Reclaim your Life from C-PTSD | Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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“It was Never my Fault”

C-PTSD recovery Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Having a history of Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) from childhood trauma can lead you to struggle with your self-perception. Having self-perception issues refers to a sense of self that is based upon inaccurate beliefs that you are damaged, inferior, worthless, or unlovable. These beliefs are commonly accompanied by feelings of shame and guilt. It is common to feel as though you do not belong or that you are irreconcilably different from other people. Difficulties with self-perception can also lead you to mistakenly believe that other people are rejecting or feeling critical of you. 

It can be difficult to tolerate the discomfort associated with shame, anger, and hurt that often accompany childhood trauma. This can lead to a wide range of avoidance symptoms including perfectionism, unrelenting self-criticism, and addictions. For example, you might react angrily toward others or become hypercritical of yourself in order to avoid feeling sad.

“In order to heal, it is important to work with self-perception issues as they are experienced, mentally, emotionally, and physically. You can learn to be with your emotions without the need to run away, attack yourself, or attack others. You can learn to validate your experience, and with practice, you can reclaim your life from C-PTSD.” -Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD | Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Compassionate Strategies for Childhood Trauma

This book, A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD, is meant to provide compassionate support for the process of healing from childhood trauma. You can think of it as a lantern that will illuminate the dark spaces and provide a sense of hope in moments of despair.

The practical strategies you will learn in this book are taken from the most effective therapeutic interventions for trauma recovery. You will learn the skills to improve your physical and mental health by attending to the painful wounds from your past without feeling flooded with overwhelming emotion. My wish is to help you discover a new sense of freedom. The traumatic events of your past no longer need to interfere with your ability to live a meaningful and satisfying life.

“I have dedicated this book to those of you who have suffered from abuse or neglect as children and to the caring individuals who walk with you on your healing path. May the words and practices offered in this book provide guidance and inspire you with hope.” ~Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Covid-19: A Collective Hero’s Journey Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Walking into the Darkness

Hope for C-PTSD Recovery

“Covid-19 has led many of us around the world to experience feelings of shock and confusion. This collective crisis has disrupted our orientation to the world as we have known it. We have been thrust into a process of self-discovery and a requisite redefining of our lives. It is impossible to go back to the old ways of living.” ~Dr. Arielle Schwartz


American mythologist, Joseph Campbell (2008), describes personal transformation as a hero’s journey. The hero must enter the darkness, face challenges, slay the dragon, retrieve the treasure, and emerge stronger. Here, we understand that challenging life events can serve as a call to enter the hero’s journey. You may feel as though you have been thrown into an abyss. The dragons you must slay are the inner demons. You walk into the darkness in order retrieve the treasures that exist within you, such as inner strength, wisdom, and hope. You emerge with an enhanced sense of meaning and purpose, which become the gifts that you have to offer to the world.

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Strengthen Your Resilience During Covid-19

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Raising Resilience in Community

Resilience Informed Therapy Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Something beautiful happened. Several hundred people showed up online from around the world to focus on building resilience during Covid-19. From Slovenia, Turkey, Dubai, New Zealand, UK, Sweden, France, Germany, Canada, and across the US. 

It just blew my mind…all of us connecting around our shared experience. The fear, the loneliness, and the profound resilience that is within us as we come together as a collective, with an intention to support each other with compassion.

If you would like you can watch the recording. You’ll find it below.

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Polyvagal Theory in Psychotherapy: Practical Applications for PTSD Treatment| Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Polyvagal Theory in Psychotherapy

Polyvagal Theory in Psychotherapy Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Polyvagal theory in psychotherapy offers co-regulation as an interactive process that engages the social nervous systems of both therapist and client. Social engagement provides experiences of mutuality and reciprocity in which we are open to receiving another person, as they are. For the client who was rejected in childhood, this moment of being received can be profoundly reparative.

Before offering any interventions aimed toward regulation, develop your understanding of the client’s current experience within the context of their developmental, social, and cultural history. For example, if they are angry, firmly validate why this anger makes sense in the context of their experiences in the world. Explore how it feels to nonjudgmentally accept them and yourself just as you are.

“The goal of regulating emotions is not to make feelings go away. Rather, the aim is to help clients build their capacity to ride the waves of big emotions and sensations. Initially, this occurs because they know that we are willing to join them in these difficult moments. In time, this process helps them learn that temporary experiences of contraction can resolve into a natural expansion of positive emotions such as relief, gratitude, empowerment, or joy.”

Dr. Arielle Schwartz
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Webinar Trainings to Explore Trauma Recovery and Mind-Body Therapies

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As you may be aware, I offer webinars that provide tools for trauma recovery using mind-body therapies. These webinars occur in an interactive and engaging format. Webinars are also recorded and available for purchase after they have taken place. I invite you to explore these special resources for an in-depth understanding of important concepts related to healing PTSD and Complex PTSD. 

