Shenae Whitehead: Approaches To Treating Complex Trauma In Adults

Shenae Whitehead brings extensive experience in clinical psychology and trauma-informed care to the topic of treating complex trauma in adults. As the founder and clinical director of Heart to Heart Counseling and Wellness Center, she provides psychological services that include diagnostic assessments, evidence based therapies, and support for individuals across the lifespan. Her background spans trauma focused modalities such as EMDR, CPT, TF CBT, DBT, and attachment oriented approaches, along with broad expertise in psychological testing and community based mental health programs. Drawing from her work with youth, adults, military related evaluations, and long term therapeutic support, Shenae Whitehead offers insight into the multifaceted nature of trauma treatment and the importance of structured, individualized care.

Treating Complex Trauma in Adults

Complex trauma or complex PTSD or C-PTSD stems from prolonged or repeated exposure to traumatic events like childhood neglect, chronic instability, repeated stressful experiences, or interpersonal violence as opposed to a single incident. For adults, when complex trauma goes untreated, it can result in long-lasting effects like inability to regulate emotions, unstable relationships, dissociation, impaired self-worth, depression, and anxiety. Healing from complex trauma helps to reclaim a sense of safety, well-being, and identity. Treatment usually requires a multi-faceted, structured, and trauma-informed approach that is tailored to every individual’s unique history and needs.

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy or cognitive processing therapy (CPT) is one of the most widely adopted means of treating trauma. Clinical reviews and guidelines usually identify CPT as one of the most effective PTSD and trauma therapies. CPT helps individuals to identify and re-examine possible maladaptive beliefs that formed due to their traumatic experiences. This might include negative thoughts about trust, worth, intimacy, control, or safety. By challenging these experiences, survivors can gradually reduce the emotional charge that is associated with trauma memories.

Trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy, which was originally formalized for young adults, is also now being used to treat adults with complex trauma. This treatment combines psychoeducation and emotional regulation skills, cognitive restructuring, with gradual exposure to trauma-related memories or triggers under controlled conditions. For instance, if an individual gets excessively frightened at the sight of fire, trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy might expose them to fire in a controlled environment so they can unlearn the fear.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) is a treatment mechanism that helps people process distressing memories by pairing memory recall with bilateral sensory stimulation, such as taps, tones, or guided eye movements. This process also helps the brain to re-store traumatic memories in a far less emotionally charged way, intrusive thoughts, and physiological reactions.

Further, Narrative Exposure Therapy helps individuals rebuild a clear and meaningful life story by placing painful memories within the broader context of their life, including positive experiences. This process allows people to reduce emotional fragmentation, strengthen self-worth, and develop a more integrated sense of self. Over time, this approach can ease emotional distress and improve overall psychological well-being.

Complex trauma affects not only the mind but also the body. Somatic and body-based therapies focus on helping individuals reconnect with physical sensations, release stored tension, and retrain the nervous system to respond more safely. These approaches are especially helpful for adults who experience dissociation, chronic stress, unexplained physical pain, or heightened alertness. For many people, somatic therapies provide relief when traditional talk therapy alone does not fully address their symptoms.

Before or alongside trauma-processing treatments, many survivors benefit from skills-based therapies that promote emotional regulation and stability. Dialectical Behavior Therapy teaches mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotional regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness. These skills help individuals better manage emotional overwhelm, trauma triggers, and relationship stress. For complex trauma, this type of foundational work often strengthens a person’s ability to engage safely in deeper trauma therapy.

Treating complex trauma also presents challenges. Many individuals struggle with fear and avoidance because revisiting painful memories can feel overwhelming, which makes a focus on safety and stabilization essential early in treatment. Access to properly trained trauma specialists can also be limited. In addition, relying on only one treatment method may not address all aspects of complex trauma. Healing typically requires a blended, personalized approach and long-term commitment that includes therapy, self-care, supportive relationships, and ongoing emotional integration.

About Shenae Whitehead

Shenae Whitehead is a licensed psychologist and clinical director of Heart to Heart Counseling and Wellness Center, where she provides assessments, therapy, and trauma focused services for children, adolescents, and adults. Her experience includes EMDR, CPT, TF CBT, DBT, and attachment based therapies, along with evaluations for ADHD, autism, learning needs, and military related screenings. She also leads The Stacy Jones Foundation, which supports foster youth, low income families, and young women pursuing education.