Sometimes the danger is long gone, but your nervous system is still watching the room. Complex trauma can leave you easily startled, sensitive to changes in someone's mood, or constantly checking to make sure you're safe. Learn why these reactions can follow us into adulthood and how understanding where they came from can be an important part of healing.

In therapy, it’s often not the biggest moments in our lives that shape us but the quiet ones that plant a belief we carry for years. Let me share a story about a client we’ll call James. The Moment It Started James came to therapy wanting to work through a memory from middle school. It was the first day back at school. He stood in the cafeteria, trying to decide where to sit for lunch. Then, almost instantly, a powerful feeling came over him: “I don’t belong.” That belief stu