Traumas both large and small impact people differently. “Big T” traumas, such as life-threatening experiences, and “little-T” traumas (such as painful moments of interpersonal relationship pain or betrayal, frequently stemming back to early childhood) aren’t life-threatening but life-shaping. In short, both types of trauma can equally leave someone feeling a loss of control in life. Trauma is less about WHAT happened to you and more about HOW your body’s nervous system perceived the event and integrated the memory of the event into your brain’s neural network. Because of this, two people can live through the same event and have drastically different levels of trauma. Every person’s nervous system, brain, and perception of reality is different, so we at Whole Health recognize that your trauma is unique to your personal experience. We will help you reintegrate these memories into your neural network in a way that reduces distress and increases your sense of calm and empowerment over your past.

The challenges with trauma

Traumas can range from childhood neglect or feelings of not being good enough, to physical, verbal, or emotional abuse, to toxic relationships, divorce and car accidents, to physical injuries, terminal illness and assault. Each of these one-time events or chronic occurrences continue to overwhelm the brain, causing someone to feel mentally and emotionally paralyzed. Moreover, it’s often that people may feel a lack of confidence and lower self-esteem, resulting in challenges with their relationships, careers and more.

How we’ll help you