This Months’ blog post was written by Rosie Easter, LCSW at Grimes Effective Therapy.
“What really is Trauma?”
How do you define PTSD and trauma? Were you told that trauma only affects people from combat, bad car crashes, or other life-threatening situations? If so, you’re not alone. Many people grew up with this limited view of what trauma is and who it impacts.
In 2026, misinformation about trauma might feel even more widespread than accurate information. Not every stressful event causes trauma, but trauma is more complex than many think. If traumatic experiences have affected you, and you want to find ways to cope, keep reading.
Dr. Elyssa Barbash defines different types of trauma, as either Small “t” or Large “T” (Barbash, 2017). Large ‘T’ Trauma refers to major events often linked with trauma and can include natural disasters, the death of a loved one, car accidents, assaults, or combat. Small ‘t’ trauma, although commonly misunderstood, holds significant importance. Frequent harmful events can greatly affect a person over time.
These may include repeated rejection, emotional neglect, or feeling unsafe. Growing up in a conflict-filled environment also plays a role. Trauma isn’t just what happens to you. It also involves how your nervous system, your body’s communication system, reacts. It’s about what that experience means to you. It shapes your identity, sense of belonging, and safety.
Some common responses to trauma can include:
- Losing hope for the future
- Feeling distant or detached from others
- Difficulty concentrating or making decisions
- Feeling jumpy, startling easily, or feeling on guard
- Avoiding people, places, and things related to the event
Some common physical responses to trauma include:
- Changes in appetite, sleep, and increased fatigue
- Pounding heart, rapid breathing, feeling shaky, sweating
- Worsening of chronic pain, including headaches, or the impact of other medical conditions
Some common emotional changes after trauma include:
- Feeling nervous, helpless, fearful, or sad
- Feeling shocked, numb, or less able to feel love or joy
- Being irritable or having angry outbursts
- Blaming yourself or having negative views of oneself or the world
- Difficulty trusting others or urges to control factors in your life
- Being withdrawn, feeling rejected, or abandoned
The aftermath and symptoms of traumatic experiences differ a lot person to person. Not everyone who goes through trauma will show trauma responses. Also, not everyone will get a diagnosis of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). However, with or without a formal diagnosis a person’s experience and how they process it are completely valid.
The LGBTQ community uniquely experiences trauma when it relates to their identity. Let’s be clear, being LGBTQ does not cause more trauma, stress, or mental health issues. LGBTQ individuals often face trauma due to societal prejudice, discrimination, and rejection. They also encounter barriers to safety and belonging. This is often called Minority Stress (Center for Community Practice, n.d.).
Research shows that affirming a person’s gender identity helps their mental health. Access to gender-affirming care, when wanted, is linked to less psychological distress. Access to supportive social networks, acceptance, and community are key protective factors for the wellbeing of TGD (Transgender and Gender Diverse) individuals. (Tordoff et al., 2022). Building a support circle that recognizes and values who you are is crucial. It’s important for validating your experiences, especially your trauma. This kind of support can be life-saving. This includes friends, community groups, medical providers, and therapists who create safe spaces that are trauma-informed and affirm identity.
************ “Without community, there is no liberation.” – Audrey Lorde, 1979 ************
“How can therapy help? Where do I start?”
Many people turn to therapy for help after trauma. They often deal with ongoing trauma symptoms and distress. Some people seek therapy for depression or anxiety. They often find that trauma is the root of their struggles during their healing journey.
The most helpful therapy for healing trauma will include an approach that best fits the ways trauma is impacting your life right now. If you find it hard to manage emotions, handle intense distress, or deal with relationship issues, you and your therapist might agree that Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) is a good starting point. If you have intrusive memories or feel trapped by past trauma, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing Therapy (EMDR) may help. If you’re in conflict with different parts of yourself or struggle with self-criticism, consider finding a therapist trained in Internal Family Systems Therapy (IFS). They can help you understand yourself better. You can read more about common therapeutic modalities or approaches in the CTH July blog post.
