Trauma Informed Therapy
Understanding how past experiences shape present responses.
What trauma really is
Most people don’t realise how much their past still lives in their body. Trauma isn’t just “what happened”, it’s the psychological and physiological imprint left behind when something felt too much, too fast, or too long for your system to process. These experiences can become stored in both the mind and the nervous system, creating patterns of protection that continue long after the event has passed.
Without support, these wounds don’t simply disappear. The nervous system repeats what it learned in moments of threat, and the body holds onto what it couldn’t release. Trauma-informed therapy helps you understand these patterns with care, pacing and safety, so you can finally move out of survival mode and into a life that feels more regulated, grounded and free.
What happens in your body during trauma
When something feels overwhelming, frightening, or too much for your system, the brain’s alarm centre, the limbic system, switches on instantly. It activates your autonomic nervous system and floods your body with stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol, preparing you to fight, flee, freeze, or shut down. Digestion slows, heart rate increases, muscles tense, and your whole system focuses on survival.
Normally, when the threat passes, your parasympathetic system brings you back into calm. Your body settles, and your brain understands that you’re safe again.
But when an experience is too intense or goes on for too long, the system struggles to return to baseline. The limbic system stays activated, and your body remains in a heightened state of alert even long after the danger is gone. This becomes “survival mode”: a state where your nervous system is constantly scanning for threat, and your thoughts, emotions, and behaviours are shaped by a body that hasn’t been able to fully exhale.
This is what trauma feels like from the inside. Over time, these survival responses can become maladaptive. Continuing long after the danger has passed. You might know exactly what you want to do, or how you want to respond, but still feel blocked, stuck, or held back by a body that learned to protect you in ways you no longer need.
How Trauma shows up in the body
Even long after an overwhelming experience has ended, your body may still be reacting as if the threat is present. Trauma can show up in ways that feel confusing, unpredictable, or “out of nowhere,” because your nervous system is responding automatically, not intentionally.
Common ways trauma appears in the body include:
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chronic tension, tightness, or bracing
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shallow breathing or difficulty relaxing
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digestive issues or loss of appetite
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headaches, fatigue, or restlessness
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feeling numb, disconnected, or “shut down”
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sudden waves of anxiety or panic
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difficulty sleeping or staying asleep
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being easily startled or hyperaware
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a constant sense of urgency or overwhelm
These reactions aren’t signs of weakness, they’re signs that your system has been carrying too much, for too long.
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difficulty connecting with others or feeling present in relationships
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moments of involuntary “freezing,” going blank, or zoning out
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reduced awareness of internal sensations and feelings
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turning to food, alcohol, or other behaviours to self-soothe
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difficulty setting boundaries, saying no, or speaking up
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stress responses like rapid breathing, racing heart, or collapsing into helplessness
How Trauma-Informed Therapy Helps You Heal
Trauma-informed therapy begins by creating safety, not by forcing you to relive the past or talk about things before your body is ready.
Because trauma lives in the nervous system, healing must happen at the level of the nervous system too.
With gentle, paced support, therapy helps you:
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understand the patterns your mind and body developed to protect you
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work with your stress responses rather than against them
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rebuild your capacity to feel calm, connected and grounded
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stop reacting from survival mode and start responding from choice
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process stored survival energy so your body no longer feels “stuck”
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strengthen your window of tolerance & your ability to handle life without overwhelm
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develop emotional and physiological resilience
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reconnect with parts of yourself that shut down in moments of pain
Trauma-informed therapy isn’t about analysing every detail of what happened; it’s about helping your whole system learn that the danger is over so you can finally experience ease, clarity and a sense of internal safety.
A clearer path forward
Most people don’t realise how much their past still lives in their body. Trauma isn’t just “what happened”, it’s the psychological and physiological imprint left behind when something felt too much, too fast, or too long for your system to process. These experiences can become stored in both the mind and the nervous system, creating patterns of protection that continue long after the event has passed.
Without support, these wounds don’t simply disappear. The nervous system repeats what it learned in moments of threat, and the body holds onto what it couldn’t release. Trauma-informed therapy helps you understand these patterns with care, pacing and safety, so you can finally move out of survival mode and into a life that feels more regulated, grounded and free.
