Struggling to Heal from a Painful Experience? Trauma-Informed Therapy Offers the Care You Need

Conversation about trauma recovery is more than diagnoses, symptoms, and clinical interventions. For many people struggling with the aftermath of painful experience, healing is first and foremost about empathy and support, and traditional talk therapy isn’t always quite what they need.

Is it possible to talk about trauma without re-traumatising? Can anyone else understand what you’re going through? How to be sure you’re safe and can freely express all the feelings? Trauma-informed therapy is a growing framework designed to fulfill those very needs, and to gently and safely support people living with PTSD, or those who’ve survived abuse, exposure to death or serious injury.

What Is Trauma-Informed Therapy

Trauma-informed therapy helps people heal from trauma by focusing on its root causes and ensuring a safe, supportive environment; while most people experience trauma in their lifetime, around 5–6% develop PTSD, with prevalence rates varying worldwide.

The concept of trauma-informed care was first introduced in 2001 by clinical psychologist Maxine Harris and psychiatrist Roger Fallot. Both were pioneers in trauma research and mental health service design, working extensively with vulnerable and marginalized populations. Recognizing how common trauma was among people seeking support, they proposed a shift in how services are delivered — one that accounts for past trauma, not just present symptoms. 

In their foundational work “Using Trauma Theory to Design Service Systems”, they outlined five key principles for trauma-informed care: safety, trustworthiness, choice, collaboration, and empowerment.

What Makes Trauma-Informed Therapy Different

Traditional therapy often focuses on understanding and changing thoughts, emotions, or behaviors through talk and cognitive exercises. This can be effective for many, but it may overlook a crucial aspect of trauma: the body’s role in storing and expressing distress. 

Research confirms the existence of “negative body memories” — stored experiences of pain, discomfort, or other bodily sensations linked to emotional distress. These can manifest as chronic pain, dissociation, trauma re-experiencing, and other somatic symptoms, driven in part by altered brain mechanisms in the limbic system, sensory maps, insula, and cortical modulation.

Sessions move at the client’s pace, weaving consent and bodily awareness into every step, and avoiding re-triggering or re-traumatizing experiences. Rather than labeling symptoms as dysfunctional, it sees them as adaptive survival strategies developed in response to overwhelming events.

Reactions like restlessness, tension, or disconnection are understood as natural signals from your nervous system, not obstacles to progress. This respectful, compassionate approach builds trust and creates a space where healing feels possible and empowering.

Top Trauma-Informed Approaches

There are many modalities that fall under the trauma-informed umbrella. Each offers a different entry point into healing, and many practitioners blend them depending on a client’s needs.

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

Focus: Reprocessing traumatic memories through eye movements or tapping
Best for: PTSD, single-incident trauma

EMDR is one of the most researched and evidence-based treatments for posttraumatic stress disorder. Supported by over 30 randomized controlled trials, EMDR has proven effective for both adults and children, and is recommended as a first-line therapy for PTSD by most international clinical guidelines.

EMDR sessions are based on bilateral stimulation (often guided eye movements) to help the brain reprocess traumatic memories without being overwhelmed by them. It doesn’t require detailed verbal retelling, making it accessible for those who struggle to talk about what happened.

Trauma-Informed CBT

Focus: Cognitive approach grounded in safety and gradual pacing
Best for: Mild to moderate trauma, anxiety, short-term support

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) is widely used, but its trauma-informed adaptation acknowledges the limitations of purely rational frameworks in trauma recovery. This version slows things down, avoids confrontation, and incorporates body-based check-ins. It’s often used in combination with other somatic methods, even for children and adolescents.

Somatic Experiencing (SE)

Focus: Bodily sensations as a portal to release trauma
Best for: Shock trauma, chronic stress, freeze states

A scoping review of 16 studies suggests it can reduce PTSD symptoms and improve emotional and physical well-being in both people with and without trauma. Two key features of SE are its focus on building inner resources and, in some cases, the use of gentle touch. 

Developed by Dr. Peter Levine, an American psychotherapist and researcher with a Ph.D. in medical biophysics, Somatic Experiencing is a body-based therapy that helps people heal from trauma by working with the physical sensations linked to it. Rather than retelling traumatic stories, clients are guided to track tension, temperature, or tingling, and allow incomplete survival responses (such as fight or flight) to resolve naturally. 

Internal Family Systems (IFS)

Focus: The inner self as a system of “parts”
Best for: Complex trauma, inner conflict, self-criticism

IFS was created in the 1980s by Dr. Richard Schwartz, a systemic family therapist. While working with clients, he noticed they often spoke about “parts” of themselves with distinct emotions and roles. Instead of seeing these parts as pathological, Schwartz began exploring them as a natural and meaningful part of the mind’s structure. 

His approach is based on the idea that we all have sub-personalities like an inner critic, protector, or wounded child, and in trauma, these parts often become extreme or reactive. IFS helps people build relationships with their inner system, offering compassion rather than control. It’s especially useful for those with fragmented experiences of self after prolonged or developmental trauma.

In 2015, Internal Family Systems (IFS) was recognized as an evidence-based practice by the U.S. Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). Studies suggest it may help with pain, depression, and self-compassion, though its research base is still growing.