Therapy is not a one-size-fits-all support. The best therapy fit likely means your therapist will use different treatment methods. These methods should be based on evidence and tailored to meet your needs. Ultimately, your comfort and trust with your therapist is key to creating a safe space and foundation for your trauma healing.
“How do I manage the impact of my trauma?”
This blog post isn’t a replacement for therapy. However, using self-care and stress management tools often can help a lot. Understanding what triggers PTSD and trauma responses is essential to managing it.
Common triggers can include (University Behavioral Health Center, 2025):
- Certain sounds
- Sights
- Images
- Smells
- Similar situations
- Environments
- Specific thoughts or emotions
Here are some tools that may help to regulate your nervous system when you are feeling overwhelmed, anxious or disconnected:
- Try grounding in the current moment with your senses:
- Name 5 things you can see,
- Name 4 things you can feel,
- Name 3 things you can hear,
- Name 2 things you can see,
- Name 1 thing you can taste.
- Try slow, steady breathing:
- Breathe in slowly through your nose for 5 seconds. Then, exhale through your mouth for 7 seconds
- You can also try box breathing: inhale for 5 seconds, hold for 5 seconds, then exhale for 5 seconds
- Notice any feelings of relaxation afterwards
- Comfort with your senses:
- Listen to calming music or nature sounds
- Smell a favorite scented candle or essential oil
- Hold a soft blanket, stuffed animal, or textured object
- Drink a warm beverage slowly and mindfully
- Connect with someone you trust:
- Call, text, or reach out to a trusted friend or loved one
- Cuddle with a pet
- Research and consider attending a local trusted support group
- Practice mindfulness by paying attention to the present moment without judging it by:
- Practicing a short meditation
- Taking a mindful walk
- Spending time in nature
- Noticing your thoughts, feeling, and surroundings with curiosity
There is power in how we talk to ourselves and how we tell our story. You can try normalizing your healing experience through affirming statements like these (Sachs Barton, n.d.):
- I am safe in my own skin.
- I am worthy of loving and being loved.
- My voice matters and is valuable.
- Asking for help is brave.
- My story is my own.
- My healing is not linear and that’s okay.
- I don’t need permission to heal the way I heal.
- I am not a number or a statistic.
- My needs, feelings and emotions are valid. My story is my own.
- How I was treated is not my fault, the shame is not mine to carry.
- I am more than my story and my trauma.
- I deserve JOY.
- I am capable of having a beautiful life.
Wherever you are in your healing journey – whether you’re facing each moment or day, or starting to feel more confident – there are ways to support yourself.
**** “We don’t have to do all of it alone. We were never meant to.” -Brene Brown, 2015****
References:
Barbash, E. (2017, March 17). Different Types of Trauma: Small ‘t’ versus Large ‘T’: An
accumulation of smaller or less pronounced events can still be traumatic. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/trauma-and-hope/201703/different-types-trauma-small-t-versus-large-t
Center for Community Practice. (n.d.). What is Minority Stress? Center for Community Practice.
https://www.urccp.org/article.cfm?ArticleNumber=69
Sachs Barton, M. (n.d.). Healing Affirmations: Tips from a Survivor. Survivor Space.
https://survivorspace.org/tip-sheet/healing-affirmations/
Tordoff, D. M., Wanta, J. W., Collin, A., Stepney, C., Inwards-Breland, D. J., & Ahrens, K.
(2022). Mental Health Outcomes in Transgender and Nonbinary Youths Receiving Gender-Affirming Care. JAMA network open, 5(2), e220978. https://doi.org/10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2022.0978
University Behavioral Health Center (2025, February 2017). Living with PTSD: Skills to Help
You Cope. University Behavioral Health Center. https://universitybehavioral.com/blog/skills-to-help-you-cope-with-ptsd/