Complex Trauma Therapy
You learned how to survive. Now you get to learn how to feel safe.
Maybe you've always been the one who copes. You keep going, keep adapting, keep reading the room.
But underneath, your body rarely gets to rest. You brace for things that never come. You feel too much, or nothing at all. You know your history shaped you, but knowing hasn't made it stop.
Complex trauma rarely comes from a single moment. It grows from years of staying on guard: in a family, a relationship, or an environment that never felt safe.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
“I understand where it comes from. So why do I still react this way?”
Because complex trauma isn't held in memory alone. It's held in your nervous system.
It often shows up as:
Scanning for shifts in tone, mood, or danger, even when things are calm
People-pleasing, perfectionism, or over-functioning to stay safe
A harsh inner critic and a deep sense that something is wrong with you
Swinging between overwhelm and numbness
Relationships that feel too close or too far, rarely just right
Exhaustion, pain, or health symptoms that flare with stress
These aren't flaws. They're protective responses that once kept you safe, and never got the message that you are.
UNDERSTANDING COMPLEX TRAUMA (C-PTSD)
When danger was constant, your nervous system adapted to it.
Complex PTSD develops from repeated or prolonged trauma, often early in life or in relationships where there was no way out: emotional neglect, an unpredictable home, a controlling relationship, years of walking on eggshells. Some of it may have happened before you had words for it.
To survive, your nervous system learned to stay on alert, or to shut down. Those responses can outlast the danger, narrowing your window of tolerance: the range in which you can feel without becoming flooded or numb. Over time, that chronic stress can shape your mood, your relationships, your sense of self, and your physical health.
Healing isn't only about understanding what happened. It's about changing the patterns where they're formed and held.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
HOW WE'LL WORK TOGETHER
A phased, holistic process, paced to what your system can hold.
Complex trauma isn't healed by a single method. My work follows Dr. Judith Herman's three-stage model for treating complex trauma, and we return to earlier stages whenever you need to.
STAGE 1
Safety & Stability
We start by understanding your full history, including your strengths and what has helped you cope, and getting clear on what you're experiencing. Together we build resources: grounding and regulation skills, self-compassion practices, and a felt sense of safety in your body. We also begin getting to know the protective parts of you.
STAGE 2
Processing, at a Pace Your Body Can Hold
When you feel resourced, we begin working with painful memories and the themes running through them, like shame, abandonment, or never feeling good enough. We stay within your window of tolerance, keeping one foot in the present so the past can finally settle. This includes experiences from before you had words for them.
STAGE 3
Reintegration & Growth
As old patterns loosen, we help the changes take root in how you see yourself and how you relate to others. This stage often includes grieving what you didn't receive, making peace with what was, and building the resilience that lets you not only recover, but grow.
Approaches may include: EMDR Therapy · Somatic Therapy · Internal Family Systems (IFS) · Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT) · Attachment & Relational Therapy · Energy Psychology
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH
Whole-person care, every step of the way.
One method may guide our work, but it’s never the only one. Your past lives in your mind, body, and relationships. I combine evidence-based and mind-body approaches to help you work through the past and move forward with more support, clarity and confidence.
WHAT A SESSION FEELS LIKE
You set the pace. Nothing is forced.
Sessions take place by secure telehealth, from a space where you feel comfortable. We might slow down to notice what's happening in your body, get curious about a part of you that's reacting, or touch a difficult memory while staying anchored in something that feels safe right now. You'll always know what we're doing and why, and you can pause at any time.
The goal is never to relive the past. It's to help your body finally know that it's over.
WHAT CHANGES AS THE WORK UNFOLDS
Less bracing. More living.
Patterns that once felt automatic begin to feel more flexible
More space between what you feel and how you respond
Your inner critic softens into something closer to compassion
Relationships feel steadier, with less need to withdraw, appease, or overextend
Growing trust in your own thoughts, needs, and decisions
A greater sense of stability in your body, and a way of moving through life that feels grounded and your own
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
MEET YOUR THERAPIST
Lisa Kent, LCSW
CCTP-II · EMDR-C
Complex trauma is at the center of my work. I follow a phased approach: first we build safety and stability in your nervous system, then we process what happened at a pace your body can handle, and finally we focus on reconnecting with a life that feels like yours. I draw on EMDR, somatic therapy, IFS, and attachment-focused work, choosing what fits you rather than relying on a single method.
QUESTIONS, ANSWERED
Complex trauma therapy FAQs
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PTSD often follows a single traumatic event. Complex PTSD develops from repeated or ongoing trauma, usually where escape felt impossible. Along with PTSD symptoms, it tends to affect self-worth, emotional regulation, and relationships.
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No. Safety and stability always come first, and approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, and parts work don’t require you to retell everything.
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That’s common. Complex trauma is often held in the body and in patterns rather than clear memories. Somatic and parts-based work can meet what you feel, not just what you remember.
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Research has linked early adversity and chronic stress with higher rates of chronic illness, including autoimmune conditions. Therapy doesn’t replace medical care, but calming the stress response can support your whole system.
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It’s different for everyone. Most clients meet weekly for the first three to six months, and then we review your progress together.
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It’s a free, no-pressure 15-minute video call. We’ll talk briefly about what’s bringing you to therapy and what you’re hoping for, I’ll answer your questions about how I work, fees, and out-of-network reimbursement, and together we’ll decide whether we’re a good fit. You don’t need to prepare anything, and there’s no obligation to book.
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Sessions are $200 per hour of work together. I am in-network with BCBS and BCN plans for Michigan residents. For New York and Florida residents, I partner with Mentaya to help you use your out-of-network benefits. Depending on your plan, up to 80% of your session cost can be reimbursed, and all of your claims are handled for you. You can check your benefits here (opens in a new window), or we can review them together during your free consultation.
HEALING THROUGH RECONNECTION
You've carried this long enough. You don't have to carry it alone.
Complex trauma touches every part of life, so healing has to reach every part of you: your mind, your body, your relationships, and your sense of meaning. What happened to you shaped you. It doesn't get to define you.
Telehealth for NY, FL, MI residents
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Read more from Ouro House
Essays on complex PTSD, the trauma responses, and what healing actually looks like.
