Align with your needs.
Your 12 Basic Needs are the foundation for healing from Complex Trauma. Learn how they went unmet, what that has meant for you, and how to meet them now.
Join 9,800+ people already enrolled.
FORMAT
Self-paced
ACCESS
Lifetime, with Thinkific account
LESSONS
52 lessons
GROUP SESSIONS
Optional, semimonthly
STARTING OUT
Is this course right for you?
If you’ve experienced Complex Trauma, you may feel stuck, overwhelmed, or disconnected. The truth is: trauma often disturbs our natural cycle of fulfilling essential needs—leaving us feeling empty, anxious and lost. But, healing is possible. In this course, we’ll explore the 12 Basic Needs that are crucial for emotional and physical well-being, and show you how to restore balance so you can start living your life to the fullest.
Align With Your Needs is a good fit if…
✓ You keep noticing patterns that feel bigger than bad habits or personality
✓ You struggle to feel understood, accepted, connected, rested, purposeful or at peace
✓ You can trace some of that back to early life
✓ You don't know what your needs are yet (you don't need to)
✓ You want to cultivate a life where your basic needs are finally being met in a healthy way.
Not ready yet? That’s okay.
You can take the course slowly and gently, and take a break if you feel overwhelmed. Once you enroll, you have lifetime access.
THE 12 BASIC NEEDS
Why are they important?
The 12 Basic Needs are the core emotional, relational, and developmental needs every person is born with, and understanding them can change how you make sense of trauma, addiction, and recovery. When Complex Trauma disrupts how those needs get met, it shapes shame, coping patterns and relationships. This course shows you how to restore the balance.
✓ What each need is and how it is meant to be met
✓ How unmet needs shape shame, people-pleasing and unhealthy coping
✓ How to recognize and meet your needs in healthier ways
PRACTICAL TOOLS
- Grounding
- Re-parenting
- Breathwork
- Emotional regulation
- and more..
THE 12 BASIC NEEDS
What are the 12 Basic Needs?
Food + Water
These are the most obvious needs of a person, and our bodies give us physical cues when these needs are not met.
Sex + Physical Affection
In childhood, we need to be taught a healthy, timely understanding and attitude towards sex and procreation. We also deserve healthy boundaries as our sex drive develops through to adulthood.
Relationship + Belonging
We are designed to be in relationships, connected to others with common interests and goals. In a healthy environment, we are encouraged to be our authentic selves and be welcomed as we are, flaws and all.
Purpose + Significance
We want to learn where we fit into the world and where we can serve others. We want to be curious about ourselves and what gifts and abilities we may have, in order to find where our passion lies. We also need help to move towards these goals with love, encouragement and support.
Beauty
We have a need inside of us to create positive emotional brain experiences in order to feel healthy. Discovering new things or seeing scenes of beauty in nature, is something deep that feeds our soul.
Spirituality, God or Higher Power
However you experience your Higher Power, most people in the recovery world will acknowledge that we need to be open to the spiritual part. Being connected to our spiritual side gives us a sense of healthy values and beliefs that lead to humility, empathy and connectedness.
Pleasure
We have a need to experience the pleasurable chemicals in the brain (oxytocin, serotonin, endorphins, dopamine), which lead to positive feelings of contentedness, playfulness and happiness. Children who are raised in Complex Trauma experience mostly the negative emotions of fear, anger and sadness.
Acceptance + Respect
This list encompasses the need for love and validation. We need to be understood and accepted for who we are. We need to be comforted when we’re in pain and given nurture, tenderness and empathy when we’re struggling.
Security, Safety + Fairness
This is an important need, especially for a child. They need physical, emotional, relational and spiritual safety. They need to see justice done (wrong is stopped and good is rewarded) and healthy boundaries put in place, in order to be able to say “no” and be respected. They need to learn healthy habits and good routines.
Rest
Something our culture is not very good at, is giving ourselves permission to rest and do some self-care. We need to carve out time each day in order to rest and rejuvenate our bodies and minds from the busyness and stresses of life.
