Complex PTSD Relationship Tool Kit
Understanding why certain patterns happen is one thing. Knowing what to do in the moment can be much harder.
Loving someone with complex PTSD can be confusing. Supporting them shouldn't mean losing yourself.
Complex PTSD can create relationship patterns that are confusing and painful for both people. You may be trying to understand why your partner shuts down, becomes activated, or pulls away. Or you may be the person with CPTSD struggling to explain what's happening inside you and what you need from the person you love.
I'm developing a practical relationship toolkit designed to help both partners understand what's happening, communicate more effectively, navigate difficult moments, and stay connected without either person losing themselves.
Practical tools for both sides of the relationship
The toolkit is being designed to help you:
Understanding triggers, shutdowns, and protective responses—and what may be happening underneath them
Recognizing what happens for both partners when one person becomes activated or overwhelmed
Finding ways to communicate needs, feelings, and boundaries without escalating an already stressed nervous system
Helping the person with CPTSD put words to experiences that can be difficult to explain—and helping their partner understand them
Learning how to offer support without over-functioning, rescuing, or losing yourself in the process
Setting healthy boundaries while maintaining connection and care
Navigating conflict, disconnection, and the process of repair
Identifying what helps each person feel safer and more connected in the relationship
Making space for both partners' emotional needs, rather than allowing CPTSD to become the center of the relationship
Want to know when the tool kit is available? Join the early access list!
Nikki DeVault, LPC
As a licensed professional counselor based in West Chester, Pennsylvania, I work with adults navigating the lasting effects of complex trauma, including emotional overwhelm, relationship struggles, self-criticism, and nervous system dysregulation. I care deeply about helping people feel steady, understood, and less alone in what they are carrying.
My work is grounded in attachment focused and trauma informed approaches, including EMDR and parts based therapy. This guide grew out of the same intention I bring to the therapy room, creating space for clarity, steadiness, and compassionate understanding.
The Therapist Behind the Tool Kit
Looking for Trauma Therapy Support?
I see adults in person in West Chester, Pennsylvania and virtually throughout the state of Pennsylvania.