Understanding C-PTSD: Signs, Symptoms, and Support

Understanding Complex Trauma and Healing from Childhood Wounds

Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) is a mental health condition that develops after prolonged or repeated trauma, especially in situations where escape or safety wasn’t possible. While PTSD is often linked to a single traumatic event, C-PTSD stems from long-term trauma, most often during childhood. I often explain its not so much about what happened but how primary care givers respond to children when scary things happen. Rupture happens all the time and is normal, its the repair or lack of it that causes harm.

As a C-PTSD therapist in Surrey, I support adults who have experienced childhood trauma. While I don’t focus exclusively on labels or diagnoses in my private work, I recognise that many clients, especially those coming through NHS pathways, arrive with formal mental health diagnoses. For some, the diagnosis of C-PTSD offers clarity and relief. For others, it may feel limiting, as though their challenges are being reduced to a clinical label and as though there is something ‘wrong with them’. I’ve observed this perspective both in my work within the NHS and in private practice.

This blog explores the clinical understanding of C-PTSD, how it manifests, and how you can begin your healing journey.

What Is C-PTSD?

C-PTSD is a psychological condition that results from long-term trauma, particularly during early developmental years. Because these experiences occur during the brain’s most formative years, they deeply affect a person’s sense of self, safety, and ability to form healthy relationships later in life. Our self-esteem is developed through our early relationships and how our parents respond to our distress.

Situations that may lead to C-PTSD include:

• Emotional neglect or abandonment
• Physical or sexual abuse
• Growing up in a home with domestic violence, addiction, or mental illness
• Chronic shaming, control, or criticism
• Lack of repair following rupture i.e. a parent punishes the child for not achieving punitively
• Inconsistent responses from parents i.e. a parent is an alcoholic or emotionally absent

These types of experiences disrupt the development of safety, identity, and trust. They influence how we relate to ourselves and others later in life. Children can’t rationalise their experiences, they internalise that if something hasnt gone to plan or a parent is angry then it must be because of them. The child will blame themselves, its an automatic adaptive response that keeps them safe emotionally.

The Lasting Impact of Childhood Trauma

Our sense of self is shaped through our earliest relationships. When caregivers are absent, abusive, or emotionally unpredictable, it becomes difficult to develop secure attachment and a healthy self-image. As a result, survivors of childhood trauma may struggle with:

• A harsh inner critic or negative self-image
• Trouble trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
• Emotional flashbacks or intense fear reactions to non-threatening situations
• Chronic feelings of shame, worthlessness, or abandonment

Signs and Symptoms of C-PTSD

C-PTSD symptoms often overlap with PTSD but tend to run deeper and impact daily life in more pervasive ways. Common symptoms include:

• Emotional dysregulation: Mood swings, anger, or emotional numbness
• Dissociation or detachment from one’s body or surroundings
• Hypervigilance and difficulty relaxing
• Persistent feelings of guilt, shame, or hopelessness
• Difficulty maintaining close relationships or trusting others
• Negative core beliefs, often developed during childhood

Some people may also receive diagnoses such as Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) or Emotionally Unstable Personality Disorder (EUPD). These are often trauma-related and should be viewed through a compassionate, contextual lens.

Healing from C-PTSD

Recovery from C-PTSD takes time, safety, and the right support. As a C-PTSD therapist in Surrey, I work with clients to rebuild a sense of inner safety, restore healthy emotional regulation, and reconnect to a more grounded, empowered sense of self.

Proven Therapeutic Approaches Include:

• Somatic therapies that reconnect mind and body
• Dialectical Behaviour Therapy to initially stabilise current here and now difficulties particularly intense emotions with skills that enable reconnection with self
• Parts work or Internal Family Systems (IFS)
• Long-term psychotherapy with a trauma-informed therapist
• Group therapy or support communities for survivors
• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing)

It’s important to know that healing is possible – even if the trauma occurred years or decades ago. With the right support, survivors can learn to feel safe in their bodies and relationships, develop a stronger sense of self, and reconnect with joy.

Why Work with a C-PTSD Therapist?

Working with a therapist who understands the depth and complexity of trauma is crucial. As a C-PTSD therapist based in Surrey, I offer a holistic approach through a range of approaches tailored to you, delivered in compassionate space where your experiences are validated and your recovery is supported at your pace.

Therapy isn’t about rushing through symptoms, it’s about creating long-term, sustainable change. If you’ve felt misunderstood or overwhelmed by your experiences, the right support can make all the difference.

C-PTSD doesn’t mean you’re damaged, it means you adapted to survive. Many of my clients begin therapy with deep shame and a belief that they’re “too much” or “too broken.” Over time, they come to see that their responses make sense in light of what they’ve lived through and that healing is not only possible, but deserved.

Work with Me

If you’re looking for a C-PTSD therapist in Guildford, I offer trauma-informed therapy for adults affected by childhood trauma, abandonment, or emotional neglect. Contact me to schedule an initial call so to talk more about your difficulties and get a sense of me as a therapist to see if we could be a ‘good fit’.