Trauma 

At Health in Tandem, we know that trauma isn’t just something that happened — it’s something that stays with you. Whether you’ve experienced a single distressing event or endured long-term adversity, trauma can shape how you feel, think, and interact with the world. Attending therapy for trauma isn’t about erasing your past, it’s about providing a safe space to understand what happened, rebuild safety in your body and mind, and grow into a version of yourself that feels connected, grounded, and hopeful.

What Is Trauma?

Trauma refers to experiences that overwhelm your ability to cope. These can be big, life-altering events like physical or sexual assault, accidents, natural disasters, or combat — but they also include chronic stressors, like ongoing stress, childhood abuse, or living in unsafe environments.

Traumatic experiences activate your body’s survival systems. In the moment, this response helps keep you safe. But when these responses occur long after the danger has passed, they can begin to interfere with your life, relationships, and sense of self.

Trauma can change how you experience your emotions, your body, and your relationships. This is your nervous system doing exactly what it was designed to do: protect you.

How Trauma Can Occur

Trauma doesn’t always look like what we see in movies or on TV. It isn’t only explosions and car crashes. Trauma can happen in many forms:

1. Acute Trauma

This is when something dramatic occurs at one moment in time — like a serious accident, a violent attack, or a sudden loss. These events can disrupt a person’s sense of safety, trust, and control.

2. Repeated or Chronic Trauma

Trauma can also occur over time. Childhood abuse, bullying, or living through prolonged stress can deeply impact the nervous system. When trauma is repeated, especially by someone you trusted, the effects can be especially complicated, often impacting identity, relationships, and self-worth.

3. Developmental Trauma

Experiences that interfere with healthy attachment in childhood, like inconsistent caregiving, abandonment, or pervasive household instability, can significantly shape emotional and relational patterns later in life. These experiences may contribute to challenges with trust, boundaries, and emotional regulation.

4. Vicarious Trauma

Even witnessing or hearing about others’ traumatic experiences can affect you, especially if you’re repeatedly exposed, such as in caregiving or certain professions. Compassion fatigue, burnout, and overwhelming empathy can all emerge from vicarious trauma.

Common Symptoms of Trauma

Not every person experiences trauma the same way, and symptoms may show up differently depending on your history and your body’s coping patterns. With that being said, there are some common experiences many people who’ve endured trauma share:

Emotional and Psychological Symptoms

  • Persistent fear, anxiety, or panic

  • Feelings of shame, guilt, or self-blame

  • Depression or emotional numbness

  • Difficulty managing emotions or frequent mood swings

  • Intrusive memories or flashbacks

  • Difficulty concentrating or feeling “stuck” in the past

Behavioral and Relational Symptoms

  • Avoidance of people, places, or situations that trigger distress

  • Trouble trusting others or maintaining close relationships

  • Hypervigilance — feeling “on guard” or always alert

  • Isolation, withdrawal, or feeling disconnected from others

Physical and Nervous System Symptoms

  • Sleep problems or nightmares

  • Heightened startle response

  • Chronic tension or pain

  • Racing heart, digestive issues, or unexplained physical symptoms

  • Heightened sensory sensitivity

These experiences are not signs of weakness, they are natural responses to abnormal levels of stress. Trauma affects your nervous system, not your character.


Evidence-Based Therapy Approaches to Trauma 

Different forms of trauma require different tools. Your clinician will help determine which approaches are most suited to your needs. Many trauma treatments have strong evidence showing they help reduce symptoms and improve quality of life. Here are a few commonly used modalities:

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapies

Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) helps people understand and reframe unhelpful thoughts that keep trauma symptoms stuck. 

Somatic and Body-Focused Therapies

Trauma is stored in your body. Somatic therapies focus on physical sensations and nervous system regulation, helping people release tension, calm physiological arousal, and reconnect with their bodily experience.

Internal Family Systems

Trauma can create roles, symptoms, or behaviors that show up in response to triggers. By approaching these different parts of an individual’s experience with curiosity, Internal Family Systems (IFS) guides clients to rediscover and connect with their core Self, leading to more calmness and less reactivity. 

Mind-Body and Integrative Approaches

Integrating mindfulness, breathwork, and grounding practices supports emotional regulation and resilience, helping you stay present and calm rather than overwhelmed by distress.

What to Expect in Trauma Therapy

Starting trauma therapy can feel both hopeful and scary. That complexity is part of the human experience.

To help you feel more comfortable, here’s what you can expect if you were to start therapy for trauma:

  1. Assessment and Treatment Planning: Your therapist will learn about your history, symptoms, and goals so treatment fits your needs. Clients set the pace here, so if there’s anything you’re not ready to share or dive into, that will be respected. 

  2. Safety Building: We often begin with grounding, stabilization, and nervous system regulation before deeper memory work.

  3. Skill Building: You’ll learn coping and resilience skills you can use both in and outside of therapy.

  4. Processing Trauma: When you’re ready, you’ll explore traumatic memories in a way that feels safe and supportive.

  5. Integration and Growth: Over time, therapy helps you make sense of your experiences and strengthen your sense of self beyond trauma.

Frequently Asked Questions About Trauma

Is trauma therapy only for PTSD?
No. Trauma therapy supports people with PTSD and those whose symptoms don’t meet formal diagnostic criteria but still impact daily functioning.

How long does trauma therapy take?
Healing timelines vary. Some people notice changes early on through safety and skill building. However, deeper processing takes time and stable rapport with your therapist. Your therapist will help set realistic, personalized goals for treatment so you have an idea of what your healing timeline might look like.

Can trauma be “cured”?
Rather than a cure, trauma therapy helps people integrate their experiences so trauma no longer dictates their sense of self or behavior.

Healing Is Possible — With the Right Support

Trauma recovery isn’t linear. Some days are easier than others. Some progress feels big, while other changes are subtle. And that’s okay. What matters is that you don’t have to navigate this alone.

At Health in Tandem, our trauma-informed clinicians are here to process your trauma with you. We do this with compassion, curiosity, and evidence-based care. We believe in your capacity to heal and build a life rooted in safety, meaning, and connection. If you’re ready to take the first step, we’re here to support you.