Healing from Complex Trauma in Layers: Becoming a CCTP-II
By: Eliza Hartley, LICSW
What Is Complex Trauma?
When we think of trauma, we often picture a single event—like a car accident or natural disaster. Complex trauma is different, and can feel like feeling misunderstood, overwhelmed, or unsure how to explain what they’re going through. It usually stems from repeated or long-term experiences like emotional neglect, family instability, chronic stress, or identity-based harm. These experiences, especially when they happen during childhood or adolescence, can shape how we see ourselves, how we connect with others, and how safe we feel in the world. Maybe you can relate to these experiences and how they impact you on a broader level. You are not alone.
Teens and young adults who have experienced complex trauma may struggle with anxiety, low self-worth, emotional overwhelm, relationship difficulties, or feeling disconnected from their bodies or emotions. These aren’t signs of weakness—they’re responses to systems and experiences that were too much, too soon, or too often. And healing isn’t about “fixing” someone—it’s about helping them feel safe, understood, and whole again.
What Is the CCTP-II Certification?
I recently earned my certification as a Certified Clinical Trauma Professional, Level II (CCTP-II). This advanced training deepens my ability to support teens and young adults—and the parents who care about them—as they navigate the lasting effects of complex trauma.
This training emphasized approaches that support people who have tried therapy before and still feel stuck, overwhelmed, or fragmented. We learned how to work not just with the mind, but also with the nervous system and body—where trauma often continues to live long after the events have ended.
Two key approaches we focused on:
Internal Family Systems (IFS): This model helps people better understand their internal world by relating to their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors as “parts” that each serve a purpose—even the ones that feel self-critical, shut down, or reactive. IFS helps teens and young adults build self-compassion, reduce shame, and begin healing from the inside out.
Sensorimotor Psychotherapy: A body-based approach that helps clients notice and gently work with sensations, posture, and movement patterns that reflect their trauma history. This is especially helpful when it’s hard to find the words to explain what’s wrong or when talking alone isn’t enough.
These tools allow us to meet each person where they are—whether they’re ready to dive in or just starting to build trust.
Why This Matters for Young People and Their Parents
At Grander Peace Counseling, I specialize in working with teens, young adults, and families who are navigating difficult transitions, emotional challenges, or long-standing trauma. Many of the young people I work with come to therapy having tried it before and felt it didn’t go deep enough—or didn’t really get them.
As a CCTP-II, I have more precise, compassionate tools to support the healing process. I work with clients to help them understand their internal experiences—not just what they think or feel, but why those experiences make so much sense given what they’ve been through. We build skills for regulation and resilience while working gently with the parts of them that may still feel stuck in the past.
For parents, I know how hard it can be to watch your child struggle, especially when you’re not sure how to help. I view healing as a collaborative process, and I value open, respectful communication with caregivers when appropriate. Supporting teens and young adults includes holding space for the systems around them—family, identity, community, school—that shape their experiences.
Looking Ahead
I’m honored to walk alongside young people and families as they explore what healing can look like. I am committed to providing trauma-informed, identity-affirming, and developmentally attuned care.
If you or someone you love is navigating the impacts of complex trauma, please know that support is available—and that healing is possible, even if it doesn’t always feel that way. Whether you’re a teen trying to understand your own patterns, a young adult working to feel more whole, or a parent searching for the right fit for your child, I’d be honored to connect.
You don’t have to do this alone.