#58: The Slow, Invisible Work Of Healing Complex PTSD with Dr. Arielle Schwartz

What if the person you were supposed to trust the most was actually the source of the threat? And why does healing from trauma take years when the damage happened in seconds?

In Episode 58 of the Mindform Podcast, Frank sits down with Dr. Arielle Schwartz — licensed clinical psychologist, longtime yoga teacher, and author of eight books including The Complex PTSD Workbook and The Polyvagal Theory Workbook for Trauma. Arielle makes the case that trauma isn't just a mental wound — it's stored in the nervous system, and healing means slowly teaching the body a new, disconfirming reality of safety.

In this conversation:

• What actually separates complex PTSD from single-incident trauma
• Why the vagus nerve — not just "calming down" — is the real key to nervous system health
• The danger of jumping straight into painful memories before building safety first
• How to "catch yourself being good" and interrupt the mind's threat bias
• Why healing isn't linear — and how the changing seasons explain slow progress
• What to say to your own inner child when no one else did

Dr. Schwartz's books and free resources: https://drarielleschwartz.com

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