I am currently in the process of writing this paper.
Abstract
This paper follows from my previous article “What is Complex Trauma?” which outlined a theory of complex trauma as a chronic condition in which the biological fear system is unable to deactivate. This current paper examines the sense of safety which is the key requirement for the fear system to deactivate after threat. This need for safety has significant implications for the way we respond to people who suffer trauma in the immediate aftermath of the event and in later therapeutic work. It also challenges a key therapeutic assumption as to the desirability of emotional catharsis.