What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy—and Why Does It Matter?

You don’t have to have experienced a “big” trauma to benefit from trauma-informed therapy. For many people, the most painful experiences aren’t dramatic events—they’re the quiet, chronic experiences that left you feeling unsafe, unseen, or not good enough.

Whether you’ve lived through abuse, neglect, discrimination, loss, or simply years of pushing down your needs, trauma-informed therapy offers a different kind of space. One that recognises your story, your nervous system, and your strength.

Trauma-informed therapy isn’t just a technique. It’s a way of working that puts your safety, dignity, and agency at the centre.

So, What Is Trauma?

Trauma isn’t defined by an event—it’s defined by its impact.

You might have experienced trauma if something happened that:

• Overwhelmed your ability to cope at the time

• Left you feeling powerless, unsafe, or ashamed

• Changed how you see yourself, others, or the world

• Got “stored” in your body or nervous system in ways you still feel today

This could include:

• Childhood emotional neglect

• Medical trauma or invasive procedures

• Car accidents or natural disasters

• Living with a critical, unpredictable, or controlling caregiver

• Experiences of racism, bullying, or marginalisation

• Sexual violence or domestic abuse

• Relational betrayals or long periods of emotional deprivation

Even if it “wasn’t that bad” on paper, your nervous system may still be carrying the impact.

What Makes Trauma-Informed Therapy Different?

Most traditional therapy focuses on what’s wrong and how to fix it. Trauma-informed therapy focuses on what happened and how it shaped your experience of the world—and how healing happens in relationship, not just insight.

Here’s how trauma-informed therapy stands apart:

1. It understands how trauma lives in the body

Trauma isn’t just a memory—it often lives on in the form of hypervigilance, shutdown, emotional numbness, or physical symptoms. Trauma-informed therapy works with the nervous system, not against it.

2. It centres safety and choice

You won’t be pressured to talk about anything before you’re ready. We’ll move at your pace, and your sense of emotional and physical safety is always the priority.

3. It sees behaviours as adaptations, not problems

Avoidance, perfectionism, overthinking, emotional detachment, or people-pleasing aren’t flaws—they’re protective strategies your mind and body developed to help you survive. In trauma-informed therapy, those parts are respected and gently explored.

4. It’s collaborative, not clinical

Rather than the therapist being the “expert” with all the answers, trauma-informed work is a partnership. You bring your lived experience; I bring my training. Together, we explore what healing looks like for you.

Why Is This Approach So Important?

Without a trauma-informed lens, therapy can unintentionally:

• Move too fast and leave you feeling exposed or overwhelmed

• Pathologise normal trauma responses as “dysfunction”

• Ignore or minimise the impact of past experiences

• Reinforce shame instead of building self-compassion

When therapy is trauma-informed, it gives you a safer foundation to heal—with more awareness, kindness, and patience for your process.

Does Trauma-Informed Mean Trauma-Focused?

Not necessarily. Trauma-informed therapy doesn’t mean you have to retell painful stories or dive deep into the past right away. Instead, it means your therapist:

• Knows how trauma might be shaping your present

• Respects your need for choice, control, and gentleness

• Helps you build capacity for safety, stability, and connection—before exploring deeper work

Sometimes the most healing thing is simply learning that your reactions make sense in context.

Is this the same as trauma therapy?

Not exactly. Trauma-informed therapy means I’m mindful of how past experiences may be affecting you, and I work in a way that prioritises safety, choice, and trust. It’s not the same as trauma therapy, which involves specific techniques to process traumatic memories. I don’t offer trauma therapy, but I do offer a safe, supportive space to explore how past experiences may be impacting your present—at your own pace.

What Does a Trauma-Informed Session Look Like?

It might involve:

• Learning to recognise your body’s stress signals and responses

• Practicing grounding or self-regulation strategies

• Exploring beliefs shaped by past experiences (e.g. “I’m too much,” “I have to handle everything alone”)

• Building emotional safety and trust in the therapeutic relationship

• Developing self-compassion and curiosity rather than judgment

Over time, you may feel:

• Less anxious or reactive

• More connected to your emotions and needs

• Better able to set boundaries

• More stable and hopeful—even when life is challenging

Final Thoughts

You Deserve to Feel Safe, Seen, and Empowered

If you’ve ever left therapy feeling misunderstood, rushed, or like you had to hold things back—trauma-informed work might feel different. It’s not about fixing you. It’s about helping you reclaim the parts of yourself that had to go into hiding.

Further Reading & References

Herman, J. (1992). Trauma and Recovery

Van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score

SAMHSA (2014). Trauma-Informed Care in Behavioral Health Services

Ogden, P. & Fisher, J. (2015). Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Siegel, D. (2012). The Developing Mind

NICE Guidelines (UK): PTSD and Complex Trauma – recommended treatments and approaches