Knowledge Hub
Evidence-based answers, open to the field.
Short, clinically grounded explainers from TPA faculty. Written for working practitioners — not search engines.
Trauma Fundamentals
Working definitions and the shape of the field.
What is trauma?
A working definition for clinicians: trauma is the lasting impact of events that overwhelm a person's capacity to integrate experience.
Read articleWhat is complex trauma (C-PTSD)?
Complex trauma describes the cumulative impact of prolonged, repeated interpersonal harm — distinct from single-event PTSD.
Read articlePTSD vs. C-PTSD: key differences
Both are trauma-related, but origins, symptom profile, and treatment arc differ in clinically meaningful ways.
Read articleTrauma Neuroscience
Brain-based insights into traumatic stress.
Trauma and the nervous system: what the evidence actually shows
The autonomic story of trauma is more nuanced than fight-flight-freeze. Here is what has held up in the research.
Read articleHow traumatic memory is different — and why that matters clinically
Traumatic memories are encoded, stored, and retrieved differently from ordinary autobiographical memory.
Read articleTreatment Methods
Evidence-based approaches across modalities.
The evidence-based treatments for PTSD, in plain terms
CPT, PE, EMDR, and trauma-focused CBT: what each one actually does, and where the evidence is strongest.
Read articleSomatic approaches: what they add and where they overreach
Somatic Experiencing, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy, and body-based work — what the evidence supports and where the field runs ahead of it.
Read articleClinical Skills
Pacing, attunement, and intervention craft.
Working with the window of tolerance
The window of tolerance is a working concept, not a diagnosis. Used well, it reshapes how sessions run.
Read articleThe therapeutic alliance in trauma work
Alliance quality predicts outcomes across modalities. In trauma work, it is often the intervention.
Read articleAssessment Tools
Structured screening and diagnostic instruments.
Case Consultation
Complex case formulations and decisions.
Latest Research
Findings shaping contemporary practice.