Trauma specialist?

[Snookiebookie]

Hi

I've had loads of therapy over the years.  Some private and some on NHS. 

I've never had a diagnosis  (which is something I'm obsessed about tbh  but I've already posted about that).  The NHS discharged me saying my anxiety and low mood were cause by life experiences.   My T constantly refers to the experiences of rejection and abandonment I've had. But no diagnosis.

My T is person centred/humanistic/relational.  She's helped....and lots.   But  I often find she looks bored and tends not to say much.  And she's moved myou appointment twice and cancel the lastest one (so that's messed my last three appointments).

I've looked for a trauma therapist in my area. But can't find anyone who deals with c-ptsd. They do ptsd or "trauma" but that's quite vague.

I'm in Leeds UK.  Anyone got any recommendations?   The NHS discharged me and given the amount of treatment I've had they are unlikely to offer any more.

Is there any benefit to seeing a c-ptsd therapist. What can they offer that my current T can't?

[sanmagic7]

a t who is trauma-based often has more insight into the intricacies of how trauma damages us, the intensity of our wounds (physically, emotionally, and mentally) and usually will be more client-centered as far as checking in with how the therapy itself is going for us, if it's slow or fast enough, getting overwhelming, etc.

a t who knows about complex trauma will know more about these types of issues than a ptsd t.  if you can find a t who is familiar with complex trauma, that may be your best bet.  there is still, most often, no diagnosis for c-ptsd as it isn't recognized as a separate entity in the diagnostic manual that t's use.  most of us here are self-diagnosed.

best to you with finding a suitable t who will be of help to you.  sometimes we start with one, then find out that we can only go so far with them, and need to start looking for someone new to continue our recovery.  that's not uncommon.  i do hope you eventually find someone who is a good fit for you.   love and hugs, sweetie.

[Kizzie]

The main difference is that the T understands and knows how to treat the six symptoms of CPTSD ( versus the three associated with PTSD).

There's some info about trauma T's and treatment as well as searchable databases here, and a form to help you search for a T who is specifically trained/experienced with Complex PTSD here. where you live. 

As San indicated, Complex PTSD has not been an official diagnosis so govt funded services are too often not as readily available as private practice. Fortunately the diagnosis has been accepted to the most recent edition of the World Health Organization's International Classification of Diseases manual which was just published in June of this year. This may mean govt funded care will be easier to locate there.

[karbon]

I see a therapist that specializes in C-PTSD through Sensorimotor Psychotherapy. She is the first therapist who hasn't triggered me, who I see value in continuing to go back and see and really takes the time to get a detailed history of my life. I don't think I could recommend Sensorimotor Psychotherapy enough for anyone suffering from C-PTSD. Any reading materials you may find from Janina Fisher, Pat Ogden and Bessel Van Der Kolk are amazing. I've been frustrated for over a decade of being diagnosed with just 'anxiety' or just 'adjustment disorder' but discovering the people mentioned above and reading some of their books, it really restored a piece of my sanity. I didn't feel crazy like my brain was broken because their research on neurobiology and childhood trauma was so relatable -it finally gave me the sense that others out there see the nightmares CPTSD individuals are continually stuck in. I had a need to be validated in that diagnosis. Seeing a trauma-specialist therapist helped with that, a medical person finally could reassure me that my trauma and the effects of it were real.

If you go to the Sensorimotor Psychology Institute, you can look up clinicians who are certified in the practice in your area.