The Complex Trauma Podcast

By Sarah Herstich

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Image by Sarah Herstich

Category: Mental Health

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Subscribers: 7
Reviews: 0
Episodes: 136

Description

A podcast for anyone healing from complex PTSD, childhood emotional neglect, and the patterns you've been carrying without knowing what to call them.


Hosted by EMDR and somatic trauma therapist Sarah Herstich, each episode gets into nervous system healing, trauma responses, and what it actually takes to stop living in survival mode.


If you've spent years people-pleasing, apologizing for existing, or holding it together on the outside while unraveling on the inside, this is for you.


We talk about the fawn response, toxic shame, hypervigilance, and why your body still doesn't feel safe even when nothing bad is happening. No bypassing, no Band-Aids, just honest conversation about healing from complex trauma and getting your life back.


Whether you're just figuring out what CPTSD is or you've been in therapy for years, you'll find nervous system education, somatic practices, and someone who actually understands what you're going through.


New episodes every Wednesday.


Episode Date
Emotional Flashbacks in Complex Trauma Explained
Jun 24, 2026
Complex Trauma and the Belief That You're a Burden
Jun 17, 2026
Why Complex Trauma Survivors Struggle to Believe Themselves
Jun 10, 2026
Why Emotional Loneliness Runs So Deep in Complex Trauma
Jun 03, 2026
What CPTSD Does to Your Sleep and Why Nothing Else Has Worked
May 27, 2026
What Inner Child Healing and Reparenting Actually Looks Like
May 20, 2026
Corrective Emotional Experiences After Childhood Emotional Neglect
May 13, 2026
CPTSD and the Stack of Diagnoses Nobody Connects
May 06, 2026
It's Not People-Pleasing, It's Fawning
Apr 29, 2026
When Being Seen Can Feel Unsafe in Therapy for CPTSD with Katie Fries
Apr 22, 2026
The Inner Critic, IFS, and Complex Trauma with Emily Pagone
Apr 15, 2026
I Finally Stopped Shrinking… and Still Got Hurt
Apr 08, 2026
Complex Trauma, Motherhood, and Cycle Breaking with Libby Ward
Apr 01, 2026
The Hidden Shame in Emotional Neglect
Mar 25, 2026
How Complex Trauma Shows Up in Your Sex Life— with Rachael Garner
Mar 18, 2026
Why You Freeze or Shut Down When Things Get Hard
Mar 11, 2026
Why Nervous System Regulation Feels Impossible With CPTSD
Mar 04, 2026
Childhood Emotional Neglect with Dr. Danica Harris
Feb 25, 2026
3 Dissociation Questions Everyone's Asking (Answered)
Feb 18, 2026
Betrayal Trauma and Learning to Trust Again with Joe Sanok
Feb 11, 2026
Understanding Dissociative Parts with Dr. Janina Fisher
Feb 04, 2026
Understanding Your Response to Collective Trauma
Jan 28, 2026
Religious Trauma is Complex Trauma with Cassidy DuHadway
Jan 21, 2026
I Don't Even Have Trauma Memories, So Why Am I Triggered?
Jan 14, 2026
The Beauty and the Work of Complex Trauma Recovery with Thomas Zimmerman
Jan 07, 2026
A New Year's Pep Talk (Without the Toxic Positivity)
Dec 31, 2025
How to Navigate Holiday Emotional Hangovers
Dec 24, 2025
Q&A: How to Set Boundaries With Family Who Won't Listen
Dec 17, 2025
Invisible Rules of Dysfunctional Families with Abby Albright
Dec 10, 2025
Dr. Judith Herman on Complex PTSD and What Survivors Really Want
Dec 03, 2025
