What Is Trauma, Really? (And Why Your Body Might Be Smarter Than Your Brain)
Let’s talk about trauma. Not the dramatic, made-for-TV kind (though that counts too), but the everyday, sneaky, lingering kind—the kind that hides behind your drive for perfection, your trouble sleeping, or your mysterious neck tension that no massage can fix.
If you're a high-achieving woman who's ever thought, “Why am I so exhausted when I’ve done nothing wrong?” or “Why do I overthink every email?”, this post is for you.
First, what is trauma?
Trauma isn’t just what happened to you—it’s what happened inside you as a result. It’s less about the event and more about how your nervous system responded to it.
You see, trauma is not only the Big-T kind (abuse, violence, sudden loss). It’s also the accumulation of Small-T events: chronic criticism, emotional neglect, the pressure to be perfect, the experience of feeling unseen or unsupported when you needed connection the most.
Trauma occurs when our body and mind are overwhelmed and don’t get the chance to process that overwhelm safely. When there's no one around to say, "You're okay. You're not alone," our nervous system stores the event like an open browser tab we never quite closed. And years later? Still running in the background.
How does trauma show up in the body?
Our bodies are incredible historians. They remember everything—especially the things we tried to forget.
Unresolved trauma can manifest as:
Chronic tension (think tight shoulders, clenched jaw, gut issues)
Fatigue that coffee can't touch
Sleep issues, even when you're “so tired”
Hypervigilance (you know, when you're relaxed and your brain whispers, “But what if something bad happens?”)
Over-reactivity or under-reactivity to stress
Feeling “numb,” disconnected, or like you’re floating outside your body during intense moments
You might also notice trauma showing up in your decisions:
Avoiding conflict, even when something really needs to be said
Saying “yes” when every cell in your body wants to scream “no”
Over-preparing or procrastinating (both are ways of coping with internal threat)
Struggling to trust others—or yourself
Trauma rewires the nervous system to scan constantly for danger. That means even everyday decisions—sending an email, setting a boundary, giving a presentation—can trigger fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses. You're not "overreacting." You're reacting from a system that learned how to survive.
Why therapy intensives can shift things fast
Now, you might be wondering, “Does this mean I need ten years of therapy to feel better?”
Good news: nope.
While traditional weekly therapy is powerful, there’s another option for those who are ready to go deeper, faster—therapy intensives.
Intensives are extended sessions (think several hours a day over a few days) that allow us to dive in, stay with the work, and process trauma in real time without the usual stop-start rhythm of weekly therapy. If regular therapy is like going to the gym once a week, intensives are like going on a focused retreat with a personal trainer who actually knows trauma and the nervous system.
In my practice, I often integrate body-based modalities like:
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) – to help reprocess traumatic memories and reduce their emotional charge.
Somatic Experiencing – to release trauma that’s stored in the body.
Parts Work/Internal Family Systems (IFS) – to work with the inner voices that hold pain, perfectionism, fear, or shame.
Polyvagal-informed interventions – to help regulate the nervous system and build capacity for safety, rest, and joy.
Because trauma lives in the body, we can’t think our way out of it. We need healing approaches that engage both mind and body. And with intensives, we can get there faster—because the momentum doesn’t get interrupted by the calendar.
I’ve had clients report feeling more relief in 2-3 days of intensive work than they did in years of talk therapy. (Not to shade talk therapy—I’m a fan! But sometimes we need a bigger exhale.)
So, is an intensive right for you?
If you’re:
Tired of feeling stuck, anxious, or over-functioning
Curious about healing in a deep, embodied way
Ready to prioritize your own restoration (finally!)
…then yes, an intensive might be just the thing.
Healing doesn’t mean you’ll never get triggered again. It means your body learns how to return to safety, faster and more easily. It means making decisions from a place of clarity instead of fear. It means reclaiming your energy for the things that actually matter—your relationships, your creative work, your peace.
Final thoughts
Trauma is not a life sentence. It's a response. And healing is not just possible—it's within reach. Whether you choose weekly therapy, a healing group, or an intensive, know this: your body isn’t broken. It’s doing its best to protect you. And with the right support can also lead you back to feeling whole, grounded, and alive.
And if you ever need someone to help you close those mental browser tabs? I know a therapist 😉 Feel free to schedule a free 15-minute consultation here.
