Trauma is an emotional and physiological response to a deeply distressing or overwhelming event. It’s not just what happened—it’s how your mind and body experienced it. Trauma can leave you feeling unsafe, stuck, disconnected, or like your nervous system is always in survival mode.

It’s important to know that trauma is not about weakness. It’s about your body doing its best to protect you in a moment when you felt powerless, threatened, or alone.

Trauma can look different for everyone, but it’s often grouped into a few categories:

• Acute trauma: a single traumatic event, such as an accident, assault, or natural disaster.

• Chronic trauma: repeated or prolonged exposure to distress, like ongoing abuse, neglect, or living in a violent environment.

• Complex trauma: exposure to multiple traumatic events, often beginning in childhood, such as emotional neglect, caregiver inconsistency, or attachment wounds.

• Secondary or vicarious trauma: emotional distress from hearing about or witnessing others' traumatic experiences (common in caregivers, therapists, and first responders).

• Developmental trauma: early relational or attachment trauma that impacts emotional and neurological development, often from unmet attachment needs in childhood. This can include difficult relationships with parents and emotional neglect.

Big-T Trauma

These are the kinds of events most people immediately associate with the word “trauma” — they are life-threatening, overwhelming, or clearly traumatic.

Small-t Trauma

Small-t traumas are more subtle and often minimized or overlooked—but they still impact your nervous system, self-worth, and emotional regulation. These events may not be life-threatening, but they are emotionally distressing, disruptive, and can accumulate over time. These can include losing a job, breakups or divorce, chronic criticism, financial stress, bullying or peer rejection, medical issues, or generally feeling unseen or dismissed.

Trauma-informed therapy means your therapist understands how trauma impacts the brain, body, emotions, and relationships—and tailors treatment to prioritize safety, trust, empowerment, and choice.

It also means:

• You're never pressured to talk about things before you're ready

• The focus is on collaboration, not control

• You’ll learn regulation tools to feel more grounded and safe in your body

• Your therapist sees the whole person, not just the symptoms

There are several evidence-based therapies for trauma. Some focus on processing memories, while others focus on regulating the nervous system or rebuilding a sense of self and connection. Common approaches include:

• EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – helps reprocess stuck memories using bilateral stimulation.

• Somatic Experiencing – focuses on how trauma is stored in the body and helps release it through body awareness and gentle movement.

• Internal Family Systems (IFS) – helps you work with different “parts” of yourself that hold pain, fear, or protection.

• Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) – helps reframe negative thoughts and beliefs connected to trauma.

• Polyvagal-informed therapy – uses an understanding of the nervous system to help restore safety and social connection.

• Narrative therapy – helps you make meaning of your story and shift from being defined by trauma to reclaiming your identity.

You don’t have to be in crisis to seek trauma therapy. Signs you may benefit include:

• Feeling anxious, jumpy, or on edge

• Struggling with sleep, concentration, or emotional outbursts

• Avoiding certain people, places, or memories

• Feeling numb, disconnected, or like something is “off”

• Constantly striving, people-pleasing, or feeling not good enough

• Difficulty trusting others or maintaining relationships

If something still affects you, even if it happened long ago or “wasn’t that bad,” it’s worth exploring. Your pain is valid.

Healing is personal. Some people feel noticeable shifts in a few sessions, while others benefit from longer-term support, especially with complex or developmental trauma. Trauma therapy isn’t a race—it’s a journey back to safety, wholeness, and self-trust. The timeline is shaped by your goals, history, and what feels right to you.

Sometimes, yes—but not always. Processing trauma can stir up old emotions. But trauma-informed therapy emphasizes stabilization and regulation first, so you're not overwhelmed. Your therapist will help you go at a pace that feels supportive—not retraumatizing.

Yes. Trauma therapy has helped countless people reconnect with themselves, feel safer in their own skin, and build stronger, more authentic relationships. You don’t have to stay stuck in survival mode—healing is possible.

You don’t need to have all the answers. You just need a little curiosity and the courage to reach out. Whether you’re processing something recent or something from long ago, you’re not alone. A free consultation is a great first step to see if therapy feels like the right fit for you.