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Complex trauma often stems from prolonged, repeated, or relational experiences of harm - especially in situations where it wasn’t safe to escape or speak up.

Complex Trauma

What is complex trauma?

It may include emotional neglect, abuse, coercion, or instability in childhood, or chronic experiences of powerlessness in adult life such as domestic abuse or controlling relationships.

Unlike single-event trauma, complex trauma affects a person’s sense of identity, relationships, and emotional safety over time.
 

Many people with C-PTSD carry deep feelings of shame, confusion, or numbness, often believing they are “too much,” “not enough,” or somehow broken. This isn’t true - these are responses to what has been survived.
 

At The Knightsbridge Practice, we recognise how complex trauma touches every layer of life. Therapy offers a safe, consistent relationship where healing can begin - not by pushing through, but by gently re-learning how to feel safe, worthy, and whole.

Common signs of Complex Trauma

  • Difficulty trusting others or feeling emotionally close
     

  • Chronic shame, self-blame, or feeling “defective”
     

  • Flashbacks or emotional overwhelm that seems disconnected from the present
     

  • Feeling numb, empty, or emotionally shut down
     

  • People-pleasing, hyper-independence, or fear of abandonment
     

  • Patterns of intense or unstable relationships
     

  • Emotional dysregulation or mood swings
     

  • A fragmented or uncertain sense of self

How therapy can help

Healing from complex trauma is not about fixing what’s broken - it’s about reclaiming parts of yourself that adapted for survival. Our work is paced with care, curiosity, and compassion. Therapy may include:
 

  • Stabilisation and grounding to create a sense of internal safety
     

  • Exploring and processing relational wounds in the context of a safe therapeutic relationship
     

  • Reconnecting with emotions and bodily signals in ways that feel manageable
     

  • Working through self-criticism, shame, and inner conflict
     

  • Strengthening boundaries, identity, and self-compassion
     

  • Understanding and gently changing relational and behavioural patterns rooted in survival

This work takes time - and you don’t have to do it alone. Many people find that, through therapy, they begin to feel more real, more connected, and more at home in themselves.

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