PTSD & Complex Trauma
Therapy for PTSD and Complex Trauma
When the past keeps affecting the present, everyday life can become difficult in ways that other people may not always see.
You may feel constantly alert, avoid reminders, struggle to trust or find that certain situations bring up reactions that feel hard to control. You may already have a diagnosis of PTSD or complex trauma, or you may simply recognise that difficult experiences continue to affect you. I am Genovieve Feasey, a trauma psychotherapist working with adults in Buckinghamshire and Kent. We can begin with what is happening now. You decide what you share and when.
Professional Accreditations & Practice Standards
BACP Registered
CNHC Registered
2,000+
Fully Insured
What This Can Feel Like
You may recognise some of these experiences
Trauma affects people differently. You might notice:
Feeling constantly alert
It may be difficult to fully relax, even when there is no obvious problem in front of you.
Strong reactions to reminders
A sound, place, conversation, smell, situation or other reminder may bring up a strong emotional or physical response.
Difficult memories
Memories may sometimes feel intrusive or difficult to put aside.
Flashbacks
You may have moments when an earlier experience feels unusually present or difficult to separate from what is happening now.
Avoidance
You may avoid certain conversations, people, places or situations because of how they make you feel.
Difficulty trusting
Closeness or vulnerability may sometimes feel complicated.
Feeling disconnected
You might sometimes feel distant from yourself, other people or your surroundings.
Strong emotions
Feelings may become intense quickly or take time to settle.
Feeling numb
At other times, it may feel difficult to connect with emotions at all.
You do not need to recognise every item on this list. And recognising some of them does not mean you have PTSD.
Do I Need a Diagnosis?
No diagnosis is required before you contact me
You may already have received a diagnosis from another professional. You may also have read about PTSD or complex trauma and wondered whether those terms describe your experience. You do not need to work that out by yourself before seeking support. Therapy can begin with questions such as:
- What is affecting you now?
- When do you notice it most?
- What feels difficult?
- What would you like to be different?
- What currently helps?
This website cannot diagnose PTSD or complex trauma.
PTSD and Complex Trauma
The label is not the starting point
Some people come to therapy after one clearly identifiable experience. Others describe repeated, prolonged or relationship-based experiences that have affected them over time. The language people use for these experiences can vary.
Rather than trying to make you fit a description on a webpage, I focus on understanding how your experiences are affecting you now. That may include:
- Emotional responses
- Memories
- Relationships
- Trust
- Boundaries
- Anxiety
- Avoidance
- Physical stress responses
- How you see yourself
- How safe everyday situations feel
How Therapy May Help
We start by understanding what you need
There is no single therapy process that suits everyone. My work is trauma-informed and integrative. Depending on your needs, therapy may involve three broad areas.
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Step 1: Safety and stabilising
Trauma therapy does not have to begin by focusing directly on the hardest experience. We may first work on understanding triggers, recognising emotional responses, grounding, noticing patterns, managing difficult moments, building trust within therapy and identifying sources of support. There is no need to rush this stage.
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Step 2: Processing
When it feels appropriate, therapy may begin to focus more directly on difficult experiences, memories or responses, using approaches that include EMDR, somatic work, CBT, DBT-informed skills and counselling. You do not automatically begin memory processing in your first session. Preparation may come first.
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Step 3: Integration
Therapy may also involve considering what you want life to look like outside sessions: recognising your responses, understanding relationship patterns, developing clearer boundaries, communicating differently and understanding yourself with less judgement. The aim is not to erase what happened.
Approaches I May Use
No single approach is automatically right for every person
EMDR Therapy
A structured approach I use within trauma work. Preparation may come before any memory processing.
Somatic Body Psychotherapy
Pays attention to physical sensations and patterns that may accompany emotional experiences.
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
May help explore links between thoughts, emotions and behaviour.
DBT-Informed Skills
May be useful when working with emotional regulation, distress tolerance and communication.
