Trauma and Healing

Trauma is Neurobiological

The latest research into trauma all points to one main cause of trauma: our system of storing memories. Our memory comes from a few different places in the brain that include our emotions, our sensory experience, and our factual narrative. Trauma interrupts our normal process of integrating and storing memories so the memories stay stuck or fragmented. As these trauma memories stay stuck and un-integrated, your synaptic patterns strengthen and create new, strong neural pathways that are self-reinforcing and cause symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and panic.

Two Forms of Trauma

Trauma comes in two main forms: events and environments. The key difference here is that event traumas appear as disruptions in your usual experience and environmental traumas are your usual experience.

Traumatic events

Trauma centered on an event is what most people think of when they hear about Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). We have an image of someone going to war and witnessing or experiencing a traumatic event. Similarly, people who have gone through a natural disaster would fall under this category. Even though this trauma happens in a single event, the effects can linger for a very long time.

Traumatic environments

Trauma in your environment is more difficult to notice. On the extreme end, a traumatic environment could look like ongoing physical, sexual, or emotional abuse. Environmental trauma tends to be more relational because it usually happens within your family of origin. Because of our natural attachment to our caregivers, children who grow up in traumatic environments take on the message that there is something wrong with them to make their caregivers reject or harm them.

Worst of both worlds: traumatic events within traumatic environments

Of course, these two forms of trauma aren’t exclusive. People living in a traumatic environment can experience an additional traumatic event, or people who go through a traumatic event might expect assistance or comfort only to find an invalidating environment. Trauma is complex, and we are still doing research into the different ways people experience trauma.

Going through Trauma Doesn’t Always Lead to “Having” Trauma

Most people who go through a traumatic event will not develop PTSD according to VA research. That really surprised me when I read that information because I (and most people) assume that going through something traumatic means there should be some sort of trauma reaction. About 70% of people will go through a traumatic event in their lifetime, but only about 20% will develop PTSD. At any given point in time, the researchers estimate about 5% of the population currently meets criteria for PTSD according to the DSM-5.

What factors lead to trauma resilience?

Since the core of trauma is a disruption to the way memories are stored, there are several key factors that researchers are exploring to help us understand why some people develop mental health symptoms after traumatic events and other people don’t.

One of the most important factors is healthy relationships. We know from studies in neuroscience that our minds co-regulate with other people. As children, we develop our synaptic patterns based on interactions with our caregivers, and even as adults our relationships help our brains to function better.

Another factor in the research is our ability to develop a narrative about the trauma. People who don’t develop PTSD often have a trauma narrative that is non-blaming, does not frame the world as a dangerous place, and does not extend the danger into the future.

Community support helps us be more resilient. In addition to creating our personal narrative of how and why the trauma happened, it’s important that our community narrative is also one of support and hope. Social support minimizes the sense of isolation that often follows a traumatic event.

Your mind naturally seeks integration and healing

Even without therapy, many people who do have trauma symptoms or have a PTSD diagnosis will resolve the traumatic memories on their own. It’s totally normal to have a trauma reaction to an unexpected, harmful, or dangerous event. Your innate healing processes may take some time to work through and process your experience.

While this process of healing is natural, there are a number of factors that can block your ability to resolve the trauma on your own. There is nothing wrong with you if you have been stuck with recurring trauma symptoms for a long time. Although integration is a natural process, it is not automatic or inevitable

Therapy can facilitate integration and help you overcome blocks

Research into the effectiveness of therapy demonstrates that the relationship you have with your therapist is the core of the healing. This goes back to what we know about neurobiology and co-regulation. Working through your trauma memories and symptoms with a grounded, attuned, and supportive person creates space for your neural nets to rework themselves into healthier patterns.

Therapy is neurobiological and relational

We know now that the brain continues to grow and develop throughout our lives. This gives us hope that the trauma-based synaptic pathways can be rewired into healthier responses. Techniques like Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) use bilateral stimulation to help facilitate integration between the different parts of your brain. And developing trust and attunement with your therapist gives you a strong relational framework to rebuild healthy neural nets. The neurobiological component to trauma healing is why it is important to find a therapist with good training and skills. The relational side to healing is the reason it’s important to find a therapist you genuinely like and trust.

Discover how online trauma therapy can release you from stuck memories

Hi, I’m Jessica and I’m a licensed therapist in Aptos, CA providing online therapy to people living in California. I help people explore their past, present, and future from a trauma-informed lens. Through talk therapy and EMDR, my clients find relief from their pain and feel liberated to find a new way of approaching life.

If you’re tired of feeling like your past has a chokehold on your life, contact me to schedule a free 15 minute consultation to learn how online trauma therapy with me can create meaningful changes in your life. Not quite sure yet? In our consultation, I can answer any questions you have about therapy and if I’m not the right fit for you, I am part of an excellent community of trauma therapists and I can help connect you to someone who might fit your unique needs.