Take The First Step To Healing By Calling Today

Understanding Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Individuals who contact our office for trauma and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often seek support from our certified trauma specialists, licensed PTSD counselors, and trained C-PTSD therapists after developing relationship trauma symptoms as a direct result of:

  • Unhealthy, abusive, neglectful, or toxic relationships with caregivers growing up
  • Ending an abusive relationship with a significant other
  • Psychologically, emotionally, physically, or sexually abused by individuals who were in a position of trust
  • Domestic violence or sexual assault

Orlando PTSD Therapy Counseling

Complex trauma (C-PTSD) is defined as an experience consisting of a series of ongoing and repeated interpersonal traumatic incidents, including psychological, emotional, sexual, financial, or physical (either neglectful or abusive), over a long period of time as a direct result of someone you are in a relationship with, such as a:

  • Parent
  • Caregiver
  • Significant other
  • Sibling
  • Child

Ongoing and repeated relationship trauma rewires the brain for fear. PTSD is often associated with a traumatic incident such as a car accident or being a victim of a crime.

However, C-PTSD is distinct from PTSD in the sense that the complex trauma is ongoing and continuous over long periods of time.

Do I have C-PTSD?

Individuals who experience symptoms of complex PTSD (C-PTSD), relationship trauma, or relationship Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder often seek C-PTSD help by asking the following questions:

  • How do I tell if someone is trustworthy?
  • How do I tell if I’m being manipulated?
  • Why do I self-sabotage my relationships?
  • Why do I push people away?

Individuals with symptoms of complex PTSD describe their relationship trauma symptoms in the following ways:

  • It’s difficult for me to get close to others.
  • I’d rather be alone than get hurt.
  • I don’t always understand my emotions and become overwhelmed suddenly.
  • It’s hard for me to trust others.
  • I want to trust others and be close with them.

Common Signs & Symptoms of Emotional Relationship Trauma

  • Emotional Flashbacks:
    • Intense, overwhelming, confusing or flooding emotions that erupt suddenly or without an identifiable cause in the “now” but are emotions associated directly with the original trauma
  • Somatic Flashbacks:
    • Physical sensations, often referred to as automatic responses such as, pain or discomfort in areas of the body that were associated with the original trauma
  • Extreme feelings of insecurity and lack of safety within relationships
  • Discomfort with close relationships, despite a deep desire to trust and feel safe with others
  • Loneliness, isolation, aloneness, or little emotional closeness with others
  • Fear of trusting others
  • Sense of hopelessness, shame, guilt, or disgust
  • A belief that you are damaged, broken, or unworthy of love and connection
  • Difficulty saying “no”, or setting boundaries that maintain a sense of safety
  • Difficulty communicating wants and needs to others
  • Withdrawing from others who attempt to form emotional closeness out of fear
  • Pushing others away when they attempt to get emotionally close
  • Fear-based hyper-vigilance, awareness or alertness of others and their surroundings
  • Loss of hearing or vision when feeling physically or emotionally threatened, or hearing gets “cloudy”

Additional Signs & Symptoms Related to PTSD or Complex Trauma

  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Explosive anger
  • Persistent sadness
  • Preoccupation with revenge
  • Isolation
  • Dissociation
  • Flashbacks
  • Nightmares
  • Frightening thoughts
  • Feeling tense

Orlando PTSD Therapy Counseling

Relationships have hurt you. Relationships have been painful and unsafe. Your sense of relationship safety has been shaken to the core and you are seeking emotional support and understanding. You don’t have to go it alone anymore. Our relationship Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder therapists provide kindness and compassionate care while providing PTSD relief. We provide the empathetic environment you need as you begin to develop a sense of safety within relationships and throughout the trauma healing and PTSD treatment process.

Our relationship PTSD treatment center and complex PTSD therapists examine the nature of your trauma symptoms and with your feedback, we work together to construct and implement a personalized therapy plan.

Our PTSD Trauma Support includes:

  • Regulate emotions
  • Recognize and challenge traumatic thoughts
  • Identify circumstances and situations that cause emotional disconnection or dissociation
  • Increase coping skills to feel safe, secure, and emotionally grounded
  • Learn how to respond to others in a less anxious/fearful way by increasing a sense of safety, trust, and empowerment

Specifically, our Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder counseling consists of trauma support throughout the emotional healing process. Our certified trauma specialist will be there by your side to assist you in overcoming difficulties with intimacy. Our therapists understand that trust can be rebuilt slowly and carefully with understanding, empathy, and support. We will be there with you throughout the trauma healing process.

Scheduling an Appointment

When seeking relationship trauma services or relationship PTSD support, scheduling an appointment may seem confusing and overwhelming and as a result, our specialized relationship trauma therapist and licensed relationship PTSD counselors provide an initial consultation where we discuss and answer any questions regarding counseling and treatment for relationship trauma you may have.

Waiting to begin therapy will not help.

Together we can overcome relationship trauma.

If toxic and traumatic relationships have negatively impacted your life and trauma relief is needed, do not suffer any longer. Contact our PTSD clinic, Center of Life Counseling, by calling or e-mailing to set up an initial trauma therapy consultation today.

We answer live 7 days a week from 9AM.-9PM. We look forward to speaking with you.

Orlando Mental Health Counseling Services

Entrust in the Center of Life Counseling and we will lead the way to a better life! Specializing in Orlando domestic violence therapy counseling, Orlando emotional abuse therapy counseling, and Orlando depression therapy counseling we give our patients the tools to cope and prevail while providing resources of our own to assist in the process.

We also provide other methods of therapy, including Orlando OCD Therapy Counseling to treat obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and Orlando Dialectical Behavioral Therapy for addressing behavioral disorders.

What Can You Do?

If relationship trauma help is needed, suffer no more. Contact Center of Life Counseling to set up an introductory relationship trauma therapy appointment by calling or e-mailing us today.

The relationship trauma counseling center for Complex PTSD in Orlando at Center of Life Counseling has experienced, trained and qualified expert PTSD therapist and counselors, including licensed mental health counselors, licensed clinical social workers, licensed marriage and family therapists and psychotherapists who assist our clients with relationship PTSD relief utilizing effective and evidenced-based counseling services.

  (407) 476-1432   Email Us!

Unable to Call Now?

Send Us an Email & We will Call You at a Time that is More Convenient.


Thank You for Trusting Us with Your Information. We Look Forward to Speaking with You Soon.

    Your information is strictly confidential!

    We will contact you within the next 24-48 hours, please let us know your preferred method of contact