The Complex Trauma Podcast – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Does love feel overwhelming, triggering, or just plain scary? If you have Complex PTSD, your nervous system might be treating intimacy like a threat, even when you desperately want connection.

In this episode, I break down why CPTSD makes love feel so complicated, what's actually happening in your nervous system when someone gets close, and the real (messy, non-linear) path to trusting love again. If you're wondering about Complex PTSD and relationship, this episode is for you.

You'll learn:

• What CPTSD actually is and how it's different from PTSD
• Why your body goes into alarm mode when someone shows you genuine love
• How childhood attachment wounds show up in adult relationships
• Practical steps to start rewiring your nervous system for safety in love
• What to do when you get emotionally triggered by your partner
• How to support someone you love who has CPTSD

This episode is for you if:

• You pull away when someone gets too close
• You're constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop in relationships
• You know you deserve love but your body doesn't feel safe receiving it
• You love someone with trauma and want to understand how to help

Whether you're struggling to accept love yourself or supporting someone who is, this conversation offers a bit of hope and concrete tools for healing.

Resources mentioned:

Original blog post: https://www.sarahherstichlcsw.com/blog/a-cptsd-therapist-shares-tips-to-accept-love-as-a-complex-ptsd-survivor

PTSD vs CPTSD: https://www.sarahherstichlcsw.com/blog/ptsd-vs-cptsd-trauma-therapy

Free Attachment Guide: https://www.subscribepage.com/attachment-style-guide

Connect with the Reclaim Therapy Team: https://www.reclaimtherapy.org

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

In this solo episode, trauma and EMDR therapist Abby Albright breaks down what trauma-informed yoga actually is and why it can be such a powerful support for healing. 

She explores how this gentle approach to movement creates space for choice, consent, and nervous system awareness, especially for those living with trauma.

You’ll learn how trauma-informed yoga differs from traditional yoga classes, why it’s rooted in Polyvagal Theory, and how practices like grounding, breathwork, and mindful movement can help shift you out of survival states and into connection. 

Abby also shares real-life examples of how she uses yoga to navigate hyperarousal, shutdown, and moments of presence in her own life and practice.

Whether you’re a beginner, a trauma survivor, or a therapist curious about incorporating somatic practices into your work, this episode offers an accessible, embodied entry point into healing.

Read this episode on the blog here: https://www.sarahherstichlcsw.com/blog/what-is-trauma-informed-yoga

Learn more about yoga with Abby here: https://www.sarahherstichlcsw.com/trauma-informed-yoga-therapy

Grab a FREE 30 minute Yoga Class here: https://www.subscribepage.com/abbys-yoga-newsletter

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

What if your body was never the problem?

In this episode, Sarah sits down with Registered Dietitian, Heather Rudalavage for a real, unfiltered conversation about body image, intuitive eating, and the messy truth behind self-acceptance. Together, they unpack the unrealistic expectations we’re taught to have about our bodies, and explore what it actually looks like to build a more compassionate relationship with ourselves.

They talk about:
 ✨ Letting go of “shoulds” around body size and health
 ✨ How aging impacts body image (and why that’s not a bad thing)
 ✨ Why intuitive eating isn’t about rules—it’s about trust
 ✨ Moving beyond appearance to appreciate what your body can do

This episode is a gentle reminder: you don’t have to earn your worth through your appearance. Coming home to your body is possible—at any age, in any size.

Learn more about Heather and her work at https://intuitive-nutrition.com or follow her on Instagram at antidiet.heather 

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Welcome back to the Reclaim You podcast with Reclaim Therapy! 

We hope this is an unfiltered and uplifting episode that empowers you to rise above the suffocating grip of diet culture. We've been diving deep into the covert ways diet culture infiltrates our lives, but now it's time to ignite the flame of hope inside of you. In this episode, Sarah, alongside Reclaim Therapist, Emily Cinque, lead the charge in reclaiming your life from the clutches of diet culture. 

