Trauma, Complex Trauma, and PTSD: Healing what still lives in the body.
Complex Trauma & PTSD Treatment with Jenna Burton, LMHC (Licensed in FL, DE, OH, KS, SC, TX & VT)
Trauma can change our thought process.
If you’ve experienced trauma, you may notice that your body and mind still react as if the past is happening in the present. This is not a personal failure; it’s your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do to keep you safe.
When overwhelming or repeated experiences occur, the brain can store memories in ways that leave you feeling stuck in patterns of fear, shame, overwhelm, or emotional numbness long after the event has passed.
In my work, I provide a supportive and nurturing space to help you understand what’s happening beneath the surface and begin gently processing what your body has been holding onto. Using EMDR therapy, we work together to reduce the intensity of painful memories, shift unwanted reactions, and help your nervous system relearn a sense of safety and stability.
Healing from trauma is not about “getting over it.”
Healing starts with helping your brain and body process experiences in a way that allows you to move forward with more resilience, clarity, and connection to your life.
Frequently Asked Questions: Complex Trauma & PTSD
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PTSD typically develops after a single traumatic event, while complex trauma (C-PTSD) develops from prolonged or repeated exposure to distressing experiences — often during childhood or in long-term relationships. Complex trauma frequently involves additional challenges like difficulty with trust, emotional regulation, and a persistent sense of danger, even in safe environments. Both respond well to EMDR therapy, though complex trauma typically requires a longer preparation and stabilization phase before deeper reprocessing begins.
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Yes. Many people carry the physical and emotional effects of trauma without having clear or complete memories of what happened — this is especially common with experiences from early childhood. EMDR therapy doesn't require a detailed narrative to be effective; it works with the nervous system's stored responses, allowing healing to occur even when memories are fragmented, unclear, or entirely absent.
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Yes, when provided by a therapist trained to work with complex trauma. Jenna Burton, LMHC is EMDRIA Certified with experience supporting clients who have dissociative symptoms. Treatment is paced carefully, with extended stabilization and resourcing built in before any deeper reprocessing work begins, to ensure the process feels safe and manageable throughout.
Understanding Trauma & PTSD
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when the memory of a traumatic event was not processed properly by our brain.
Neurobiological Survival Responses
During overwhelming or life-threatening events, the nervous system activates protective responses — commonly described as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. These automatic stress responses are mediated by the brain’s threat detection systems and prioritize safety and survival under acute stress.
Memory Processing and Nervous System Storage
When stress exceeds a person’s capacity to cope, experiences may be stored in memory networks with strong emotional and physiological associations. As a result, reminders of past events can activate present-day reactions, thoughts, or sensations that feel disproportionate to the current situation.
Clinical Characteristics of Traumatic Experiences
Trauma is generally understood as an experience that overwhelms available internal or external resources at the time it occurs. This may include sudden or unpredictable events, repeated exposure to stress or loss, violence or accidents, medical diagnoses, or adverse childhood experiences that affect regulation and development.
Trauma Responses: How Our Bodies & Brains Try to Protect Us
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The body prepares to confront a perceived threat.
What this can look like:
Anger, irritability, or defensiveness
Arguing or pushing back strongly
Feeling keyed up or ready for conflict
A strong urge to regain control or protect boundaries
What’s happening underneath:
Your nervous system believes that standing your ground is the safest option in the moment. -
The body prepares to escape or avoid danger.
What this can look like:
Restlessness or feeling unable to sit still
Overworking, overplanning, or staying constantly busy
Anxiety or racing thoughts
Avoiding people, conversations, or environments that feel overwhelming
What’s happening underneath:
Movement and distance feel like the safest way to regain stability. -
The nervous system becomes still or “stuck” when danger feels unavoidable.
What this can look like:
Difficulty making decisions or taking action
Feeling numb, disconnected, or mentally blank
Procrastination that feels involuntary
Wanting to hide or shut down
What’s happening underneath:
Your system is trying to reduce harm by becoming less noticeable or conserving energy. -
The nervous system seeks safety through appeasing or accommodating others.
What this can look like:
People-pleasing or difficulty saying no
Prioritizing others’ needs over your own
Avoiding conflict at all costs
Feeling responsible for others’ emotions
What’s happening underneath:
Connection and harmony feel like the safest path to reduce threat. -
The body moves into a state of shutdown when it senses overwhelm or helplessness.
What this can look like:
Feeling extremely tired or heavy
Emotional shutdown or dissociation
Loss of motivation or energy
Difficulty engaging with the world around you
What’s happening underneath:
Your nervous system is trying to protect you by conserving energy and reducing distress when escape or resistance feels impossible.
What Trauma & PTSD May Feel Like
shame, hopelessness, feeling unsafe, “I’m not good enough,” “I am broken,” “I’m too much”
Negative Thoughts and Mood
Physical & Emotional Reactivity
hypervigilance, sleep issues, overwhelm, brain fog, tension, physical pain, racing heart, hives or rashes
steering clear of reminders or emotions, emotional numbing, substance use not to feel, shutting down during conflict, “I don’t want to think about that”
Avoidance
flashbacks, nightmares, unwanted thoughts, sudden mental images of the trauma, replaying “what if” scenarios, feeling like you’re back in the event
Intrusive Memories
Complex Trauma & Ongoing Stress
Complex trauma refers to exposure to repeated or prolonged stressful or traumatic experiences, often occurring within relationships or environments where safety and support were expected. Rather than a single incident, complex trauma develops over time and can influence emotional regulation, self-perception, nervous system functioning, and patterns of connection with others.
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Chronic exposure to stress — including relational conflict, instability, or long-term environmental pressures — can keep the nervous system in a sustained state of activation or shutdown. Over time, this may contribute to heightened reactivity, emotional numbing, difficulty feeling safe, or patterns of coping that once supported survival but no longer serve current goals.
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Individuals living with complex trauma or ongoing stress may recognize patterns such as:
Childhood abuse, neglect, or inconsistent caregiving
Attachment wounds or relational trauma
Repetitive bullying, discrimination, or systemic stressors
Toxic or unsafe relationships or work environments
Multiple losses or prolonged grief
Long-term medical stress or caregiving responsibilities
Persistent feelings of shame, hypervigilance, or emotional disconnection
