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

“It was Never my Fault”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 … Continue reading

A Practical Guide to Complex PTSD | Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Compassionate Strategies for Childhood TraumaThis 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 … Continue reading

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

Polyvagal Theory in PsychotherapyPolyvagal 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, … Continue reading

Hope for C-PTSD Recovery Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Overcoming Childhood TraumaComplex 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 … Continue reading

Complex PTSD and 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, … Continue reading

The Polyvagal Theory and Healing Complex PTSD-Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Illuminate a Path to Freedom If you have grown up with long-term, chronic trauma exposure you might find it difficult to accurately perceive whether people or places are safe or trustworthy. Sometimes, it can become difficult to tell differentiate between … Continue reading

Parts Work Therapy-Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Understanding Inner Conflict One of the biggest reasons that we do not achieve our goals in life (or in therapy) is because we have unresolved conflicts between different parts of ourselves. This isnโ€™t meant to minimize legitimate barriersโ€”such as poverty, … Continue reading

Secondary Gains and Trauma Treatment-Dr. Arielle Schwartz

A Compassionate Approach to Care This post addresses a difficult subject matter in regards to secondary gains in the treatment of chronic pain and illness. Hopefully, you will find that I bring a compassionate lens to the topic. A view … Continue reading

EMDR Therapy for Complex PTSD-Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Is EMDR Therapy Appropriate for C-PTSD? Quite regularly I receive inquiries from clinicians and prospective clients asking me if it is appropriate to use EMDR Therapy for complex PTSD and childhood trauma. My short answer is yes, EMDR Therapy is … Continue reading

Complex PTSD Preverbal Memories Dr. Arielle Schwartz

Healing Childhood Trauma Early childhood traumatic events include experiences of neglect, feeling like you didnโ€™t belong or were unwanted, or feeling chronically misunderstood. You might have grown up in a family where your parents had unresolved traumas of their own, … Continue reading