Trauma

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Trauma — Holistic Approaches & Practitioners | Gyfts

Frequently Asked Questions

Why do two people exposed to the same traumatic event often respond differently?

Trauma response is shaped by multiple individual factors: prior trauma history (which increases sensitisation); the perceived meaning of the event (including shame, blame, and helplessness); the availability and quality of social support immediately following the event; neurobiological vulnerability including baseline HPA axis reactivity; the presence of peritraumatic dissociation (leaving during the event); and the extent to which the person's existing sense of safety and worldview is violated. Resilience following trauma is the statistical norm — the majority of trauma-exposed people do not develop PTSD — and is supported by social connection, meaning-making, and active coping.

What is somatic experiencing and how does it help with trauma?

Somatic experiencing (SE), developed by Peter Levine, is a body-oriented approach to trauma that works with the physiological dimension of traumatic activation. Levine observed that animals in the wild spontaneously discharge traumatic activation through shaking, trembling, and movement after a threat has passed — and that trauma in humans results partly from the suppression of these natural completion responses. SE uses gentle awareness of body sensations, gradual titrated contact with traumatic material, and support for the discharge of incomplete defensive responses. It is particularly useful for trauma that has not responded fully to cognitive approaches.

Can trauma be healed without talking about it in detail?

Yes — several effective trauma approaches work without requiring detailed verbal narrative of traumatic events. EMDR processes traumatic memories through bilateral stimulation with minimal verbal recounting — many people find this less retraumatising than narrative approaches. Somatic experiencing works with body sensations and physiological discharge rather than narrative. EMDR and somatic approaches are particularly helpful for preverbal trauma (occurring before language development), dissociative responses where coherent narrative is not accessible, and for those who have found verbal retelling retraumatising in the past.

What is the role of community and social connection in trauma recovery?

Recovery from trauma — particularly collective, interpersonal, or culturally specific trauma — is not only an individual process. Social connection, witnessing, validation, and community belonging are fundamental to healing. Research on post-disaster communities consistently shows that social connection and community solidarity are among the most powerful predictors of resilience and recovery. Isolation, conversely, significantly impairs trauma recovery. Trauma-informed care models now recognise that treatment must extend beyond the individual to the relational and communal contexts in which trauma occurred and healing can occur.

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Overview

Symptoms & Affected Systems

Contributing Factors

Supporting Lifestyle Strategies

Evidence Context

When to Seek Professional Help

Related Conditions

Anxiety

Depression

PTSD

Chronic Stress

Frequently Asked Questions