THE CPTSD MEDICINE STORY
The birth story of CPTSD Medicine is one of boundless transformation, not just for our founder, Tanner, but for every individual heart touched by complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD).
A BECKONING
On a cold winter evening, December 9, 2022, two words pierced the stillness of the night: “CPTSD Medicine.” Those words weren’t just a new brand name to Tanner - they were a beckoning. She knew in her bones that she had to act on it immediately, buying the website domain and aligning her social profiles with this new calling. That night marked the caterpillar-to-butterfly moment. But the true substance of CPTSD Medicine was born from a life devoted to touching other lives.
UNLOCKING ANSWERS
On July 11, 2020, Tanner made a seemingly small choice that set everything in motion. She ordered Pete Walker's "Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving." This book deepened her understanding of her own life and struggles. At the time, she was hosting a podcast on the difficulties of marriage, while also navigating the harrowing reality of her second marriage unraveling only two years in. Pete Walker’s book gave her the answer to a question she had been asking herself for over 20 years, “What is wrong with me?”
It also gave her the language and permission to share her story. Despite having studied and taught human development for two decades in the United States’ higher education system, this was her first introduction to the term “complex trauma.” She discovered that unresolved childhood trauma often underpins marital discord.
A NEW PURPOSE BORN
Trained as an intervention scientist, Tanner knew that any successful cure for CPTSD would need to attend internally and externally to everything in a human’s life. CPTSD is a developmental injury; it would require an intervention with a developmental perspective. Nothing she found was this comprehensive or holistic. Every service or therapy she found was disconnected from a larger theory of human development. All solutions put survivors on a course of perpetual healing; nothing was designed for them to actually be healed.
Driven by a vision for a survivor-led trauma recovery revolution, Tanner set out to create what she couldn't find. She envisioned a world where those affected by CPTSD took control of their healing, an ultimate act of justice in a realm where traditional establishments fell short. She sounded the message “there is a cure and we own it.” Her audience skyrocketed. Hundreds of humans joined her free Facebook group and her audience on Instagram grew by tens of thousands in a few short months.
THE VISION TAKES ROOT
In 2021, she resigned from her faculty position at the University of Pittsburgh and immersed herself in her own healing journey. She participated in extensive training programs, including the foundational and advanced levels of Internal Family Systems, complemented by an enlightening yearlong priestess apprenticeship (she has always believed that Science is not divorced from Spirit).
Harnessing her newfound knowledge and insights, Tanner pioneered a unique approach to support individuals with CPTSD. She facilitated live, guided healing sessions both one-on-one and in intimate groups. Two comprehensive curriculums designed to help survivors were also born in the process. She leveraged the power of social media to disseminate invaluable, free resources aiming to extend her reach and impact on the wider CPTSD community.
On August 19, 2022 Tanner made a post on Instagram that did not go over well with some. For the first time, she confronted ‘cancel culture’ which forced her to reevaluate her methods and delve deeper into her healing. Tanner's resolve only strengthened. She explored lineage work and karmic cycles, gaining even more insights that propelled her forward.
AN UNEXPECTED VISITOR,
AND THE VISION REAFFIRMED
On December 8, 2022, while doing lineage work, a defining vision came through. It was a force and a message all at once - the “Motherless Mother.” A divine archetypal resonance Tanner had never encountered before. This vision reaffirmed her commitment to leading a collective movement toward transforming mental health treatment.
Tanner experienced an unprecedented surge of conviction, illuminating her purpose with undeniable clarity: she was destined to be a beacon of liberation, guiding others through the darkness of trauma. Every challenge she faced up to this point was meticulous preparation for her true calling—a revolution in trauma recovery led by survivors, for survivors. Energized by this realization, Tanner embraced her initial vision with renewed passion.
HEALING THE COMMUNAL HEART
Today, CPTSD Medicine stands as a testament to Tanner's journey and her dedication to creating a world where permanent healing from CPTSD is not just possible but accessible to all. It's more than an organization; it's a movement fueled by the belief that every individual liberated from the chains of trauma represents a victory for humanity. Each person set free becomes a stronger bearer of Light. Together we create a world luminous with love, kindness, authenticity, strength, and progress.
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