When the therapeutic alliance remains strong but

the client feels overly dependent

When the client has not completed the assigned

psychoeducational materials

When trauma-based issues have triggered

interpersonal or symptomatic difficulties that appear to resolve after the

immediate crisis passes

When the therapist has not yet administered a

formal diagnostic assessment

Behavioural therapy

Sensory integration therapy

Developmental and relationship-based

interventions

Cognitive behavioural therapy

The mother is overwhelmed by her own grief and

unable to speak

The mother understands that Sally is

overreacting

The mother is calm and emotionally regulated,

trying to teach Sally coping skills

The

mother appears cold and aloof, trying not to feel, though she is full of

unexpressed emotion

When therapists approach trauma work too

quickly, without first building trust, safety, and containment

A belief that trauma can be fully healed through

insight alone

A therapeutic technique aimed at helping clients

reimagine their trauma narratives with empowering outcomes

When clients idealize their therapist as a

saviour figure during early sessions

Spending too much time building rapport before

beginning treatment

Allowing the client to set the pace of therapy

Rushing into trauma details without adequate

preparation, hoping to provide a “quick fix”

Relying solely on cognitive techniques rather

than emotional processing

PTSD involves multiple events, while complex

PTSD is caused by a single traumatic event

Complex PTSD is typically diagnosed when trauma

symptoms do not respond to medication

Complex PTSD results from chronic, prolonged

interpersonal trauma over time, rather than a single discrete trauma

PTSD affects emotional regulation more severely

than complex PTSD

helping the individual admit there is a problem.

increasing nutrition, and creating a behaviour that

inhibits alcohol consumption.

to focus upon sobriety as a major criteria

for discharge.

detoxification.

It encourages emotional regulation by shifting

focus away from distressing memories

It reduces the likelihood of clients becoming

overly dependent on the therapist

It helps clients develop more accurate timelines

of their traumatic experiences

It recognizes that sharing trauma can feel like

an act of disloyalty, and offers non-judgmental space to bear witness to the

client’s suffering

The motivation for children to seek protection

from caregivers, and for caregivers to provide that protection

The development of moral reasoning through early

interactions

The desire for social approval and group

belonging

The formation of personality traits based on

early environmental stimuli

Dissociative withdrawal

Emotional numbing

Affect phobia

Thought suppression