What is trauma?

What is Trauma? Understanding Its Impact and the Path to Healing

Trauma isn’t just about what happens to us—it’s about how our nervous system processes what happens. While some people may think of trauma as an extreme event, like a serious accident or assault, trauma is actually much broader. It can result from a single distressing experience or repeated, ongoing stress that overwhelms our ability to cope.

Types of Trauma

Trauma can take many forms, including:

• Acute Trauma – A single distressing event, such as a car accident, assault, or sudden loss.

• Chronic Trauma – Ongoing exposure to distress, like childhood neglect, emotional abuse, or long-term illness.

• Complex Trauma – Repeated and prolonged trauma, often beginning in early life, affecting a person’s sense of safety and trust in relationships.

While trauma is often associated with war, abuse, or disasters, it can also arise from experiences like medical procedures, difficult relationships, or feeling unseen and unheard in childhood.

How Trauma Affects the Mind and Body

Trauma isn’t just something that stays in the past—it can live in the nervous system, influencing our emotions, thoughts, and even our physical health.

🧠 Psychological Effects: Many people experience anxiety, depression, emotional numbness, or difficulty trusting others after trauma. Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, and a sense of being "stuck" in the past are also common.

💪 Physical Symptoms: Trauma isn't just emotional—it’s stored in the body. Chronic pain, headaches, digestive issues, fatigue, and even autoimmune conditions can sometimes be linked to unresolved trauma.

⚡ Survival Responses: When faced with overwhelming stress, our nervous system reacts in survival mode—fight, flight, freeze, or fawn. This can show up as anger, avoidance, emotional shutdown, or people-pleasing tendencies.

Healing from Trauma: Why a Bottom-Up Approach Works

Healing trauma isn’t about “just moving on” or talking about it repeatedly—it’s about working with the nervous system to create safety and release stored emotional energy.

✨ EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing) helps the brain reprocess distressing memories, reducing their emotional intensity and allowing you to move forward. Research shows that EMDR can significantly reduce PTSD symptoms and improve emotional regulation.

✨ Somatic-Based Therapy works with the body to process trauma, helping to release stored tension and regulate the nervous system. This can include breathwork, movement, grounding techniques, and body awareness exercises.

✨ Other Bottom-Up Approaches like mindfulness, meditation, and trauma-informed yoga help reconnect the mind and body, supporting a sense of safety and calm. Studies show that body-based therapies can be just as effective—if not more—than traditional talk therapy alone.

Moving Toward Healing

Healing from trauma is possible. It’s not about erasing the past but about finding ways to integrate those experiences so they no longer control your present.

If past experiences still feel present in your life, you’re not alone. Therapy can help you regain a sense of safety, connection, and empowerment. Whether through EMDR, somatic work, or other evidence-based approaches, there are many ways to heal in a way that feels safe and manageable for you.

💙 Ready to take the next step? Reach out for support—healing starts with feeling seen, heard, and understood.