Tana von Isser, LMSW, CHT, Lead Primary Therapist

Trauma is not just an event—it’s an experience that shapes the way we see the world, interact with others, and understand ourselves. Complex trauma extends beyond a single traumatic event. It results from repeated, prolonged exposure to distressing experiences, often beginning in childhood. At Sabino Recovery, Tana J. von Isser, LMSW, CHT and Lead Primary Therapist, approaches healing through a multidimensional framework, addressing not just the mind, but the body and spirit as well.

Understanding Complex Trauma

Unlike acute trauma, which stems from a single incident, complex trauma develops over time. It can arise from:

• Neglect or emotional unavailability from caregivers
• Repeated exposure to unsafe or unstable environments
• Chronic invalidation or unmet emotional needs
• Long-term experiences of abuse or relational trauma

“Complex trauma isn’t just about what happened to someone—it’s also about what didn’t happen,” explains von Isser. “The absence of safety, connection, or emotional attunement can lead to a persistent state of survival mode, where individuals struggle with emotional regulation, self-worth, and interpersonal relationships.”

For many trauma survivors, their nervous system becomes conditioned to stay in fight, flight, freeze, or fawn mode—making it difficult to feel truly safe, even when danger has passed.

Breaking Codependent Patterns

One of the most common behaviors that emerge from complex trauma is codependency—a pattern of prioritizing others at the expense of oneself. This often results from early experiences where a child learned that their own needs weren’t as important as the needs of those around them.

“Many trauma survivors have been conditioned to believe, ‘you matter, I don’t.’ Or, ‘you matter more than me.’ That’s the core of codependency,” von Isser explains. “Our work at Sabino is about helping them shift to an understanding of ‘we both matter’ and learning healthy interdependency.”

Sabino Recovery helps clients recognize and break these patterns by guiding them toward an empowering dynamic with self and others, making relationships more harmonious and sustainable. Through therapy, clients explore the motivations underlying their behaviors, learning to set boundaries and honor their own needs without guilt or fear.

Reclaiming Identity Beyond Trauma

Many trauma survivors struggle with a loss of self. Years of adapting to survive can lead to an identity built around pleasing others, avoiding conflict, or staying small to remain safe. At Sabino Recovery, identity reinvention is a crucial part of healing.

“Healing means rediscovering your own voice, learning to interpret emotions as information, and creating an identity based on choice rather than conditioning,” says von Isser.

Clients engage in a variety of therapeutic approaches to reconnect with their true selves:

• Somatic work to tune into their body’s signals and emotions
• Nature-based and adventure therapies to foster reconnection with the external world
• Creative and experiential therapies to explore self-expression and personal meaning
• Parts-work and cognitive reframing to shift perspectives and recognize self-worth

By understanding survival responses, clients can separate who they truly are from who they were conditioned to be. Moving from biological sources of identity to more soul-oriented self-actualization. This shift allows them to step into a more empowered, self-directed life.

“Healing is about working with the way your nervous system functions, so it may truly serve your highest potential rather than staying stuck in primal stress responses,” von Isser explains.

This affirming and adaptive approach allows clients to embrace their unique ways of experiencing the world, replacing “what’s wrong with me?” to a compassionate lens of “what’s bringing this up in me?” This ultimately helps retrain us to see the critical mind as a cue for curiosity and self-inquiry. This is the path to increasing wisdom and liberation from past pain.

Healing is a Journey, not a Destination

“One of the most powerful things about Sabino is that clients get to witness others who are further along in the journey,” von Isser shares. “Seeing proof that healing is possible helps them hold onto hope—even when they can’t fully believe it for themselves yet.”

Sabino Recovery recognizes that healing doesn’t happen overnight. The work done in their intensive residential program lays a strong foundation, but the real transformation continues beyond treatment. Clients are encouraged to see their progress as an evolving journey, with Sabino serving as the starting point for deep, lasting change.

For those just beginning their healing process, von Isser offers this encouragement:

“You didn’t develop these patterns overnight, and you won’t undo them overnight either. Awareness plus compassion is the first step. Find people who inspire hope. Let practitioners hold hope for you until you can hold it for yourself.”

At Sabino Recovery, healing isn’t just about surviving—it’s about thriving, reclaiming self-worth, and stepping into a life of authenticity and connection.