First up, Emily dives into the transformative power of resiliency and its crucial role in breaking free from the shackles of diet culture. Discover how tapping into your inner strength can help you navigate the rocky path towards self-acceptance and body liberation

As we navigate the treacherous waters of media and social media, Emily spills the tea on essential strategies for consumption. Learn how to dodge the misleading diet trends, body shaming influencers, and the never-ending parade of perfectly photoshopped images. It's time to curate your media feed like the boss of your life that you are and reclaim what you allow into your brainspace.

But hey, we get it—it's not easy to untangle yourself from the web of diet culture. When that lightbulb moment hits and you realize the harm it has caused, the Reclaim Therapy team has your back. Emily shares self-care strategies to help you heal and nurture yourself as you come to terms with the toxic beliefs and behaviors ingrained by diet culture.

So, buckle up, Reclaim community, and get ready to reclaim your power, your confidence, and your unique and wonderful self. 

It's time to defy diet culture, embrace self-love, and march towards a life that is authentically and unapologetically yours. Together, let's reclaim you and rewrite the narrative of your beautiful existence.

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Join us for another episode of the Reclaim You podcast! Today Sarah and Laura delve into the insidious and disconnecting ways in which diet culture infiltrates our lives. Laura guides us through an illuminating discussion on the impact of diet culture on our well-being and how we can start reclaim and turn toward ourselves.

To kickstart the episode, Laura shares her personal understanding of the phrase "Reclaim You" and its profound significance both in her own life and in her work with clients.

As the conversation unfolds Laura reflects on her initial encounter with the concept of diet culture and shares what stood out the most during her learning process. Sarah and Laura peel back the layers to expose the sneaky ways in which diet culture manifests in our everyday lives, often disguising harmful beliefs and behaviors as "normal" or desirable.

Empowering listeners to differentiate between self-care and diet culture, Laura offers valuable insights on how to recognize and challenge the influence of diet culture on our beliefs and behaviors. By reconnecting with our own wisdom, we can distinguish between practices that truly nourish our well-being and those that perpetuate harmful norms.

To end the episode, Sarah and Laura explore how our disconnection from ourselves, our values, and various aspects of our lives is intertwined with the pervasive influence of diet culture. They shed light on the profound impact this disconnection has on our relationship with food, the development of eating disorders or disordered eating, and our overall well-being.

Tune in as we unravel the complexities of diet culture and learn how to reclaim our true selves, foster self-compassion, and establish a healthier relationship with our bodies and food. Together, let's dismantle the insidious influence of diet culture and embark on a journey reconnection and liberation.

To learn more about Reclaim Therapy and how to work with a therapist on the team, head to www.reclaimtherapy.org !

Check out Laura's Blog:

Size Inclusivity: More Than A Number

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

On this episode of Reclaim You, eating disorder and body image specialist, Abby Albright, joins Sarah to chat about the impact that diet culture has on our sense of self, body image, how we view health and wellness and how we are able to connect and care for ourselves.

Abby kicks off the show talking about what Reclaim You means to her and what it means in her work with clients. From there, the conversation turns to an exploration of the impact of diet culture on all of us, with Abby sharing what stands out to her the most.

Throughout the episode, Abby highlights the many ways that exposure to diet culture's messages can create ripples in our lives, from our relationship with food to our sense of self. She explores the impact of diet culture on body image concerns, as well as how its messages impact people's relationship with health and wellness.

As the episode progresses, Abby and Sarah look at the impact diet culture has on people's sense of self and how it can be challenging to distinguish between beliefs and behaviors that are based in self-care versus those that are based on diet culture's expectations or beliefs.

Abby offers some parting thoughts on this important topic, reminding us that recognizing the impact of diet culture is an important part of reclaiming ourselves in the face of disordered eating and body image concerns. 

Join us as we explore the impact of diet culture and learn how to move towards a more connected and self-caring relationship with our bodies, food, and ourselves.

To learn more about the Reclaim Therapy team, be sure to visit our website at www.reclaimtherapy.org 

We'd love for you to review, like and subscribe to the podcast and check us out on YouTube. 