Awe
We need these experiences of acknowledging something bigger than ourselves - that sense of wonder, worship, goosebump experiences or even gratitude lists. They take us outside ourselves and cause us to feel alive. If children don’t get these experiences, they tend to focus on the negative emotions and feel negative about everything in their lives.
Happy, Satisfied + Whole
When all our needs are consistently met, we can experience peace, satisfaction, serenity and joy. When our needs are not consistently met, we will experience a discontent that will lead us to get our needs met in unhealthy ways.
What to expect.
52 lessons
A breakdown of the 12 Basic Needs, how they may not have been met, their connection to Complex Trauma, and how to move forward.
Video, reading, reflection activities
Every module includes all three, plus journal prompts and self-work questions.
Community space
Connect and learn with others who understand your journey.
Bi-weekly group sessions
Optional sessions hosted by trained facilitators, inside the course community.
Non-faith-based and open to adults 18+ of all backgrounds.
Our programs and courses welcome each participant with dignity and respect, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, religious beliefs or otherwise, and will ensure that our staff members and other participants cooperate with courtesy, understanding, and most importantly, love.
WHAT TO EXPECT
Course curriculum.
12 modules. Each one has an introduction, lessons, and a video to watch.
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How to Use This Course
Questionnaire: Before We Begin
Questionnaire: Recognizing Complex Trauma
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Lesson
Many people with complex trauma grew up feeling unseen and misunderstood, unsure of how to meet their needs in healthy ways. This module introduces the 12 core human needs—physical, emotional, and spiritual—and shows how unmet needs shape our identity, coping, and attachment. You'll begin to understand the root of your patterns and lay the foundation for the rest of the course.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
For many trauma survivors, even basic needs like food, shelter, or rest were surrounded by shame, unpredictability, or unmet expectations. This module explores how early experiences with food, water, hygiene, housing, healthcare, and education shape our identity, coping strategies, and self-worth. You'll begin to reframe your relationship with these foundational needs and learn how to meet them with compassion, clarity, and consistency.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
If pleasure was discouraged, shamed, or tied to unhealthy coping in childhood, it can feel confusing or even unsafe to enjoy life’s simple joys. This module explores how trauma disrupts our relationship with pleasure—physically, emotionally, and relationally—and guides you in distinguishing healthy enjoyment from harmful escape. You'll begin to reconnect with pleasure as a vital, nourishing part of healing and wholeness.
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Introduction • Test • Lessons • Video
Many people with complex trauma were never taught how to safely navigate the world of intimacy, often receiving shame or silence instead of support. In this module, you'll explore how distorted experiences around sex and affection form, how to set healthy boundaries, and how to reparent your inner self through compassion, clarity, and connection. By the end, you’ll begin building a respectful, grounded relationship with your body, your needs, and others.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
Growing up, many people received love only when they conformed, leaving them with the belief that they weren’t truly accepted or understood. This module helps uncover how conditional love, criticism, shame, and emotional neglect erode self-worth—and how to rebuild it through self-compassion, boundaries, and authentic identity. You'll begin learning to treat yourself with the same respect and kindness you needed all along.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
Humans are designed to be in relationships, but for many of us, we weren’t given a framework for building healthy relationships. In this module, you’ll learn about the different levels of relationships, how this need was not met in your childhood, and how to begin forming healthy relationships in the future.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
We all long to feel safe, secure, and treated fairly, yet trauma often distorts how we understand and experience these needs. In this module, you’ll explore how a lack of safety shapes the brain and relationships, and then learn practical tools and boundaries for re-establishing stability and fairness in your life. By the end, you’ll be equipped to create a stronger sense of protection and justice for yourself, fostering healthier choices and relationships.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
