Trauma is an injury upon the nervous system that leaves an imprint on the mindbody. Experts, such as Bessel van der Kolk, say that trauma is always preverbal. In other words, this psychic wound can happen in early life, before a person has developed the necessary verbal skills to understand what happened, or process and make meaning out of the experience. This also means that trauma is stored in areas of the brain where thought and language do not have access to: the body.
Trauma is something that happens within the person, as a result of a hurtful or difficult situation. In the words of another lead expert in the field, Gabor Maté: “It is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you.”
As Maté suggests, it is helpful to reflect on where do I fit in the “surprisingly inclusive trauma spectrum”? Which marks of this experience do I carry and how have they impacted my life? Finally, what would life look like if I give myself the opportunity to understand and relate to those marks in a different, more functional, curious, and response-able way?
In my work, I see trauma from a multifaceted lens, and emphasize the importance of synchronizing the mindbody’s natural capacity to recover from overwhelming experiences. Through body centered approaches such as mindfulness, movement, imagery, and EMDR*; I support my clients as they reconnect with themselves, regulate their emotions, and process traumatic memories in a safe environment.