Counselling and Psychotherapy
Talking therapy provides space to understand experiences, relationships and patterns more broadly.
Do I Have to Talk About Everything?
No. You decide what you share and when.
You do not need to describe difficult experiences in detail simply because you have started trauma therapy. There may be things you are not ready to discuss. You can tell me that. If something feels too much, we can:
- Pause
- Slow down
- Change focus
- Spend more time preparing
- Return to something later
You remain involved in decisions about the work.
What If I Experience Flashbacks?
We can begin with what happens around them
You do not need to describe every detail of a flashback when making an enquiry. In therapy, we may begin by understanding:
- What you notice beforehand
- What seems to trigger the experience
- How it affects you afterwards
- What currently helps
- What makes it harder to settle
- How safe and supported you feel in everyday life
The next step depends on you and the wider context.
What If I Feel Disconnected or Numb?
Trauma responses do not always look like panic
Some people describe feeling emotionally overwhelmed. Others describe the opposite: feeling distant, numb or disconnected. There is no single way that difficult experiences affect everyone.
You can bring whatever you are noticing into therapy without needing to decide beforehand what it means.
Trauma and Relationships
Complex trauma may affect how relationships feel
For some people, the effects of past experiences become especially noticeable in relationships. You may:
- Find trust difficult
- Worry about rejection
- Pull away when someone becomes close
- Find boundaries difficult
- Feel responsible for other people’s emotions
- Become highly alert to changes in another person’s behaviour
- Repeat patterns you do not fully understand
Therapy can give you space to explore those patterns without blaming you for having developed them.
What Is the First Session Like?
You do not begin with an interrogation
The first session usually focuses on understanding:
- What has brought you to therapy
- What is affecting you now
- What you would like help with
- Relevant background
- What feels manageable to discuss
- What currently helps
- Your goals
You can also ask questions. There is no expectation that you tell your whole story in one session.
Do We Start EMDR Straight Away?
Not necessarily
EMDR is one of the approaches I may use for trauma work. Starting therapy does not mean beginning trauma processing immediately. We first consider:
- Your current circumstances
- What you would like help with
- How you manage difficult emotions
- What support you have
- What feels manageable
- Whether EMDR appears appropriate
Preparation is part of therapy.
How Long Does Therapy Take?
There is no fixed number of sessions
PTSD and complex trauma do not create one standard therapy timeline. People come with different histories, circumstances, goals and needs. For that reason, I do not promise:
- A fixed number of sessions
- A particular result
- A guaranteed timeframe
- A success percentage
We can review the work together as it develops.
Fees
PTSD and complex trauma therapy fees
Trauma / EMDR Psychotherapy
£100 per session
Low-Income Therapy Place
£75 per session
Please ask when you enquire if you would like to know whether this may apply.
Not ready to speak with a therapist yet?
You may prefer to begin with something small. I have created a short Grounding Guide with practical ideas you can explore at your own pace. You do not need to book therapy to receive it. It is not therapy, a diagnosis or emergency support.
Where I Work
Trauma therapy in Buckinghamshire, Kent and online
I work with clients across Buckinghamshire and Kent, and online.
Buckinghamshire
Sessions around High Wycombe, Marlow, Bourne End, Stokenchurch, Lane End and Cressex.
Online
Confidential video sessions from the comfort of your own home.
Genovieve Feasey • BACP, EMDR, CNHC
About Genovieve
Trauma therapy with Genovieve Feasey
I am Genovieve Feasey. My work focuses particularly on trauma and EMDR therapy for adults. I have completed more than 2,000 clinical client hours and use an integrative approach according to the person and the work we are doing.
I am fully insured.
Common Questions
PTSD & complex trauma FAQs
If You Would Like to Talk
You do not need to work out the diagnosis before taking the next step.
You do not need to know whether the right words are PTSD, complex trauma or something else. You do not need to know which type of therapy you need. And you do not need to tell your whole story during the first conversation. We can begin with what is happening now.