Treating Complex Disorders

How Therapy, EMDR, Meditation & Hypnotherapy Can Help

When life feels overwhelming and tangled, it can be hard to know where to start. For many people living with complex disorders—whether that's long-term anxiety, trauma-related symptoms, dissociative issues, or emotional dysregulation, healing isn’t always straightforward. These are not “quick-fix” conditions, and they often involve layers of pain, patterns, and protective mechanisms built up over time.

The good news? Healing is possible 💛And the path doesn’t have to look like one-size-fits-all therapy. At Live Life Happy Therapy, I integrate a variety of approaches including psychotherapy, EMDR, hypnotherapy, and mindfulness-based practices to support each client’s unique journey.

🔍 What Do We Mean by “Complex Disorders”?

The term “complex” doesn’t mean something is untreatable—it simply recognises that the symptoms someone is experiencing likely stem from a mix of early life experiences, unresolved trauma, attachment patterns, or long-term stress. This can include:

• 🌪 Complex PTSD (C-PTSD)

• 🌫 Dissociative symptoms

• 😔 Chronic anxiety or depression

• 🧩 Personality disorders

• 💔 Relationship difficulties rooted in early attachment wounds

These challenges often affect multiple areas of a person’s life, including emotional regulation, self-esteem, relationships, and even the ability to feel safe in their body or mind 🧍‍♀️🧍‍♂️.

🌿 A Gentle, Layered Approach to Healing

Because complex disorders are just that - complex, I believe in using a multi-layered, compassionate approach that honours your pace.

Here’s how different therapies can work together:

🛋 Psychotherapy: Building Insight and Safety

Long-term psychotherapy offers the space to explore how your past might still be shaping your present. It helps you build awareness, process emotions, and develop healthier coping strategies. It’s not about rushing into “fixing”-it’s about being seen, heard, and supported as you find your way 🧏‍♀️🧏.

👁 EMDR: Unlocking and Reprocessing Trauma

EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) is especially helpful for trauma-related disorders. Whether you’ve experienced single-event trauma or ongoing relational wounding, EMDR can help process memories that remain stuck in the nervous system 🧠💥.

By working with both mind and body, EMDR allows the brain to heal in a more adaptive way, reducing the emotional charge around past events. When used in an attachment-informed way, EMDR can also address unmet needs and stuck relational patterns, supporting deeper healing in a safe and contained way 🧸.

🌀 Hypnotherapy: Working with the Subconscious

It’s a gentle yet powerful tool for shifting patterns, building inner resources, and fostering a sense of calm and control. Used alongside psychotherapy or EMDR, hypnotherapy can help reinforce positive changes and open up new ways of being.

🧘‍♂️ Mindfulness and Meditation: Regulating the Nervous System

Complex disorders can make it hard to feel safe in your own body or present in the moment. Mindfulness-based approaches teach you how to tune in, without judgment, to what you’re feeling, noticing, or needing.

Over time, meditation and breathwork can help soothe an overactive nervous system 🫁, reduce dissociation, and create a stronger connection to yourself.

These practices are especially supportive between sessions, offering real-time tools to manage daily stress, triggers, or emotional overwhelm ⏳✨.

💬 A Personalised, Human Approach

No two people are the same, and that’s especially true when it comes to complex healing. My work is about meeting you where you are and integrating the methods that feel right for you 💖. Sometimes that means spending time building trust. It’s about resourcing before we process trauma. And sometimes it’s about weaving together different approaches so that your healing feels holistic, sustainable, and empowering.

If you're living with the weight of long-term emotional pain or trauma, you don't have to face it alone. Whether you're curious about EMDR, want to explore mindfulness or hypnotherapy, or just need a safe space to start, you're welcome here 🌼.