Your past shaped you.
It doesn't have to define you.
Complex PTSD develops from prolonged, repeated trauma — not a single event. Our clinicians understand that distinction, and we offer care that addresses the full depth of what you've been through.
What is Complex PTSD?
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) typically develops after a single, identifiable traumatic event — a car accident, a natural disaster, an assault. Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) is different. It develops in response to prolonged, repeated trauma, particularly trauma that was inescapable — such as childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, human trafficking, or long-term emotional abuse.
C-PTSD shares core PTSD symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance, and hypervigilance — but also includes deeper wounds to identity, emotional regulation, and the capacity for trust and connection. Many people with C-PTSD don't recognize what they're experiencing as trauma-related at all.
"Living through repeated trauma doesn't mean something is wrong with you — it means your nervous system adapted to survive. Healing is learning that you're safe enough to change."
Why C-PTSD Goes Unrecognized
C-PTSD is frequently misdiagnosed as borderline personality disorder, bipolar disorder, depression, or generalized anxiety — because its symptoms overlap significantly with all of them. The chronic emotional dysregulation, unstable self-image, and relationship difficulties can look like many other conditions on the surface.
Because C-PTSD is not yet a standalone diagnosis in the DSM-5 (though it is in the ICD-11), many people spend years in treatment that isn't targeting the underlying cause. A trauma-informed evaluation can make all the difference.
At NBCG, our providers are trained to recognize the full picture — and to build treatment plans that address what's actually happening.
PTSD vs. Complex PTSD
Both are trauma responses. But the nature, duration, and depth of the wound — and the path to healing — are meaningfully different.
PTSD
- Typically follows a single, discrete traumatic event
- Often has a clear onset tied to a specific incident
- Core symptoms: flashbacks, nightmares, avoidance, hyperarousal
- Identity and self-perception are generally intact
- Emotional regulation is disrupted but usually recovers
- Relationships may be strained but underlying attachment patterns are less affected
Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)
- Develops from repeated, prolonged trauma — especially in childhood
- Often has a diffuse or hard-to-identify onset
- Includes all PTSD symptoms plus additional domains
- Significant disruptions to identity, self-worth, and sense of self
- Chronic emotional dysregulation — intense emotions that feel uncontrollable
- Deep disturbances in relationships: difficulty trusting, fear of abandonment, isolation
Recognizing C-PTSD Symptoms
C-PTSD presents across multiple areas of life. These symptoms are not character flaws — they are adaptive responses to an environment where safety was not reliable.
Emotional Dysregulation
Intense emotions that feel overwhelming or uncontrollable — explosive anger, deep shame, sudden despair — often seemingly out of proportion to the present moment.
Negative Self-Perception
A persistent sense of being damaged, worthless, or fundamentally different from others. Chronic shame and guilt — even for things that were not your fault.
Relationship Difficulties
Difficulty trusting others, fear of intimacy or abandonment, patterns of either isolating or becoming intensely attached. Feeling unsafe in close relationships even with people who are trustworthy.
Intrusive Symptoms
Flashbacks, intrusive memories, or emotional "flooding" — especially when triggered by sensory cues, situations, or relationships that echo past trauma.
Dissociation
Feeling detached from your own body, emotions, or sense of reality. Episodes of "checking out," memory gaps, or feeling like you're watching yourself from outside.
Disrupted Worldview
A deep loss of meaning, faith, or hope — feeling that the world is fundamentally unsafe, that people cannot be trusted, or that recovery isn't possible for you.
Hypervigilance
Constantly scanning for danger, difficulty relaxing, being easily startled, feeling on edge even in objectively safe environments.
Avoidance & Numbing
Withdrawing from people, places, or activities that trigger trauma memories — or emotional numbness, feeling disconnected from life and the people around you.
What Kinds of Trauma Lead to C-PTSD?
C-PTSD typically develops when trauma is prolonged, repeated, and occurs in a context where escape feels impossible — especially when the harm comes from someone who should have been safe.
Childhood Abuse & Neglect
Physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in childhood — or chronic emotional neglect — is one of the most common origins of C-PTSD. The developing nervous system is especially vulnerable to repeated harm.
Domestic Violence
Long-term exposure to an abusive partner — including physical, emotional, sexual, or financial abuse — creates the conditions of repeated, inescapable harm that C-PTSD develops from.
Emotional Abuse
Chronic invalidation, manipulation, coercive control, or relentless criticism — even without physical harm — can produce lasting trauma, particularly when it comes from a parent, partner, or caregiver.
Community or Systemic Trauma
Repeated exposure to violence, discrimination, displacement, or oppression — including racially motivated trauma, refugee experiences, or living in dangerous environments.
Captivity or Trafficking
Human trafficking, prisoner-of-war experiences, or any situation of prolonged captivity where freedom was denied and harm was ongoing.
