PTSD / CPTSD Therapy
Trauma Recovery • Nervous System Support
If you are seeking PTSD or CPTSD therapy in Maple Ridge, our therapists offer a warm, grounded approach to healing the lasting effects of trauma. Therapy can help you understand how past experiences may continue to shape your nervous system, emotions, relationships, and sense of safety. Together, we work gently to build greater regulation, reconnect with yourself, and develop a stronger sense of safety without rushing the healing process.
Understanding PTSD & CPTSD When Your System Stays on Alert
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (CPTSD) can show up as a nervous system that no longer feels fully safe, even when the danger has passed. You may feel constantly on guard, easily overwhelmed, disconnected from yourself, or caught between feeling too much and feeling nothing at all. Your system may respond to reminders of past experiences through heightened alertness, shutdown, avoidance, or a strong need to stay in control.
PTSD and CPTSD therapy helps you understand these responses without shame. It can help you recognize how trauma has shaped your nervous system, emotions, relationships, sense of safety, and responses to the world around you.
Hypervigilance, emotional overwhelm, avoidance, disconnection, or shutdown.
Trauma therapy does not require you to revisit every detail of what happened. A skilled therapist can work with you at a pace that feels safe, focusing on building regulation, increasing your sense of safety, and helping you develop a more compassionate understanding of your responses.
PTSD or CPTSD therapy may be supportive if you experience:
Feeling constantly on guard or easily startled
Intrusive memories, thoughts, images, or nightmares
Avoiding people, places, situations, or conversations that feel triggering
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed or unable to settle
Emotional numbness, shutdown, or disconnection
Difficulty trusting others or feeling safe in relationships
Strong reactions that seem bigger than the situation
Shame, self-blame, or a persistent sense that something is wrong with you
Difficulty identifying or expressing your emotions
Feeling disconnected from your body or sense of self
Persistent tension, anxiety, irritability, or difficulty relaxing
Feeling like you are still responding to something that happened in the past
These experiences are common responses to trauma, and they make sense within the context of what your nervous system has learned to expect. PTSD and CPTSD therapy can help you understand these patterns with clarity and compassion while gradually developing greater safety, connection, and choice.
How PTSD & CPTSD Therapy Helps You Reconnect
PTSD and CPTSD therapy supports you by helping you:
- Understand how trauma has shaped your nervous system and responses
- Recognize patterns of hypervigilance, avoidance, shutdown, or overwhelm
- Strengthen emotional and nervous system regulation
- Develop a greater sense of safety within yourself and your environment
- Build practical tools for managing triggers and emotional activation
- Reconnect with your body, emotions, and sense of self
- Develop healthier patterns in relationships and boundaries
- Increase your ability to stay present and grounded during difficult moments
Therapy can help you better understand the ways trauma may continue to affect your emotions, relationships, body, and daily life. Rather than judging your responses, a trauma-informed therapist helps you understand where they come from and develop new ways of responding.
PTSD and CPTSD therapy gives you practical tools and supportive space to build safety, connection, and regulation at a pace that feels manageable for you.
What PTSD & CPTSD Therapy Looks Like in Session
Sessions are collaborative, paced, and grounded in safety. Your therapist will work with you to understand your experiences without pushing you to move faster than your nervous system can manage.
Depending on your needs and goals, you may:
- Explore how trauma continues to affect your emotions, body, relationships, and sense of safety
- Identify patterns of hypervigilance, avoidance, shutdown, or emotional overwhelm
- Learn grounding and nervous system regulation strategies
- Use somatic approaches to build greater awareness and connection with your body
- Use CBT to understand and shift trauma-related thought patterns
- Use DBT skills to navigate emotional intensity and distress
- Explore boundaries, relationships, trust, and patterns that developed in response to trauma
- Build practical tools for responding to triggers without becoming overwhelmed or disconnected
- Develop a stronger sense of safety, choice, and connection at a pace that feels manageable
PTSD and CPTSD therapy is not about forcing you to relive what happened. It is about creating a safe therapeutic relationship where you can better understand your responses, build regulation, and gradually develop new ways of relating to yourself and the world around you.
Shawna creates such a welcoming environment. I always leave our sessions feeling lighter, more hopeful, and with a better understanding of myself. Her approach is thoughtful, compassionate, and incredibly supportive. I would highly recommend her to anyone considering therapy.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a diagnosis to start PTSD or CPTSD therapy?
No. You do not need a formal diagnosis or referral to begin therapy. If you are experiencing anxiety, hypervigilance, emotional numbness, intrusive memories, shutdown, or feeling disconnected from yourself, PTSD or CPTSD therapy can help you understand what may be happening.
What is the difference between PTSD and CPTSD?
PTSD often develops after a single traumatic event or a short period of overwhelming stress. CPTSD develops from long‑term or repeated trauma, especially when escape or protection was not possible.
People with CPTSD may experience the core symptoms of PTSD, along with additional patterns such as chronic shame, difficulty trusting others, emotional overwhelm, or feeling disconnected from their sense of identity.
Both PTSD and CPTSD are treatable, and therapy can help you understand your nervous system responses, rebuild safety, and develop tools that support healing.
What does a PTSD or CPTSD therapy session feel like?
Sessions are collaborative, grounding, and paced around your sense of safety. You can expect gentle questions, practical nervous system tools, and guidance that helps you better understand your trauma responses.
Will I have to talk about everything that's happened to me?
No. You choose what you share and when. Trauma therapy does not require you to revisit every detail of your experiences. Your therapist can focus on your current symptoms, nervous system responses, relationships, and the tools that help you feel safer and more grounded.
How long does PTSD or CPTSD therapy take?
Some people notice meaningful shifts within a few weeks, while others benefit from longer-term support. The pace depends on your goals, experiences, nervous system capacity, and what feels appropriate for you.
Is virtual PTSD or CPTSD therapy effective?
Yes. Virtual therapy can be an effective and accessible option for trauma support. Many clients appreciate the comfort, privacy, and flexibility of working with their therapist from a familiar environment.