in North America.
In psychotherapy settings, the term is sometimes used to describe patterns that can emerge following ongoing relational or developmental stress.
These experiences may influence how a person relates to themselves, others, and the world around them. This can affect emotional regulation, trust, boundaries, identity, and one’s sense of safety in relationships.
Many individuals who identify with complex trauma are thoughtful, capable, and highly self-aware. They may have spent years reflecting on their experiences or engaging in personal work, yet still notice patterns that feel difficult to understand or shift.
What Therapy May Support
Therapy may support individuals who notice experiences such as:
- emotional overwhelm or difficulty regulating emotions
- persistent shame or self-criticism
- people-pleasing or difficulty asserting needs and boundaries
- fear of conflict, rejection, or abandonment in relationships
- feeling responsible for others’ emotions or well-being
- a sense of disconnection from oneself or others
- difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in closeness
- repeating relational patterns that feel confusing or distressing
These responses are often understood as adaptations that developed in response to earlier environments or relational dynamics.
Therapy can provide a space to explore these experiences and develop greater understanding of how they may be influencing the present.
How We Approach This Work
At Insight Therapy Centre, work related to complex trauma is trauma-informed, relational, and paced with care.
Because complex trauma often develops in relational contexts, therapy places emphasis on creating a therapeutic space where safety, collaboration, and trust can develop over time.
Our clinicians integrate a range of evidence-informed approaches that may include EMDR, somatic therapies, cognitive approaches, relational work, and principles related to memory reconsolidation. These approaches allow therapy to explore emotional patterns through both reflection and experiential work.
Therapy is collaborative and tailored to each individual’s experiences, history, and readiness.
Next Steps
If you are considering therapy, the first step is a complimentary consultation.
This conversation provides an opportunity to discuss what brings you in, ask questions about the therapeutic process, and determine whether our approach feels appropriate for your needs.
Finding a therapist who feels like the right fit is an important part of the process. If our approach does not feel aligned with your needs, this can be discussed openly during the consultation.