These offerings are rooted in a strength-based approach to healing that fosters resilience and post traumatic growth. Resilience is defined as an ability to flexibly adapt to challenging, adverse, or traumatic life events. This ability to “bounce back” from traumatic events is deeply connected to having the opportunity to work through difficult life experiences. Resilience is not a trait that you either have or do not have; it is a set of strategies that can be learned and practiced.

Each webinar is designed to provide opportunities for learning how mind-body therapies can be applied for personal growth. Previous topics have included:

Here’s a little preview…

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Self-Compassion and Childhood Trauma Recovery

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An Intention of Kindness

The pain of unresolved relational trauma from childhood often presents as self-critical thoughts, feeling intolerant of our mistakes, or engaging in self-harming behaviors. Self-compassion as applied to trauma recovery allows us to transform our pain. The word compassion literally means to “feel moved by” or “feel with” another person’s experience. Usually, compassion arises in response to another person’s suffering and evokes a desire to understand their pain and be of service by offering help or kindness. This same intention of warmth and caring can be offered to ourselves in the form of self-compassion. Here, we set an intention to respond to our own suffering with warmth and gentleness.

Trauma recovery involvesdeveloping positive coping resources and focusing your attention on your strengths. Healing also asks you to attend to difficult memories from your past and your emotional pain. Self-compassion helps to support both of these intentions. 

“Self-compassion involves two key actions. First, we must set limits with ourselves to reduce habitual negative thoughts and behaviors that perpetuate harm. Second, we must repeatedly practice new kind and loving thoughts and behaviors. Self-compassion becomes easier and more accessible when we revisit this practice on a regular basis.”

Dr. Arielle Schwartz
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Hope for C-PTSD Recovery Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Overcoming Childhood Trauma

Hope for C-PTSD Recovery

Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) refers to traumatic events that were ongoing or repeated. In the context of childhood trauma, these events occurred within your earliest relationships with parents or caregivers who were unpredictable, unavailable, or a source of terror. 

One of the greatest challenges associated with long-term trauma is that it can impact your sense of hope for a positive future. A looming sense of despair might dominate your awareness. Given that child abuse and neglect are relational traumas, you may have lost faith in other people’s trustworthiness or capacity for goodness. 

“If you relate to these symptoms of C-PTSD, please know that you are not alone. More importantly, you can overcome overwhelming feelings of hopelessness and despair. Complex PTSD recovery involves working through the pain of your past and reclaiming a sense of meaning and purpose for your life.”
-Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook | Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Practical Mind-Body Tools to Heal Trauma, Foster Resilience, and Awaken your Potential

The Post Traumatic Growth Guidebook Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Within the pages of The Post-Traumatic Growth Guidebook, you will be guided through 60 practices that illuminate a path to trauma recovery with effective, research based strategies that facilitate resilience and enhance post-traumatic growth. Initially, you will find practices that encourage you to build resources that help you feel grounded, safe, and calm. Once you feel ready, you can begin to explore the practices that focus on releasing the painful impact of losses or traumatic events. You will also find practices that guide you to move beyond the pain of your past by helping you discover a sense of meaning and purpose to your life. You become the alchemist who is capable of turning the lead of difficult life experiences into the gold of self-awareness.

Through the lens of resilience and post-traumatic growth, I invite you to see yourself as the hero or heroine of your own life journey. 

Resilience is defined as an ability to flexibly adapt to challenging, adverse, or traumatic life events. This ability to “bounce back” from traumatic events is deeply connected to having the opportunity to work through difficult life experiences. Resilience is not a trait that you either have or do not have; it is a set of strategies that can be learned and practiced.

Resilience is both a process and an outcome that involves practices help you to build a sense of strength and self-confidence. The deep, inner work of healing from trauma eventually allows you to emerge back into the world with your gifts—your unique contributions to the world. You might feel a yearning or longing to fulfill your potential by expressing more of your heart, sharing the knowledge you have gained, and bringing your gifts out to the world. 

“Within this book, you will be guided to explore the intersection between your personal transformation and your relationships within family, community, and the planet. This allows your growth and wisdom to serve the wellbeing of others.”

-Dr. Arielle Schwartz
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Complex PTSD and Attachment Trauma | Dr. Arielle Schwartz

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Attachment Trauma Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Complex PTSD occurs as a result of repeated or ongoing traumatic events. While complex trauma can happen at any time in life, this post focuses on attachment trauma related to childhood abuse or neglect. Most often there is a combined wound, in which you experience deficient nurturance from loving caregivers coupled with inadequate protection from dangerous situations or people. Growing up within an environment of fear, chaos, or rejection, and abandonment has significant and long-lasting repercussions on physical and emotional health.

As a result of attachment trauma, you might carry beliefs that you are damaged, not lovable, or that you cannot trust anyone. You might have feelings of shame, unworthiness, or helplessness. Perhaps, you feel plagued by anxiety or believe that you don’t belong in this world.

“Attachment trauma can lead you to withdraw from relationships in order to avoid further rejection or hurt. Or, you might feel overly dependent upon others and fearful of rejection. If you relate to these symptoms, it is important to know that you are not alone. These painful emotions are remnants of your past.” ~Dr. Arielle Schwartz


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