While PTSD is caused by a single traumatic event, C-PTSD is caused by long-lasting trauma that continues or repeats for months, even years (commonly referred to as "complex trauma").

Most researchers view dissociation as a protective response after trauma. It allows people to function and go about their day-to-day lives by blocking trauma-related emotions and memories that could otherwise be overwhelming.

People living with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) often experience intrusive thoughts that may be connected to a traumatic event. These thoughts may trigger some of the physical symptoms of PTSD. In some cases, these thoughts can be so severe they lead to flashbacks and intense psychological distress.

Black and white thinking is the tendency to think in extremes, such as an all or nothing mindset. This thought pattern, which the American Psychological Association also calls dichotomous or polarized thinking, is considered a cognitive distortion because it keeps us from seeing the world as it often is: complex, nuanced, and full of all the shades in between.

Oversharing is a habit many of us experience from time to time, particularly during seasons of great emotional stress or trauma. Oversharing is a coping mechanism, a trauma response, and also a habit that can negatively affect our reputation and our relationships. Oversharing can have more impact on your life than mere embarrassment and later regret. Impacts that can affect your career, your relationships, or even your self-esteem.

The word “boundary” can be a bit misleading. It conveys the idea of keeping yourself separate. But boundaries are actually connecting points since they provide healthy rules for navigating relationships, intimate or professional. Boundaries give a sense of agency over one’s physical space, body, and feelings.

Somatic experiencing therapy is a type of alternative therapy geared towards helping people find healing from trauma. This therapy works on the principle that trauma gets trapped in the body, leading to some of the symptoms people with PTSD or people who have experienced trauma might experience. Through this method, practitioners work on releasing this stress from the body.

Cognitive behavioral therapy focuses on the relationship among thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; targets current problems and symptoms; and focuses on changing patterns of behaviors, thoughts and feelings that lead to difficulties in functioning. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way.

EMDR aims to reduce symptoms of trauma by changing how your memories are stored in your brain. In a nutshell, an EMDR therapist does this by leading you through a series of bilateral (side-to-side) eye movements as you recall traumatic or triggering experiences in small segments, until those memories no longer cause distress.

DBT is a type of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT). Its main goals are to teach people how to live in the moment, develop healthy ways to cope with stress, regulate their emotions, and improve relationships with others. DBT helps with the development of mindfulness skills as well as using your senses to tune into what’s happening around you in nonjudgemental ways.

RRT is a type of therapy that helps folks address self-destructive thought patterns, behavioral patterns, and emotional responses to uncomfortable situations. Clients don’t have to discuss the traumatic event in-depth or re-open any old wounds to heal mentally and emotionally.

REBT is an approach that helps you identify irrational beliefs and negative thought patterns that may lead to emotional or behavioral issues. Once you’ve identified these patterns, a therapist will help you develop strategies to replace them with more rational thought patterns.

The use of artistic methods to treat psychological disorders and enhance mental health is known as art therapy. Art therapy is a technique rooted in the idea that creative expression can foster healing and mental well-being. The goal of art therapy is to utilize the creative process to help people explore self-expression and, in doing so, find new ways to gain personal insight and develop new coping skills. The creation or appreciation of art is used to help people explore emotions, develop self-awareness, cope with stress, boost self-esteem, and work on social skills.

Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) is a type of psychotherapy that emphasizes acceptance as a way to deal with negative thoughts, feelings, symptoms, or circumstances. It also encourages increased commitment to healthy, constructive activities that uphold your values or goals. ACT therapists operate under a theory that suggests that increasing acceptance can lead to increased psychological flexibility.1 This approach carries a host of benefits, and it may help people stop habitually avoiding certain thoughts or emotional experiences, which can lead to further problems.

Brainspotting therapy is a type of alternative therapy that uses spots in a person’s visual field to help them process trauma. It accesses trauma trapped in the subcortical brain, the area of the brain responsible for motion, consciousness, emotions, and learning. Brainspotting works on the theory that feelings from trauma can become stuck in the body, leading to both physical and mental ailments. It is believed that the brain’s memory of a particular trauma or incident is “reset” in the body and brain through Brainspotting.

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