Trauma
Trauma refers to unresolved survival responses that remain active in the body after overwhelming or threatening experiences. These responses — including fight, flight, freeze, and collapse — are the nervous system’s way of protecting us in the face of danger.
When the body is unable to complete a survival response (for example, when it cannot successfully fight or flee), the nervous system may shift into freeze or collapse. In freeze, the system holds high energy in place while immobilizing the body. In collapse, the system shuts down more fully, often leading to disconnection or dissociation.
If these responses do not resolve after the threat has passed, the stored energy can contribute to long-term nervous system dysregulation.
This unresolved activation can manifest in various ways, including:
Chronic stress, fatigue, or pain
Dissociation or emotional numbness
Addictive or compulsive behaviors
Immune, digestive, or hormonal imbalances
Trauma can arise from a range of experiences — physical, medical, emotional, developmental, or biochemical. When trauma is layered or repeated over time, it may be referred to as complex trauma.
Importantly, trauma is not defined solely by the events themselves, but by the body’s ongoing physiological response to those events. This means healing is possible — not by changing the past, but by changing how the body relates to those experiences in the present.
Healing Trauma
Healing trauma involves supporting the nervous system to release stored survival energy and return to regulation. This begins by reconnecting with the body’s felt sense — the internal flow of sensations beneath thoughts or narratives.
Because trauma can be reactive, the first step is developing internal resources, including body awareness, breath practices, and visualization techniques designed to increase resilience and stability.
From this foundation, it becomes possible to gently process unresolved survival responses, allowing them to complete and release at a pace that respects the body’s natural rhythm. This process helps restore balance, connection, and a greater sense of agency in daily life.