Trauma: What It Is And How To Heal

Have you ever wondered if something you’ve been through might be trauma? Or maybe you’ve been told you have trauma but aren’t sure what that really means — or what to do about it. Trauma is a word that gets thrown around a lot these days, but for many people, it still feels confusing. So let’s take a moment to break it down and talk about what trauma is, how it affects you and most importantly, how you can heal.

What is Trauma?

Trauma isn’t just about what happens to you — it’s about how an experience affects you on the inside. Trauma happens when something overwhelms your ability to cope, leaving you feeling unsafe, powerless, or stuck. It could be a big dramatic event, or it could be something that seems small but cuts deep — especially if it happens repeatedly over time.

Trauma lives in the body and mind, and it can shape how you see yourself, others, and the world. It can keep you stuck in survival mode, always waiting for the next bad thing to happen, or it can make you shut down emotionally, struggling to connect with life and people around you.

Examples of Traumatic Experiences

1. Obvious or "Big T" Trauma

These are the kinds of trauma that most people recognize as traumatic — often life-threatening or extreme events:

• Car accidents or serious injuries

• Physical or sexual assault

• Natural disasters like floods, earthquakes, or fires

• Sudden loss of a loved one (death, suicide)

• Being attacked, mugged, or robbed

• War, terrorism, or being in a violent environment

• Life-threatening medical emergencies or invasive surgeries

• Domestic violence or abusive relationships

2. Hidden or "Small T" Trauma

These are less obvious experiences that can still deeply affect a person, especially if they happen repeatedly or during vulnerable times like childhood:

• Bullying (in school, online, at work)

• Emotional neglect — feeling unloved, unseen, or unheard

• Constant criticism or being made to feel "not good enough"

• Growing up in a home where parents argued all the time

• Having a parent or caregiver with mental health issues or addiction

• Experiencing rejection or abandonment (e.g., a parent leaving the family)

• Witnessing domestic violence, even if it wasn’t directed at you

• Ongoing stress or pressure, like living in poverty or in a chaotic household

• Academic or workplace failures that severely impacted self-esteem

• Relationship betrayals, such as infidelity or manipulation

• Medical experiences as a child (e.g., long hospital stays, painful treatments)

• Feeling unsafe or unwanted in childhood — this alone can leave lasting trauma

3. Situational and Relational Trauma

Trauma is not always caused by a "single event." It can build over time, especially when it comes from relationships or environments:

• Growing up with emotionally unavailable or unpredictable caregivers

• Experiencing long-term toxic relationships or controlling partners

• Workplace harassment or ongoing toxic work environments

• Repeated failures or rejections in important areas of life (career, relationships)

• Being part of a marginalized or oppressed group and facing discrimination or prejudice regularly

4. Examples of How Trauma Might Show Up Later

The impact of trauma isn’t always immediate — sometimes it shows up years later as:

• Anxiety and panic attacks without an obvious cause

• Low self-esteem and feeling like "something is wrong with me"

• Fear of rejection, abandonment, or failure

• Difficulty trusting others or maintaining relationships

• Feeling emotionally numb or detached from life

• Perfectionism, people-pleasing, or overworking as ways to cope

• Self-sabotaging behaviors (e.g., procrastination, addiction, avoidance)

• Chronic health problems or body tension without medical explanation

Trauma isn’t just about what happens to us — it’s about what happens inside us as a result. And no matter what you've been through, healing is possible.

How Can Trauma Be Healed?

First of all — if you’re struggling with the effects of trauma, please know that you’re not broken, and you don’t have to stay stuck. The brain and body are wired to heal, and there are powerful ways to help that process along. Here are some of the ways I work with clients to help them heal:

1. Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy is a gentle, yet powerful way to access the subconscious mind — where many trauma patterns live. In a safe, relaxed state, we can begin to uncover and release the emotional imprints left by traumatic experiences. Hypnosis can help shift the beliefs and survival responses that keep you stuck in fear, shame, or helplessness. It works directly with the part of you that holds those old patterns, helping to rewrite the script. Hypnosis is also a great way to create new internal resources like safety, calm, and self-worth. Clients often leave sessions feeling lighter, calmer, and more empowered.

2. IEMT (Integral Eye Movement Therapy)

IEMT is a fast, effective way to reduce the emotional intensity of traumatic memories. By using simple guided eye movements, IEMT helps the brain reprocess stuck memories and emotional imprints. People often find that after IEMT, the memory feels distant or neutral — like it no longer has power over them. It’s like unplugging the emotional charge from the memory. IEMT is also powerful for shifting stuck identity beliefs like "I’m not safe" or "I’m broken," helping people experience a new sense of self that’s free from the past.

3. Identity Work

Trauma often creates deep identity-level beliefs — "I’m not good enough," "I’m unlovable," “I’m broken” or "I’m weak." These beliefs can run your life until they’re addressed. I help clients begin to shift these old stories and connect with who they really are underneath the trauma — strong, capable, and worthy of love and safety. When you change how you see yourself, everything starts to shift.

4. Creating Safety and Calm

You can’t heal if you don’t feel safe. That’s why a big part of trauma healing is about teaching your nervous system that the danger is over — and you’re safe now. I work with clients to build a toolkit of calming techniques to help regulate their nervous system, so they can start to feel safe in their body again. When you feel safe inside, healing happens naturally.

You Are Not Your Trauma

Trauma may shape how you feel and react — but it’s not who you are. You are not broken. You are not beyond help. Healing is absolutely possible, and you don’t have to do it alone. If you’d like to explore how I can help you release old trauma and start feeling like yourself again, please feel free to get in touch.

You deserve to feel safe, whole, and free.