Why Reset-21?….
At Reset-21 we are committed to the principle of evidence-based practice in our training and work with ACEs and complex trauma.
Evidence-based practice is a process in which practitioners combine well-researched interventions with clinical experience, ethics, client preferences, and culture to guide and inform the delivery of support and services. This is why all of our training is reinforced with our own lived experiences, along with evidenced empirical data, to validate training and taught principles, to ensure the integrity of our practice.
Thankfully, not all ACEs result in developmental trauma disorder or complex-PTSD (C-PTSD), but nonetheless these diagnostic categories are becoming increasingly common where multi-faceted support around ACEs are most needful.
Complex trauma, first described by Dr Judith Herman in 1988, is different from “regular trauma” in that it happens over a long period of time, can be repetitive, and is based in interpersonal relationships. Family dysfunction, abuse, or conflict can cause symptoms that look like PTSD, including anxiety, hypervigilance, problems sleeping and eating, re-experiencing negative events, and more. However, complex trauma also affects a client’s core sense of self, leading to self-doubt, self-criticism, dissociation, and other problems not always seen in “standard” PTSD.
And unfortunately, the evidence base for PTSD doesn’t transfer to complex trauma.
Medications, while they can often help, are less effective in the support of individuals who have experienced complex trauma. While medication may often be critical for stability and mood management in many mental illnesses, medication alone is unlikely to make a significant difference in managing the consequences of complex trauma.
The most effective approaches are known to be multi-faceted, ongoing, trauma-informed and trauma-focused. And commitment to that approach is the central work and ethos of Reset-21.