The nervous system & trauma
THE BASICS OF
ORIGIN OF THE WORD "TRAUMA"
The word trauma originates from the Greek word for "wound." Entering the English language in the 17th century, it focused on physical injury. In the late 19th century, amid war, industrial accidents, and the treatment of mental illness, it expanded to include emotional and physiological disruption when overwhelming events were not fully processed (i.e., not fully felt, understood, or filed away as being over).
CONTEMPORARY TRAUMA DEFINITION
"Trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside of you as a result of what happened to you.” - DR. GABOR MATE
Trauma forms our coping responses due to not having sufficient support to handle overwhelming events. It disconnects us from the present moment (such as our emotions) and it forms specific beliefs and habits to maintain that very disconnection — to keep us "safe".
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM & TRAUMA
The autonomic nervous system (ANS) is a network connecting the brain, spinal cord, and body that regulates involuntary functions and detects safety or danger. When detecting danger, it can shift us into survival responses — such as fight or flight — which can prioritize immediate protection over long-term results. Trauma can keep us in survival mode longer, shaping how we think, feel, and relate and limiting our access to the resources we need to operate at our best.
NEGATIVE EFFECTS OF TRAUMA
Trauma leads to many limiting habits of thinking, feeling, and behaving and can result in negative life outcomes across many life domains, such as:
one's sense of self
spiritual connection & inner
knowing
emotional regulation
stress & coping
strategies /
cognition & memory
behaviors
work
relationships
physical & mental health
& more
Because the nervous system plays a central role in learning, growth, and change — and trauma can shape how it functions — I’ve included some background on both.
It's a Powerful Approach!
Trauma-informed coaching creates enough space to understand yourself more deeply and make changes without rushing the process and then finding yourself frustrated and unable to follow through sustainably.
Together, we pay attention to your thoughts, emotions, sensations, other bodily signals, and nervous-system responses, as well as what is happening within your relationships and how you treat yourself. This helps you strengthen what supports you, recognize what keeps you stuck or feeling angry or anxious, and move toward greater steadiness, self-trust, and choice — so you can respond in ways that create better outcomes.
This approach can be especially helpful when part of you wants to move forward, while stress, overwhelm, or protective patterns make change feel so much harder than it “should” be.
This deeper work has been at the center of my own self-development journey — and it's
the best gift I could have ever given myself.
And it was the only process that has ever created lasting results for me.
ABOUT
TRAUMA-INFORMED coaching
Coaching vs. mental health treatment
Coaching creates a partnership that helps you build your capacities and emotional intelligence skills, increase both your effectiveness and your well-being, and develop a deeper connection to your body and its wisdom. It also supports you in planning and taking manageable steps toward your goals.
When someone is seeking treatment for a mental health condition, relief from high emotional distress, or support for unresolved trauma that leaves them with little sense of internal safety or substantially interferes with their daily functioning, working with a licensed mental health professional is generally the more appropriate source of care. Yet, at times, coaching and therapy can also complement one another beautifully, and I’m happy to explore whether coaching could be a good fit for you!
And Choosing a Trauma-Informed Practitioner
I invite you to visit my ABOUT page and to
reach out for a complimentary virtual Discovery Call
to get aquainted!