CPTSD: Making Sense of It22 Sep 2025

Explore Mindfulness Techniques That Actually Work for Trauma

In this episode, we explore mindfulness techniques that are genuinely safe and effective for those with complex trauma. Traditional meditation can sometimes backfire for CPTSD survivors, but specific approaches like orienting, pendulation, and loving-kindness adapted for trauma actually work to calm the nervous system without triggering dissociation. Learn how to practice mindfulness in a way that honors your hypervigilance and builds a new sense of safety in your body.

What You'll Learn:
• How to identify which mindfulness practices are trauma-sensitive
• A simple grounding technique to use when triggered
• Why traditional 'stay with the breath' can worsen flashbacks
• How to use external focus to regulate your nervous system
• The role of loving-kindness meditation in healing shame

Key Insights:
• Trauma survivors often need to modify mindfulness to avoid retraumatization
• Orienting to the environment is a powerful first step in mindfulness
• Pendulation between safety and activation builds resilience
• Mindfulness can be practiced with eyes open and moving
• Self-compassion is a prerequisite, not a luxury, for trauma work

Recommended Resources:
• 'The Body Keeps the Score' by Bessel van der Kolk
• 'Trauma-Sensitive Mindfulness' by David Treleaven
• 'Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving' by Pete Walker

📩 Have questions or want to share your experience? Reach out at cptsd@senseofthisshit.com.
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