CPTSD vs PTSD (And, Why You Keep Getting Misdiagnosed)
Dec 03, 2025
Welcome to The Complex Trauma Podcast
Dec 03, 2025
Why Love Feels So Hard with CPTSD (And How to Change That)
Sep 03, 2025
Mini Episode: What is Trauma Informed Yoga?
Jul 16, 2025
Mini Episode: 5 Ways Yoga Can Support Healing
Jul 03, 2025
Therapy Isn’t Working… or Is It? 3 Reasons You Might Feel Stuck
Jun 26, 2025
Why Self-Compassion Feels So Cringey
Jun 11, 2025
Hyper-Independent and Burnt Out? It’s Not Your Fault
May 28, 2025
What Safety Might Feel Like in Recovery (It’s Not What You Think)
May 21, 2025
You Don't Need to Be Calm to Be Healing (and Other Nervous System Truths)
May 14, 2025
Feeling Numb, Floaty, or Shut Down? It Might Be Dissociation
May 07, 2025
Mini Episode: The Grief of Emotional Neglect
Apr 30, 2025
What Body Image Work Actually Looks Like with Heather Rudalavage
Mar 26, 2025
ADHD, Sober Curiosity & Healing from the Inside Out with Kri Gore LMFT
Mar 12, 2025
Monthly Mindful Moment with Abby: Rest
Mar 07, 2025
Why Am I So Lonely? The Deeper Truth About Disconnection
Mar 05, 2025
Mini Episode: Redefining Self Care in Eating Disorder Recovery
Feb 25, 2025
Trauma Dumping, Misinformation & the Social Media Therapy Trap
Feb 19, 2025
The Pressure to Do More Is Exhausting. Let's Talk About it.
Feb 12, 2025
Mini Episode: Signs of Childhood Emotional Neglect in Adulthood
Jan 23, 2025
Monthly Mindful Moment with Abby: Balance
Jan 17, 2025
10 Ways to Cope With Seasonal Affective Disorder
Jan 08, 2025
18 Things To Do In 2025 Instead Of Going On A Diet
Jan 01, 2025
Mini Episode: 10 Signs of Post Traumatic Growth
Dec 19, 2024
Finding Peace With Your Body- A Conversation With Johanna Kulp
Dec 18, 2024
Laura Shares About Wisdom Practices
Dec 13, 2024
Mini Episode: A Beginner’s Guide to Embodied Body Image Healing
Dec 03, 2024
What To Say When- A Guide For Surviving Holiday Conversations
Nov 27, 2024
Family Dysfunction: What It Is and What To Do With It
Nov 20, 2024
Mini Episode: Why Positive Thinking Just Isn't Enough When it Comes to Body Image
Nov 14, 2024
5 Tips to Manage Election Week Anxiety
Nov 05, 2024
Halloween Special: Looking Behind The Masks We Wear
Oct 31, 2024
Money Talk: Capitalism and Its Impact
Oct 30, 2024
Money Talk: Unpacking Trauma and Money
Oct 23, 2024
Money Talk: From Terrifying To A Tool
Oct 16, 2024
Thriving on Campus: A Guide to College Resources for Mental Health
Oct 09, 2024
Mini Episode: How Trauma Affects The Brain and Memories
Oct 08, 2024
Unpacking Perimenopause
Oct 02, 2024
Mini Episode: Food Freedom- What It Really Means in Eating Disorder Recovery
Sep 30, 2024
Athlete Mental Health Challenges with Paige Thompson
Sep 25, 2024
Mini Episode: Toxic Positivity- What It Is & How to Navigate It
Sep 23, 2024
Feeling Like You're Falling Behind in Your 20's and 30's
Sep 18, 2024
Mini Episode: 10 Reasons To Stop Watching What I Eat In A Day Videos
Sep 16, 2024
Episode Rewind! How to Cope With Weight Gain
Sep 11, 2024
Why Understanding Attachment is Important in Trauma Recovery with Katie Fries
Sep 04, 2024
The Role of Families in Eating Disorder Recovery with Erica Butler
Aug 27, 2024
What To Do When Motivation Wanes in Recovery
Aug 14, 2024
The Olympics, Eating Disorders and Athletics
Aug 08, 2024
The How's and Why's of Trauma Therapy with Abby Albright
Aug 01, 2024
Diving Into The Bridgerton Buzz with Emily Cinque