Caregiver Trauma (Secondary)
Professionals and caregivers repeatedly exposed to others' trauma — including first responders, medical workers, and therapists — can also develop complex trauma responses over time.
C-PTSD Treatment at NBCG
Healing from complex trauma is not about forgetting the past — it's about changing your relationship to it. Our providers build individualized, phase-based plans using the most effective available approaches.
Trauma-Focused CBT (TF-CBT)
A structured, evidence-based approach that helps you understand the connection between trauma, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors — and gently challenge the distorted beliefs that trauma creates. TF-CBT is one of the most robustly supported therapies for trauma recovery.
EMDR Therapy
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) helps the brain reprocess traumatic memories so they lose their emotional charge. EMDR is particularly effective for C-PTSD and is an endorsed first-line treatment by the WHO and APA.
Somatic & Body-Based Therapy
Trauma lives in the body, not just the mind. Somatic approaches — including trauma-sensitive mindfulness and nervous system regulation techniques — help you reconnect with physical safety and begin releasing the held tension of chronic trauma.
Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)
DBT is highly effective for the emotional dysregulation and relationship instability common in C-PTSD. Skills in distress tolerance, emotion regulation, mindfulness, and interpersonal effectiveness offer immediate practical tools for daily functioning.
Medication Management
While there is no medication that treats C-PTSD directly, medications can meaningfully reduce specific symptoms — including depression, anxiety, hyperarousal, and sleep disturbance — creating the stability needed for therapy to work. Our psychiatric providers work closely with your therapist.
TMS & Advanced Treatments
For C-PTSD that co-occurs with treatment-resistant depression or anxiety, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) and ketamine/Spravato therapy are available at select NBCG locations. These options can help when traditional approaches haven't been enough.
The NBCG Difference
Trauma-informed care isn't just a phrase we use — it's the lens through which every member of our team approaches your experience. We know that healing from complex trauma requires safety, trust, and time. We don't rush.
We accept most major insurance plans, including SelectHealth, BCBS, Regence, Aetna, Cigna, UnitedHealthcare, and more. Our team can help verify your benefits before your first appointment.
You don't need to have the right words.
Many people with C-PTSD have spent years not being believed, not knowing what to call what they've been through, or feeling like their experience "wasn't bad enough" to deserve help. You don't need to convince us. You just need to reach out.
Our intake process is gentle, confidential, and designed to make you feel like a person — not a patient. Same-week appointments are often available.
Utah Locations
Six convenient locations across the Wasatch Front.
Lehi, UT 84043
- Psych & Neuropsych Testing
- Mental Health Therapy
- Psychiatric Med Management
- TMS, Spravato, & Ketamine
Murray, UT 84121
- Psych & Neuropsych Testing
- Mental Health Therapy
- Psychiatric Med Management
- TMS, Spravato, & Ketamine
Ogden, UT 84403
- Mental Health Therapy
- Psychiatric Med Management
Orem, UT 84097
- Psych & Neuropsych Testing
- Mental Health Therapy
- Psychiatric Med Management
- TMS, Spravato, & Ketamine
Salt Lake City, UT 84111
- Psych & Neuropsych Testing
- Mental Health Therapy
- Psychiatric Med Management
- TMS, Spravato, & Ketamine
West Jordan, UT 84084
- ABA & Autism Services
- Psychiatric Med Management
Healing begins with one safe conversation.
Whether you've just started to understand what you've been through, or you've been in treatment for years without feeling truly seen — our team is here for you. You deserve care that understands the whole of your experience.
Indications for Treatment
The providers at Neurobehavioral Center for Growth (NBCG) offer psychiatric evaluation and treatment in Utah for a range of mental health conditions, including Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Major Depressive Disorder (MDD), Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Dissociative Disorders, and co-occurring conditions. Treatment is determined based on individual psychiatric evaluations and may include specialized therapy, medications, and coordinated care planning.
Important Safety Information
Psychiatric medications are only available by prescription and should be taken as directed by a healthcare provider. A provider at NBCG can help determine if medication is appropriate for your situation. Patients' responses to medications may vary, and ongoing monitoring is necessary to ensure safety and effectiveness.
Common side effects may include drowsiness, dizziness, nausea, changes in appetite, or mood fluctuations. Some medications carry risks such as dependency, withdrawal symptoms, or rare but serious adverse effects. It is important to discuss all potential risks and benefits with your provider. Medications for mental health conditions should not be discontinued without consulting a healthcare provider.
C-PTSD is associated with elevated rates of depression, self-harm, and suicidal ideation. If you or someone you know is experiencing thoughts of self-harm or suicide, please seek immediate support by calling or texting 988 (Suicide & Crisis Lifeline) or contacting your nearest emergency services. NBCG provides outpatient mental health care and is not an emergency or crisis service.