Sensorimotor Psychotherapy

Focus: Combining talk therapy with movement and somatic awareness
Best for: Developmental trauma, dissociation, body-based symptoms

Blending somatic practices with attachment theory and mindfulness, Sensorimotor Psychotherapy helps clients observe how trauma patterns show up in posture, movement, and gesture. It’s often used when trauma occurs early in life, when the body learns to adapt without words.

Polyvagal-Informed Therapy

Focus: Regulating nervous system states (with limited clinical trial evidence)
Best for: Chronic stress, vagal dysregulation, dissociation

Polyvagal Theory explains how feelings of safety activate neural circuits that calm threat responses, support health and restoration, and foster trustful, socially connected interactions. This evolutionarily informed neurophysiological framework helps clients recognize their states and work with the body’s reflexive defenses, not through willpower, but through practices that support co-regulation and safety.

What to Expect of a Trauma-Informed Therapist

A qualified trauma-informed therapist starts by creating a safe, respectful, and trusting space from the very first session. They know how trauma can affect both the mind and body and adjust their approach to fit your unique needs. Instead of asking “What needs to be fixed?”, trauma-informed practice asks “What do you need?”, shifting the focus from behavior to the experiences that shape it.

International guidelines, including those from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), identify six core principles that inform trauma-informed approaches:

• Safety – The physical, emotional, and psychological safety of service users and staff is prioritised; environments are designed to minimise perceived threats.
  
• Trustworthiness and transparency – Organisational operations, decisions, and communication are transparent, consistent, and predictable to build credibility.
  
• Peer support – Connections with others who have lived experience of trauma are facilitated to promote recovery and mutual trust.
  
• Collaboration and mutuality – Power imbalances between staff and service users are reduced through shared decision-making and mutual respect.
  
• Empowerment, voice, and choice – Service users are supported in making informed choices and are encouraged to build on personal strengths and skills.
  
• Cultural, historical, and gender sensitivity – Services acknowledge and address cultural and historical factors that shape trauma experiences, ensuring inclusivity and responsiveness.

Qualified trauma-informed therapists also pay attention to nonverbal cues like shifts in your posture, facial expression, or breathing, and use these signals to guide their approach. 

Expect them to ask about your comfort with different types of therapy and to explain their approach clearly. They will discuss boundaries and consent openly, emphasizing that your control over the process is essential. You can trust they will listen closely to your experiences without judgment and validate your feelings as real and meaningful.

FAQ: 

What kinds of trauma can trauma-informed therapy help with?

Trauma-informed therapy can assist with a wide range of traumatic experiences, including single-event trauma (accidents, assaults), complex or developmental trauma (childhood abuse, neglect), medical trauma, loss and grief, and even less obvious but impactful experiences like emotional neglect or systemic oppression.

What if the traumatic event is recent or happening in the moment, like partner abuse?

If you’re facing trauma in the present, therapy focuses first on your safety and emotional well-being. Instead of immediately processing painful memories, your therapist will help you build coping skills and calm your nervous system. They’ll also support you in finding resources and options to leave unsafe situations. 

Remember, connecting with support services and having a safety plan is just as important as therapy during this time.

Can trauma-informed therapy help if I don’t remember the traumatic event clearly?

Yes. Trauma isn’t always stored as clear memories—sometimes it’s felt as bodily tension, anxiety, or emotional numbness. Trauma-informed therapy often works through these sensations and nervous system responses rather than relying solely on verbal recall.

How does trauma-informed therapy address the impact of ongoing or repeated trauma?

Ongoing trauma requires a flexible, paced approach that prioritizes safety and stabilization. Therapists often focus first on building coping skills and nervous system regulation before exploring traumatic content to avoid overwhelming the client.

Is trauma-informed therapy effective for cultural or intergenerational trauma?

Many trauma-informed therapists integrate cultural awareness into their practice, recognizing how historical oppression, discrimination, and family legacies shape trauma responses. This broader lens helps address trauma beyond individual experiences.

Can trauma-informed therapy be combined with medication or other treatments?

Absolutely. Trauma-informed therapy often complements medical or psychiatric care. It can enhance emotional regulation and resilience, which may improve responses to medication or other interventions.

How do trauma-informed therapists handle setbacks or difficult emotions during healing?

Setbacks are seen as a normal part of the healing process. Trauma-informed therapists normalize these experiences, help clients develop grounding techniques, and emphasize pacing rather than rushing progress.

Dr. Anna Steinzeig, PhD

Neuroscientist, Workplace Wellbeing Strategist and Public Speaker

Expert Board Member

From a neuroscience perspective, trauma work rewires the brain so traumatic memories stop triggering automatic fear responses, basically by teaching the nervous system that the danger has passed. For PTSD, major guidelines recommend individual trauma-focused psychotherapies such as EMDR and Trauma-informed Cognitive Therapy as first-line options. These methods are also endorsed by WHO. Somatic or polyvagal-informed practices may aid regulation, but clinical trial evidence is comparatively limited, so they’re best viewed as adjuncts rather than stand-alone treatments.