The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook: An Evidence-Based Approach to Manage Fear and Anger, Build Confidence, and Reclaim Your Identity

by Tamara McClintock Greenberg PsyD

Reclaim your life from C-PTSD with this powerful and compassionate workbook.

If you’ve experienced long-term or repeated trauma—such as childhood abuse or neglect, domestic violence, betrayal, or prolonged emotional abuse—you may struggle with intense feelings of sadness, anger, anxiety, shame, and distrust toward others. You should know that you aren’t alone, your pain is real, and there are ways to improve your mental health and begin to heal. This compassionate and evidence-based workbook can help you get started.

This workbook offers an integrative approach for coping with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (C-PTSD) using cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT), dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), mindfulness, mentalization, and relational therapy. You’ll learn the most effective strategies to manage symptoms, overcome painful memories, and build self-confidence. Most importantly, you’ll find validation that your feelings aren’t “crazy” or “outsized,” and discover the skills needed to help you reclaim your life.

This empowering workbook will help

Identify and understand the root cause of your C-PTSDOvercome fear, hypervigilance, and avoidanceBalance emotions before they interfere with daily lifeSeek out and maintain relationships based in equality and respect

Genres: Psychology, Self Help, Mental Health, Nonfiction

210 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 1, 2022

Reviews

[naz]

Maybe I have read one too many of these books.. or maybe this book needed a better editor. I found it to be too messy and all over the place. DNF.

[cr1m3s · Rating 5 out of 5]

Може бути гарним стартом в розумінні себе і травми.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a psychotherapist, I love Dr. McClintock Greenberg's easily understandable descriptions of PTSD and CPTSD, and how they can affect one's view of themselves and the world. Throughout the workbook, I felt like she was sitting in a room with me, and talking/sharing in a caring way. The workbook both validates one's journey with CPTSD, while offering specific cognitive and behavioral interventions to manage strong emotions and problematic behaviors. I also appreciated the chapter on "finding a therapist" by helping clients to determine their preferences-invaluable.

Although there are exercises in the workbook that bring awareness of the body, the use of somatic therapies was never mentioned. Although they are not "evidence-based," the neuroscience research supports evidence that trauma is held in the body, and many leaders in the field support the use of both somatic resources and somatic trauma processing as essential for healing.

[Vlada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Хороша та важлива книга. Авторка має дуже лагідний підхід, проте водночас і не дає себе жаліти. Вона вчить керувати власним страхом і гнівом, який отруює нас зсередини. Показує, як можна відновити свою ідентичність, яку частково забрала травма, а також змцінює віру в себе.

[Tasia · Rating 3 out of 5]

переклад на українську трохи всратий

[Tori Branch · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Complex PTSD Coping Skills Workbook is a must have for individuals experiencing C-PTSD as well as the mental health professionals who work with them. Dr. McClintock Greenberg has masterfully broken down this complicated topic into manageable segments. The book starts with an easily digestible explanation of the differences between C-PTSD and PTSD, then moves through segments of individual experiences of symptoms and emotions that commonly occur within the disorder. There are helpful clinical vignettes as well thoughts about underlying reasons some people develop C-PTSD. The workbook is rounded out with thoughts about working through C-PTSD, whether on one's on or in the care of a therapist. Finally, Dr. McClintock Greenberg lays out ideas around pitfalls in working with this disorder and ways to either avoid them or work with/through them. The workbook's inclusion of everyday language, and refreshing absence of industry jargon, makes it an incredible tool for both clinicians and para-professionals or lay people. I found the chapter on finding the right therapist one of the most useful guides I've seen. I will be recommending this to patients in my own practice who have endured C-PTSD as well as students and colleagues. This workbook is just the non-complex antidote the mental health field is needing for working with such a complex and insidious disorder. Hats off to Dr. McClintock Greenberg for using clarity and simplicity as her guides!

[Jon Mills · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a self-help book designed to make complex and complicated PTSD available to the public. Dr Tamara Greenberg is arguably one of the world’s leading clinicians on treating trauma. In this accessible workbook, she offers astute education, clarity, and practical strategies on how to cope with difficult emotions, disruptions in identity, and manage overdetermined symptoms and their sequalae in straightforward language through helpful attunement to the suffering trauma victims live with on a daily basis.

--Prof. Jon Mills, Department of Psychosocial & Psychoanalytic Studies, University of Essex, UK; author of Treating Attachment Pathology

[Analie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot say enough good things about this workbook. Tamara McClintock Greenberg first explains what makes complex trauma different than classic PTSD, validating that it has been minimized and not well understood. Her short, easy-to-understand chapters cover the aspects of trauma that are often most difficult, such as fear, anger, dissociation, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse. She also has a wonderful soothing voice as a writer and way of normalizing these experiences. I found her worksheets for going deeper and processing the material thoughtful, but I don't think they'd be necessary for those who don't like homework.

[Faina Novosolov · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a physician and therapist myself, I'm always on the lookout for useful self-help books that can give patients (and myself) those "a-ha" moments. This book is wonderful for both a better understanding of trauma, and also provides concrete tools for patients and therapists on what to do about it. The exercises are extremely helpful, and the backstory about how/ why these symptoms come about gives so much more understanding. Also, her writing style is so great. You feel like you're having a conversation with someone, which makes it more personal vs. lots of jargon. Highly recommend!!!

[Sareena · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is much more than a workbook. It's a soothing voice, reminding you that you are more than the painful experiences you've endured. By understanding how trauma hijacks our minds, the book helps outline a path back towards a life of meaning. Dr. McClintock Greenberg makes complex ideas feel easy to read and accessible to whatever level you feel ready to take on healing. I'm grateful to have read it.

[Hanne Mancil · Rating 4 out of 5]

It took me so long to finish this workbook, but I’m really glad I did because it was so helpful understanding my CPTSD. I really learned a lot about skills and things to bring up to my therapist. I’m excited to try these skills out.

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Five stars for the digestible amount of content and beneficial foundation for navigating complex ptsd. The included download, containing more information and the worksheets, is much appreciated since I borrowed this book from the library!

[Alicia Erben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I could see this book being useful to use but several chapters were not applicable to me.

[Meghan Gruber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend if you struggle understanding and coping with CPTSD. Most helpful book I’ve read on the subject.

[Old Time Tales · Rating 5 out of 5]

A helpful guide.

This is a helpful tool to provide a better understanding of a complex problem. Many useful self-surveys and situations. Recommended.

[Megan Crawford · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super helpful first half, second half was very repetitive

[Denise Walk · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy to use worksheets that have helped us on our journey of recovery.

[Muriel (The Purple Bookwyrm) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found some of the stuff useful, some other things aren't so relevant and/or applicable for neurodivergent folks like myself. The section on dissociation was also pretty disappointing.

[Glenn Kelley · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has an amazing ability to assist the reader, one with CPTSD to understand the roots of the trauma they have experienced as well as find practical ways to learn their triggers and move on in life so they do more than just survive.... They can have hope to thrive.

[Katy Patrick Carlson · Rating 5 out of 5]

A valuable resource to help get you out of emergency mode and help to establish safety both in yourself and externally through resources such as therapy etc. I found this book and it’s exercises to be a very useful tool over the last few months while addressing my own cptsd and related symptoms. I especially liked the journaling aspect and will return to this book many times for the useful exercises and thought work I’m sure.