Jul 24, 2024
Navigating Transitions That Come With The College Experience with Ashley Fox
Jul 10, 2024
All About Saying "No"
Jul 03, 2024
The RAIN Tool For Challenging Emotions
Jun 26, 2024
Relationships with Trauma Survivors
Jun 19, 2024
Chronic Pain and Body Image with Megan Luybli
Jun 12, 2024
Tips for Starting Therapy: Finding the Right Fit
May 08, 2024
Adaptive Strategies of Adult Children of Alcoholics and Addicts
May 01, 2024
Let's Talk Weddings... And All That Can Come With Them
Apr 24, 2024
More About Shame and Shame Resiliency
Apr 17, 2024
How to Cope With Health Anxiety
Apr 03, 2024
Exploring Trauma in Adult Children of Alcoholics
Mar 27, 2024
Control in Eating Disorder Recovery
Mar 20, 2024
Shame: What It Is And Where It Comes From
Mar 11, 2024
Stepping Off The Spiral Staircase with Rachael McLaughlin
Mar 06, 2024
Therapy Myths
Feb 28, 2024
Navigating Relapse in Eating Disorder Recovery with Gabby Morreale
Feb 21, 2024
Breaking Up With Your Therapist
Feb 14, 2024
Creating Body Positive Homes with Robin Klein
Feb 07, 2024
Returning to Movement in Recovery
Jan 31, 2024
All Things Medical Care and Eating Disorder Recovery with Anti-Diet Dietitian Rachel Shifflet
Jan 24, 2024
Body Image, Dating and Relationships
Jan 17, 2024
Navigating ADHD and Disordered Eating With Eva Haldis
Jan 10, 2024
To Resolution or Not Resolution in 2024
Dec 27, 2023
Coming Back To The Basics in Recovery
Dec 20, 2023
Dysfunctional Family Dynamics & The Holidays
Dec 13, 2023
Grief During The Holiday Season
Dec 06, 2023
Taking Care of Yourself When The World is in Turmoil
Nov 29, 2023
Gratitude as a Path to Healing
Nov 22, 2023
Attachment: What It Is & Why It Matters
Nov 15, 2023
Understanding Overfunctioning and Embracing Slowing Down
Nov 08, 2023
Coping Skills: Your Toolkit for Navigating Life's Challenges
Nov 01, 2023
When Things Feel Worse Before They Feel Better
Oct 25, 2023
Halloween Candy & The Binge Restrict Cycle
Oct 18, 2023
Coping With Weight Gain
Oct 11, 2023
Understanding The Roots of People Pleasing
Oct 04, 2023
Boring Self-Care... We're Here For It!
Sep 27, 2023
Managing Anxiety During Seasonal Shifts
Sep 20, 2023
Self-Compassion in Trauma & Eating Disorder Recovery
Sep 13, 2023
Navigating Higher Levels of Care in Eating Disorder Recovery
Sep 06, 2023
Surviving Toxic Workplaces
Aug 30, 2023
Reading Between the Lines: Barbie Movie Themes
Aug 23, 2023
Exploring Joyful Movement in Eating Disorder Recovery
Aug 16, 2023
Navigating Making Friends As Adults
Aug 02, 2023
Workplace Toxicity: Social Work Edition
Jul 26, 2023
How Clothes Can Support Body Image
Jul 19, 2023
Reclaiming You Before & After Bariatric Surgery: What to Consider
Jul 12, 2023
Exploring the World of Boundaries
Jul 05, 2023
Embracing Your Authenticity
Jun 28, 2023
Breaking Free from Body Image Struggles: Working Through Body Dysmorphia and Body-Shame
Jun 21, 2023
The Complexity of Mother-Daughter Dynamics
Jun 14, 2023
Orthorexia: Unraveling the Obsession with Healthy Eating
Jun 07, 2023
The Tangled Threads of Grief, Eating Disorders, Trauma, and Body Shame
May 31, 2023
Strategies to Reclaim You From Diet Culture
May 24, 2023
The Sneaky and Disconnecting Ways of Diet Culture
May 17, 2023
The Impact of Diet Culture
May 09, 2023
What is Diet Culture Exactly? Dieting & Diet Culture's Origins & Impact
May 02, 2023