Complex PTSD therapy in Colorado Springs
Complex PTSD comes from trauma that repeated or went on for years, often in childhood or inside a relationship you couldn't easily leave. It affects more than memory. It shapes how you see yourself and how much you let other people in.
I'm Sarah Post Massey, a licensed marriage and family therapist in Colorado Springs. I treat complex trauma with EMDR and Internal Family Systems, paced so the work doesn't overwhelm you.
How complex PTSD differs from PTSD
PTSD is usually tied to a specific event. Complex PTSD, which the World Health Organization recognizes in its ICD-11 diagnostic manual, includes those symptoms plus lasting changes in how you relate to yourself and to other people.
People with complex trauma often look fine from the outside. Inside, it shows up as relentless self-criticism and a nervous system that never fully stands down.
If your symptoms trace back to one event, my page on PTSD therapy is a better place to start.
Request a free consultation
Send me a note and I’ll reach out to set up a time to talk.
This form does not start a therapy relationship. If you are in crisis, call or text 988.
Why the pace is different
With complex trauma, preparation matters more. Before we process specific memories, we build the skills to come back down when something stirs you up. We also get to know the parts of you that have worked hard to keep you safe.
I offer this weekly or as an EMDR intensive, two 90-minute sessions a week for four weeks. Complex trauma sometimes needs more than one block, and we decide that together based on your scores.
How you'll know it's working
You complete a trauma assessment before we start, again partway through, and again at the end.
You see every score. When the numbers stall, we adjust the protocol.
Is this the right fit?
This tends to fit if your trauma was ongoing rather than one event, and if talk therapy helped you understand your history without changing how you feel.
If a controlling relationship is part of the story, my work in emotional abuse recovery overlaps closely.
Questions about complex PTSD
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Yes. The World Health Organization added complex PTSD to the ICD-11. The DSM-5-TR used in the United States doesn't list it separately, so you'll see it described differently depending on the source.
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No. EMDR doesn't require you to narrate trauma in detail, and we work with target memories that represent a larger pattern instead of every single one.
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Usually longer than single-incident PTSD. I won't guess a number before your baseline. We reassess around the four to six week mark and plan from there.
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No. PostScript is a private pay practice. Individual sessions are $150, and you'll receive a Good Faith Estimate of costs before your first session.