Let's dive in!

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Welcome to the Reclaim You podcast, where we explore the journey of healing and recovery from disordered eating, body shame, and trauma. In today's episode, our hosts Sarah Herstich and Casey Koch, trauma and eating disorder specialists, dive into the topic of diet culture, its history and and its impact on our lives.

Casey begins by sharing what "Reclaim You" means to her in her personal life, and how it influences her work with clients.

She then shares what exactly diet culture is, its origins, and how it has evolved over the years. Casey explains how diet culture has permeated our society and become a pervasive and harmful force that perpetuates negative and stigmatizing views of bodies outside of the thin ideal.

For those who have experienced trauma or disordered eating, understanding and divesting from diet culture is a critical part of healing. Sarah and Casey explain why this is an important concept for anyone working to reclaim themselves after being inundated with diet culture's beliefs since a young age.

Sarah and Casey also offer helpful resources for anyone who wants to learn more about diet culture and how it disconnects us from ourselves, along with resources that are supportive in recovery.

Join us as we explore this important topic and learn how to reclaim ourselves in the face of diet culture.

Reclaim Therapy provides eating disorder, trauma, body image and grief therapy in Pennsylvania. Learn more about our work and our team here!

Resources discussed throughout the episode:

The BMI is BS- Here's Why

ASDAH

HAES Health Sheets

Reclaiming Body Trust

FoodPsych

The Body Is Not An Apology

Body Image With Bri

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

In this episode, Sarah and Kri Gore LMFT dive into ADHD, neurodivergence, and sober curiosity, exploring how societal norms shape our identities and what it takes to break free. They unpack the power of self-compassion, the impact of sensory overload, and how somatic practices can help you reconnect with your body.

Takeaways:

• Why ADHD can make you feel different, and how to embrace it.
• The truth about sober curiosity (no labels, just exploration).
• How somatic practices support healing and emotional regulation.
• The role of community in reclaiming your identity.

Be sure to check Kri out on Instagram @the_introvertish_therapist and on her website at https://www.healingfromthecouch.com/ 

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

Join Abby Albright, a trauma and EMDR therapist, each month for a mindful moment.

This month's meditation is centered around rest.

We trust that you'll use your discretion, listening and/or participating when you are safe (not driving) and distraction free. Feel free to download this episode to refer back to the meditation as you need.

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.

In this episode, Sarah and Casey take a deep dive into loneliness—the kind that lingers even when you're surrounded by people. They explore how childhood experiences shape our sense of connection, why loneliness can sometimes feel protective, and why "just make friends" is the worst advice ever. Together, they unpack the emotional roots of isolation, the role of emotional attunement, and how understanding your loneliness can actually be a path to healing.

Takeaways:

• Loneliness is about disconnection, not just being alone.
• You can feel lonely in a crowded room.
• Sometimes, loneliness serves as self-protection.
• Making friends isn’t always the fix.
• Exploring loneliness can lead to self-awareness and growth.
• Childhood experiences shape how we experience loneliness.
• Emotional attunement is key to meaningful connection.
• Social anxiety often traces back to trauma and attachment wounds.
• Resilience and loneliness can coexist.

Join us for a conversation that validates your experience, challenges the myths, and offers a deeper understanding of loneliness beyond the usual “just put yourself out there” advice.

Thanks for listening to The Complex Trauma Podcast!

Be sure to follow, share and give us a review on your favorite podcast platform.

Follow on Instagram: @sarahherstichlcsw

Learn more about EMDR & trauma therapy in Pennsylvania with Reclaim Therapy

This podcast is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional medical, psychological, or nutritional advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

Remember, I'm a therapist, but I'm not your therapist. Nothing in this podcast is meant to replace actual therapy or treatment. If you're in crisis or things feel really unsafe right now, please reach out to someone. You can call 988 for the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, text them, or head to your nearest ER.

The views expressed by the host and guests are their own and do not represent the opinions of any organizations or institutions. Reliance on any information provided by this podcast is solely at your own risk.