Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) is the result of the slow accumulation of many small traumatic experiences over time. On our most popular Being Well episode to date, Dr. Rick and Forrest Hanson explored the details of CPTSD with Pete Walker, and on today’s episode, Forrest is joined by his partner Elizabeth Ferreira to discuss the topic through a more personal lens. Elizabeth shares her CPTSD origin story, what CPTSD feels like, and how to create a compassionate environment with or without a therapist so you can safely process grief, experience out repressed emotions, and learn to express your needs.

About our Guest: Elizabeth is a recent graduate of the Somatic Psychology program at the California Institute of Integral Studies (CIIS), and is currently earning hours toward her MFT license. She creates content on YouTube and Instagram focused on CPTSD, PMDD, and becoming a more whole version of who you are.

Watch the Episode: Prefer watching video? You can watch this episode on YouTube.

Key Topics:

0:00: Introduction

2:15: Elizabeth’s story

5:20: Trauma in the broader family system

8:40: A “normal” story

11:50: Loneliness, and the parts of us we leave behind

15:00: Repressed emotions

17:10: Adverse childhood experiences

20:35: Stepping out of adverse environments

25:15: Trauma work as grief work

29:10: Symptoms of Complex PTSD

34:50: How do you need to be comforted?

37:30: Creating the sense of safety

40:30: Somatic interventions

45:30: Being witnessed

47:10: Claiming your needs

50:10: Facing the dreaded experience

53:50: Accuracy vs. sensitivity

57:05: Hidden parts

1:00:00: Start by joining

1:04:20: Recap

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Leon S. Brenner, "The Autistic Subject: On the Threshold of Language" (Palgrave Macmillan, 2020)