Many people struggle to know who they are or why they matter, especially when early life lacked encouragement or guidance. In this module, you’ll uncover how trauma can distort your sense of purpose, and learn practical ways to rediscover your passions, set healthy boundaries, and nurture your unique identity. By the end, you’ll be equipped to build a life with clarity, direction, and meaningful contribution.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
Many of us grew up believing rest was lazy or unsafe, leaving us stuck in cycles of busyness, guilt, or burnout. In this module, you’ll uncover how trauma distorts the ability to rest, explore the five types of rest, and learn practical boundaries for creating safety and renewal. By the end, you’ll be able to restore balance between work and rest, fueling deeper peace, resilience, and connection.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
When life feels heavy or chaotic, it’s easy to miss the beauty that restores joy and wonder to our souls. In this module, you’ll discover how trauma distorts our ability to see and value beauty, and learn practical ways to reclaim it through self-compassion, creativity, and connection with nature and art. By the end, you’ll be equipped to invite beauty back into your daily life, bringing healing, inspiration, and hope.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
In the chaos of trauma, many lose the ability to feel wonder, leaving life flat, heavy, or disconnected. In this module, you’ll explore how awe nurtures gratitude, balances the nervous system, and connects you to something greater than yourself, then learn practical ways to reparent this need through creativity, nature, spirituality, and new experiences. By the end, you’ll be equipped to reawaken a sense of wonder that restores joy, healing, and perspective.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
For many with trauma, spirituality can feel confusing, unsafe, or distorted by fear and control. In this module, you’ll explore how early experiences shape your view of spirituality, and learn practical tools for setting healthy boundaries, reframing harmful beliefs, and safely reconnecting with spirituality on your own terms. By the end, you’ll be able to approach this need with curiosity and authenticity, opening the door to deeper meaning, hope, and connection.
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Introduction • Lessons • Video
Most of us long to feel whole and at peace, but trauma often leaves us with unmet needs, shame, and disconnection from ourselves. In this final module, you’ll learn how boundaries, reparenting, and love help restore each of the 12 basic needs, and explore how healing shame transforms your sense of self. By the end, you’ll be equipped with practical tools to feel safe, grounded, and authentically fulfilled in daily life.
Here’s what our clients say.
I can honestly say that Lift has completely changed my life. When I started Lift I didn’t even know who I was as I wore masks my entire life … My relationships are currently better than I could have ever dreamed of.”
Amazing! Life transforming! Thank you so much! Thank you for this wonderful roadmap to finally learning how to provide my needs and heal my complex trauma. I’m overjoyed with gratitude. Truly transformational!”
Great course. I feel a strange sense of contentment as I work through it. Also, the feeling that someone finally understands me after years of being unsuccessful with therapy is hard to describe - it gives me hope…”
For the first time in my life, I found a community where I didn’t feel different, alone, or on the outside looking in. This program changed me and I am incredibly grateful.”
It took me almost 6 months before I could convince myself to spend the money on this course … I can now admit it was a small investment in the future I can look forward to. If you don’t take action, nothing will change.”
Priceless! I have been searching for answers for as long as I can remember. This is the start of another path in my journey. Thanks for putting together such thoughtful and invaluable resources.”
Before I started I had no idea how to pinpoint my core beliefs, issues and thought patterns. It’s really helped me grow and given me tools to keep growing. This is what I’ve needed my whole life, and I’m so thankful.”
It was very healing for me to begin reparenting myself by working on the 12 Basic Needs I didn’t receive as a child.”
Everyone needs this course. I realize how deep my inner critic has eaten into the fabric of my soul. I got so much clarity and resources for healing through this course. Thank you so much Tim Fletcher and team.”
I felt heard. I will recommend to others. This is the missing puzzle piece in my healing journey.”
I’ve been watching Tim’s videos for a couple of years. I had worked through many things before starting … but I was stuck on some. Through this course I have made progress and will make more. It’s working.”
Finally, answers! This is a wonderful resource to help me to fully understand how my scapegoating abuse from a toxic family caused such profound angst within me. With understanding, I now have tools for healing.”
