RDU Counseling for Change

RDU Counseling for Change RDU Counseling for Change is a private practice group of psychotherapists in Raleigh whose mission is to provide compassionate care to all of our clients.

PTSD and CPTSD share some similarities, but they're not the same, and understanding that difference can change the entir...
12/26/2025

PTSD and CPTSD share some similarities, but they're not the same, and understanding that difference can change the entire direction of treatment. Here are a few distinctions:

- Type of trauma: PTSD often stems from a single event; CPTSD develops from long-term or repeated trauma.
- Impact on identity: CPTSD commonly affects self-worth, shame, and emotional regulation.
- Relationship patterns: CPTSD often involves difficulty trusting, feeling safe with others, or maintaining stable relationships.
- Nervous system patterns: CPTSD can create chronic hypervigilance or shutdown states that linger for years.
- Therapeutic approach: CPTSD often benefits from slower, relational, attachment-informed work, not just trauma processing.

If your experiences never quite fit the "traditional PTSD" box, this comparison may bring clarity.

"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥...
12/25/2025

"𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘳𝘯, 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘶𝘴 𝘢 𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘨𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘯, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘴. 𝘈𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘞𝘰𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘳, 𝘔𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘺 𝘎𝘰𝘥, 𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘭𝘢𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘍𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘗𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘗𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦."
Isaiah 9:6

We at RDU Counseling for Change wish you a Merry Christmas!

Not every nervous system responds to the same protocol, especially when trauma, chronic stress, or resistant symptoms ar...
12/24/2025

Not every nervous system responds to the same protocol, especially when trauma, chronic stress, or resistant symptoms are part of the picture. That's where a more sophisticated approach becomes essential.

Our team brings together psychotherapy, somatic work, psychiatry, and innovative treatments to create individualized plans for clients who haven't found relief elsewhere.

This isn't "try harder" care. It's precision, integration, and neurobiologically informed treatment designed for clients whose symptoms run deep.

If you've been hoping for something more comprehensive, more modern, and more aligned with current brain science, this is what we do every day. Schedule your consultation and let's find the approach your system has been needing.

One of the fastest ways to reduce overwhelm, especially for people with treatment-resistant or trauma-related symptoms, ...
12/22/2025

One of the fastest ways to reduce overwhelm, especially for people with treatment-resistant or trauma-related symptoms, is to focus on transitions, not tasks.

Most dysregulation happens between activities: waking up, leaving the house, shifting from work mode to home mode, or ending a social interaction. These moments activate the nervous system more than the activities themselves.

Try adding a 30-60 second pause between transitions: sit, breathe, feel your feet, or orient to the room before you move on. This tiny interruption gives your system time to catch up, which reduces spiraling, shutdown, and emotional overload throughout the day.

It's small, but clinically powerful.

Long-term stress can shift the brain into patterns that affect focus, mood, memory, and emotional responsiveness. These ...
12/19/2025

Long-term stress can shift the brain into patterns that affect focus, mood, memory, and emotional responsiveness. These changes are adaptive in the short term, but exhausting in the long term. Clients often describe it as "I know I'm safe, but my body doesn't believe me."

One clinical principle that helps is focusing on predictability before intensity. A consistent routine, structured environment, and clear expectations signal to the nervous system that it no longer needs to scan for threat. This stability builds the groundwork for deeper therapeutic work, cognitive, somatic, or otherwise, to land more effectively.

If you feel stuck, start by reducing unpredictability, not increasing coping strategies.

When trauma or depression has been part of your life for years, your system adapts in ways that can make healing feel sl...
12/15/2025

When trauma or depression has been part of your life for years, your system adapts in ways that can make healing feel slow or impossible. But newer neuroscience and emerging therapies are changing what's possible for clients who used to feel out of options.

We specialize in supporting individuals with:
- long-term trauma histories
- chronic anxiety that hasn't improved with standard care
- dissociative symptoms
- treatment-resistant depression
- emotional patterns that feel "stuck"

Our clinicians are trained in advanced, evidence-informed treatments designed to help the brain create new pathways and open space for change.

If you're ready for care that understands the depth of your experience, and meets it with expertise, we're here. Book a session with one of our clinicians and take the first step toward an approach built for complex symptoms.

Happy Hanukkah! Wishing you light, warmth, and wellness.
12/14/2025

Happy Hanukkah! Wishing you light, warmth, and wellness.

At RDU Counseling for Change, healing isn't just about medication or therapy, it's about connection, regulation, and sci...
12/13/2025

At RDU Counseling for Change, healing isn't just about medication or therapy, it's about connection, regulation, and science-backed innovation.

We help patients and their loved ones understand how the brain and body can relearn calm, safety, and resilience.

If someone you care about is struggling with anxiety, PTSD, or TRD, specialized innovative care can make all the difference.

When someone you care about struggles with chronic anxiety, your support matters more than you may realize.Here's how to...
12/12/2025

When someone you care about struggles with chronic anxiety, your support matters more than you may realize.

Here's how to help effectively:

- Listen without fixing. Validation helps the nervous system feel safe.
- Encourage professional support. Remind them that healing is possible with the right care.
- Model calm. Your tone and energy can help regulate theirs.
- Be patient. Chronic anxiety took time to develop and it takes time to unwind.

Compassion and calm are two of the most powerful tools in recovery.

Disconnection, numbing, or feeling "far away" can show up during stress, trauma triggers, or periods of burnout. One pra...
12/12/2025

Disconnection, numbing, or feeling "far away" can show up during stress, trauma triggers, or periods of burnout. One practical approach we often use is dual awareness: holding both the present moment and the internal experience at the same time.

Here's how you can practice it:

Name one internal experience: "I feel distant," "I feel flat," or "I feel checked out."
Pair it with a sensory anchor: something you can see, touch, hear, or smell right now.
Gently go back and forth between the two. This helps you stay connected without getting overwhelmed by the internal state.

Dual awareness is about slowly rebuilding the connection between your body and the here-and-now.

You've read the books, practiced gratitude, pushed yourself to think differently... and yet, that heavy, quiet sadness i...
12/12/2025

You've read the books, practiced gratitude, pushed yourself to think differently... and yet, that heavy, quiet sadness is still there. It's easy to start wondering if you're doing something wrong.

When depression runs deep, positive thinking alone can't reach it. And when the brain's reward pathways slow down, even good moments can feel muted. Motivation fades, joy feels distant, and life starts to feel like you're moving through fog.

If you've done the work, therapy, medication, mindfulness, lifestyle changes, and you're still not feeling better, it's not your fault. It means your brain might need a different kind of support. We help patients whose depression has become treatment-resistant, meaning traditional options haven't worked as expected. Using advanced, evidence-based therapies, we focus on restoring the brain's ability to adapt, reconnect, and feel again.

Numbness isn't always the absence of emotion. Sometimes the nervous system is shifting toward a protective state when ac...
12/11/2025

Numbness isn't always the absence of emotion. Sometimes the nervous system is shifting toward a protective state when activation feels overwhelming or unsustainable. This shutdown response can look like detachment, fatigue, low motivation, or difficulty accessing feelings.

One evidence-informed way to work with this state is through gentle activation rather than pressure. Slow pacing, sensory input, or grounding in the present moment can help the system come back online without pushing it into panic or overwhelm.

When numbness is understood as a physiological pattern, not a personality trait, it becomes far easier to work with, rather than fight against.

Address

4030 Wake Forest Road, Suite 206
Raleigh, NC
27609

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 8am - 5pm
Wednesday 8am - 5pm
Thursday 10am - 6pm
Friday 8am - 2pm

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