I’m left with an equal number of questions, albeit different ones of how the information I present below will influence the ways in which I interact with my clients, make treatment plans and, hopefully accompany them into healthier ways of being.Īs of this date, the DSM-5 1 (the diagnostic manual for mental disorders used in the USA, and throughout much of the world) does not recognize CPTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder) as a formal diagnosis. The question for me now as a clinician and an EMDR Consultant is the ‘so what?’ of this new understanding. Research into the different definitions of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) has brought fresh understanding of these terms and how they have been defined. Getting one’s head round complex subject matter and different perspectives has a satisfaction all of its own. Twenty years ago I did a PhD as a mature student and learned to embrace, and even enjoy the confusion of not knowing. That layer of complexity however, has caused me to ask many questions of both my internal and my external supervisors and it’s sent me back to the literature to find out more. It makes working with these clients challenging and often, very rewarding. I have often grappled with the complexity of the stories told, the multiple layers of trauma, the difficult symptoms in the here and now. Working with trauma has brought some very complex cases to my therapy room. And does it make a difference in terms of treatment, and should we be worried if we come across CPTSD in our clients? “It's not the person refusing to let go of the past, but the past refusing to let go of the person.” Dr Marilyn Tew, one of EMDR Gateway’s founder members, explains the difference between these two diagnoses and clears away much of the confusion around it.