TRAUMA,
TRAUMA-RELATED

Trauma may occur when an experience overwhelms your ability to cope, integrate what has happened, and move forward. It may come from a single shocking event, or from ongoing experiences that erode a sense of safety over time. Trauma is not just the story of what happened, it’s also the way those experiences continue to affect your body, mind, emotions, and relationships.

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At its core, trauma is a psychological injury that can leave you feeling unsafe, helpless, or disconnected from yourself and others.

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Types of Trauma

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Shock or life-threat

This type of trauma often comes from an event that is sudden, life-threatening, or deeply shocking. Because the nervous system has little time to prepare, the body and mind may become “stuck” in survival mode.

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Examples include:

• Natural disasters (fires, floods, earthquakes, tornadoes)

• Motor vehicle or workplace accidents

• Medical emergencies or invasive procedures

• Physical or sexual assault

• Acts of violence such as mugging, robbery, or terrorism

• Sudden, unexpected loss (death, abandonment, job termination)

How it may show up:

• Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories

• Panic attacks or feeling easily startled

• Avoidance of reminders of the event

• A sense of hypervigilance or impending danger

• Changes in mood, sleep, or appetite

• Difficulty concentrating or returning to “normal life”

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Developmental Wounds & Complex Trauma

Unlike single-incident trauma, complex trauma develops through repeated or prolonged exposure to unsafe, neglectful, or emotionally immature environments — often beginning in childhood. These experiences shape how a person sees themselves, others, and the world.

This may happen when:

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• Parents are emotionally immature, inconsistent, or unavailable

• Love, validation, or safety are conditional or absent

• A child feels responsible for a parent’s emotions or wellbeing

• Criticism, shaming, or unpredictability are part of daily life

• A child is parentified (expected to care for others instead of being cared for)

• Caregivers are also sources of fear, rejection, or instability

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In adulthood, complex trauma may look like:

• Shame, self-doubt, or feeling “not enough”

• Difficulties with trust, intimacy, or boundaries

• Repeated relational struggles or unhealthy patterns

• Emotional overwhelm, anger outbursts, or shutting down

• People-pleasing, perfectionism, or hyper-independence

• A sense of emptiness, loneliness, or identity confusion

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Signs and Symptoms of Trauma

Whether trauma arises from a single event or from developmental wounds, it can leave lasting effects. Signs may include:

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• Anxiety, panic, or hypervigilance

• Sleep difficulties, nightmares, or exhaustion

• Difficulty concentrating or memory gaps

• Chronic muscle tension, aches, or unexplained physical symptoms

• Intrusive thoughts, flashbacks, or distressing images

• Avoidance of reminders or triggers

• Emotional numbing or difficulty regulating emotions

• Mood swings, irritability, or persistent low mood

• Social withdrawal, loss of interest in activities, or feelings of estrangement

• Self-criticism, shame, or struggles with identity

• Substance use, compulsive behaviors, or self-destructive coping​

 

Trauma is diverse. For some, it comes as a sudden “before and after” moment. For others, it builds quietly over years of unmet needs or repeated stress. Both are valid, both are painful, and both can be healed. Therapy offers space to process these experiences, reduce their ongoing impact, and rediscover a sense of safety, identity, and connection.

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How Sensorimotor Psychotherapy Helps

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy is a body-oriented approach that helps people process trauma by working with both the mind and the body. Trauma, whether it comes from a sudden life-threatening event like an accident or assault, a shocking and unexpected change to our experience and sense of security, or from ongoing developmental wounds such as yelling, shaming, neglect, or instability in childhood, often leaves its mark in the nervous system.

 

We may carry the impact in our posture, breath, muscle tension, or automatic reactions and relational patterns without realizing it.

 

In therapy, we pay attention to these signals, explore safer ways of responding, and practice new patterns that were not possible in the past, such as saying no, setting boundaries, or trusting support. This process helps integrate overwhelming experiences, reduce symptoms, and build a stronger sense of safety, connection, and self-agency.