What are the consequences of growing up inside an abusive family, and what can we do as adults to heal old wounds? Today we're joined by Pete Walker, a practicing therapist and expert in Complex PTSD.

About Our Guest: Pete is a licensed psychotherapist practicing in the San Francisco Bay Area, who specializes in helping adults who were traumatized in childhood. He’s the author of three books, including Complex PTSD : From Surviving To Thriving. It’s a practical, user-friendly self-help guide to recovering from the lingering effects of childhood trauma, and to achieving a rich and fulfilling life as an adult.

Pete has a variety of resources on his website, including his 13 Steps of Emotional Flashback Management. 

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Timestamps:

3:00: What distinguishes CPTSD from PTSD?

5:55: CPTSD as “developmental trauma disorder”

8:55: Presence of the bad vs. absence of the good. 

11:40: The importance of empathy. 

13:35: “They’re crazy or I’m crazy,” and the consequences of that. 

17:10: Healthy anger. 

19:00: Becoming a support to yourself.

21:30: Stages of recovery.

25:00: Corrective emotional experiences. 

27:30: The lifelong process of recovery. 

32:10: Reparenting and the inner child. 

34:45: Managing the relationship with our family of origin. 

41:30: Forgiveness. 

44:30: The inner critic and internalized abusers. 

48:30: A message to your younger self. 

Sponsors:

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