Must-have information for every human-being. This experience reignited the joy of life within me. I feel loved.”
This course taught me so much. I am a little sad for the little girl inside me and have more compassion for myself and others.”
What I’ve been looking for. There are plenty of resources to help you understand your issues, but I’ve really struggled finding anything that says, ‘What do I do next?’ This is the information you need to start down the path of feeling better about you.”
This program has really opened my eyes. I still have a lot of work to do, but I now have a lot more awareness and the resources I need to continue healing.”
Amazing. I feel so much healing from this.”
Life changing … It’s so full of gems. I’ve recovered a lot through the techniques in this course. It’s extremely resourceful and also shares a bunch of resources at the end which is very generous. Forever grateful.”
Absolutely life changing in every way. I cannot convey my gratitude, respect and admiration enough.”
This was a real eye-opener, but even more importantly, it gives you steps to start the healing process. The bonus resources section at the end is worth its weight in gold!”
This course may be harder than I originally thought but it is what I need right now. It is also filling gaps I wasn’t able to grasp during Lift participation. I gained more than what I expected. I am so glad I completed this course.”
100% highly recommended! I really loved the system and how it presents deep topics in such a clear, digestible, and empathetic way. I also appreciate the resources provided to go deeper and continue working on key points.”
This course is excellent. I haven’t read anything quite like this material before, and it out words to my experience so I could begin to grieve what happened.”
This was helpful for me to understand the basics and has answered a lot of questions related to some of the underlying issues I have been living with.”
Love and compassion.. I so appreciate this course as it gives voice to long buried feelings so they can be processed and healed one day at a time.”
Thank you for this course. I could relate to a lot of it for myself & others in my life. This course gave me an understanding of why I am who I am & what I need to do to help myself heal and move forward one step at a time.”
Bite-sized and informative for the price. This course helped me understand why I procrastinate in relationships as an adult, it helped me explore my childhood and the root cause of this behavior. Thank you!”
This was a great addition to talking to a counsellor in helping me navigate this ongoing situation and learning more about myself I wouldn’t have otherwise that I’m sure will reverberate into all areas of my life.”
Appropriate. A great introduction to the topic of emotional neglect. Making me aware of its impact was most helpful.”
This is a straightforward course that gets right to the point. It is helpful to make the connection between my behavior and its origins. The self work questions and journal prompts are meaningful & I found them easy to do.”
Great compliment to what I’ve been working towards for over 10 years. When you think you’ve done all you can there always seems to be more!”
First course I have done. Very thought-provoking. You definitely need a quiet private spot to do these courses.”
A really good insight into myself and the process of boundaries with a narcissist.”
Well put-together. Videos with handouts are very informative.”
Join 9,800+ people already enrolled.
Developed by Tim Fletcher and his team, grounded in decades of experience supporting people in Complex Trauma and addictions recovery.
PRICING OPTIONS
Enroll in Align With Your Needs.
It’s time to reclaim your life.
The 12 Basic Needs are waiting for you to discover them. With trauma, we often feel broken, misunderstood, or disconnected. But you don’t have to stay stuck. By understanding these core needs, you can take control of your healing journey, find inner peace, and start living a more fulfilling life.
$75 CAD/month
6-month payment plan.
$450 CAD
One-time payment. Afterpay and Klarna available.
Included with either option:
✓ Lifetime access with your Thinkific account
✓ Community space included
✓ Optional semimonthly group sessions
✓ Cancellation and refund requests must be made within 45 days of purchase
What is Complex Trauma?
“Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” —Gabor Maté
Trauma is someone’s response to a deeply scary or harmful event that makes them unable to cope.
Complex Trauma (or C-PTSD) is defined as the response to an ongoing environment of danger where one never feels safe. This response constantly signals a stress response such as fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. It affects every aspect of a person—their bodies, relationships, brains and ability to have a spiritual connection. Tim Fletcher has identified over 85 Characteristics of Complex Trauma which may help you put the pieces together as to how it may be affecting you.
