October 2025 BOTM: The Complex PTSD Workbook by Arielle Schwartz

[Steve]

The October 2025 BOTM has been chosen. Note, we are allocating 2 months to every book chosen. We have 2 overlapping books going at any time. This was the only book nominated ... so it won. Note: You can all nominate books.

The Complex PTSD Workbook: A Mind-Body Approach to Regaining Emotional Control and Becoming Whole
by Arielle Schwartz (2017)


This is a workbook. It's about $9 US on Amazon (Kindle). You can go through a touch the screen on a phone/table, and type your words in as a note.

Publisher's Summary
A mind-body workbook for healing and overcoming Complex PTSD

Those affected by complex PTSD, or C-PTSD, commonly feel as though there is something fundamentally wrong with them―that somewhere inside there is a part of them that needs to be fixed. Facing one’s PTSD is a brave, courageous act―and with the right guidance, recovery is possible.

In The Complex PTSD Workbook, you’ll learn all about C-PTSD and gain valuable insight into the types of symptoms associated with unresolved childhood trauma. Take healing into your own hands while applying strategies to help integrate positive beliefs and behaviors.

Discover your path to recovery

Examples and exercises―Uncover your own instances of trauma with PTSD activities designed to teach you positive strategies.Expert guidance―Explore common PTSD diagnoses and common methods of PTSD therapy including somatic therapy, CBT, and mind-body perspectives.Prompts and reflections―Apply the strategies you’ve learned and identify PTSD symptoms with insightful writing prompts.

Find the tools you need to work through C-PTSD and regain emotional control with this mind-body workbook.

[Steve]

Got the workbook. $9 on Amazon kindle. Read the introduction.

[CatherineAda]

I ordered the paper version which will arrive tomorrow.

[CatherineAda]

Complex PTSD is "a learned stress disorder" according to the author. I like that simplified shorthand. I appreciate that she focuses on the reader developing a "compassionate understanding" of the symptoms, even though in my own experience, self-compassion was very, very difficult for me until about 10 years in. My own self-blame, shame, buried anger, etc took a long time to work through before I felt any self-compassion.