Healing From Trauma Starts With Feeling Seen and Supported

One of the most notable impacts from trauma is hypervigilance – the feeling of constantly needing to be “on guard” to a level where we may feel like we can never relax because of how activated we feel emotionally and physically. This is often accompanied by a persistent feeling of anxiety and intrusive physical and emotional reactions, which I would describe as feeling like our body goes into a state of emergency when we are not presently in danger. For example, you are washing the dishes and hear something fall off a shelf in the other room. You suddenly go into a panic or feel extremely irritable without completely understanding why. This constant feeling of being on high alert can make it extremely difficult to regulate our emotions and we can experience significant emotional distress or may even shut down emotionally as a result, leading us to not react to emotional situations at all. 

I remember a teacher once told me something about trauma that has always stuck with me: “trauma happens in relationship.” This means that most of the time, trauma we experience at minimum involves other people in some way but often happens at the hands of other people. As a result, this can deeply impact our sense of self in relation to others, our sense of trust in others and our ability to form healthy, interdependent relationships. A person who has experienced trauma, especially within a relational context, may struggle with depending on others, being vulnerable in their relationships, and/or developing boundaries that align with their own values. People who have experienced trauma often struggle just to identify their own values and goals separate from others’ expectations of them. 

PTSD can often present as a form of depression, in fact almost mirroring symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder. It can make us withdraw from relationships, lose interest in activities we previously enjoyed, experience a persistent lack of pleasant emotions, and it can cause a deep sense of guilt and shame. Added to the fact that many survivors of trauma feel that they are somehow at fault for the traumatic experience, we can be left with a very low sense of self worth.

Research shows that neurodivergent individuals often experience higher rates of trauma and PTSD. They also need trauma treatment adapted in a way that works for their brain and affirms their identity.

Neuroaffirming therapy needs to be collaborative, supportive of the client’s strengths, focused on the client’s own goals, and provided in a format that allows for clients to feel comfortable and regulate sensory needs. In neuroaffirming trauma therapy, we focus on reducing distress and trauma responses that the client identifies as targeted symptoms, rather than self-regulating behaviors such as stimming. I also focus on building a relationship with the client in which we can explore the possibility of unmasking throughout the trauma treatment process.