Trauma & relationships
How to heal from trauma: 9 strategies for moving forward
Healing from trauma takes time, and recovery is a process, not a race.
By Dr. Juli Fraga, Psy.D • Clinically reviewed by Caitlin Pugh, LCSW
Whether it’s childhood neglect, the unexpected loss of a loved one, or discrimination, trauma can shatter your sense of safety. Both emotional and physical trauma can cause distressing emotions, worrisome thoughts, and painful memories. Like a serious illness, traumatic experiences can affect your sleep, appetite, and overall functioning.
Healing from trauma takes time. Recovery is a process, not a race. With support, therapy, and coping strategies, you can work through your trauma and reclaim a sense of control. Read on to learn about common responses to trauma, ways to cope, and how to seek additional support when you need it most.
What is trauma?
Trauma is when you experience a distressing event that rattles your sense of safety in relationships, in your body, or in your environment. Examples include emotional or narcissistic abuse, racism, a severe health event, and bullying, to name a few.
Trauma is a subjective experience, and each person responds differently. Research shows that the effects can linger, affecting the way you think, feel, and behave. For instance, after a car crash, you might experience flashbacks and feel like the trauma is recurring, or feel terrified of getting behind the wheel.
If trauma occurred within a relationship, such as abuse by a caregiver or betrayal by a partner, you might feel hypervigilant around other people. This happens because trauma can put your nervous system on alert. While this is your body’s way of alerting you to a threat, this response can make non-threatening experiences, such as meeting a new friend for coffee, feel scary.
These reactions can occur even if you don’t have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). In fact, research shows that PTSD affects a small number of survivors, which means that over time, traumatic responses generally improve for most of us.
What are the most common causes of trauma?
It’s common to associate trauma with physical harm like an attack or abuse. However, many different kinds of experiences can be traumatic, even if they don’t leave physical scars.
Emotional mistreatment, especially when it occurs within relationships that should help you feel safe, can undo your sense of security and cause emotional trauma. For instance, children whose parents repeatedly shame and insult them can take years to recover from these psychological wounds.
Here are some common causes of trauma:
- Accidents, disease, or serious injuries
- Physical or sexual assault/violence
- Childhood abuse or emotional neglect
- Domestic violence
- Unexpected loss of a loved one
- Natural disasters or accidents
Traumatic experiences like accidents and natural disasters are “acute.” As distressing as these experiences are, they are single, one-time incidents. Other experiences, such as domestic violence, bullying, and emotional abuse, are “complex” because they occur over and over.
Repeated exposure to distressing experiences can intensify the impact of traumatic stress. It’s more challenging for the mind and body to recover if you feel unsafe on a regular basis.
Whether the trauma is acute or complex, finding support plays an important role in healing and recovery. Research shows that therapy and peer support help and remind you that you’re not alone.
Symptoms of trauma
Trauma responses are wide and varied. There’s no right or wrong way to feel. Like grief, traumatic stress affects each person uniquely, and many of your emotional, physical, and psychological reactions are normal responses to abnormal events.
Each person can experience different mental health symptoms, and these symptoms can change over time. Here are a few examples of them.
Emotional symptoms
- Anxiety and fear
- Anger
- Guilt
- Feeling numb
Psychological symptoms
- Withdrawing from others
- Difficulty concentrating
- Trouble remembering things
Physical symptoms
- Sleep problems
- Being easily startled or on edge
- Low energy or fatigue
- Appetite changes
- Upset stomach/GI problems
9 strategies to heal from a traumatic event
Healing from trauma isn’t about erasing what happened; it’s learning to do things that can help your mind and body feel calm and safe again.
Try slow breathing to settle your body
Taking slow breaths can calm down the nervous system and remind your body that you’re safe, even when it doesn’t feel that way.
Move your body in gentle ways
Moving your body in gentle ways, whether that’s taking a walk or doing a few Yoga poses, can help reduce feelings of anxiety and depression and improve sleep.
Build a steady routine
Trauma shakes your sense of control; building up a daily routine helps restore it. Examples include waking up at the same time each morning, eating nutritious meals, and taking breaks to go for walks or have a cup of tea.
Reconnect with supportive people
Reconnecting with supportive people provides a sense of support, which reminds you you’re not alone.
Journal with a focus on feelings and patterns
Take time to journal. Journaling about your emotions and any patterns that you notice can help the brain make sense of what happened, helping you feel less confused. It also helps you process your emotions and experiences so they become a memory — not something you live with daily.
Do things that make you feel confident
Take time to do things that make you feel confident. Reengaging with activities that feel empowering is a wonderful way to remember that your trauma does not define you.
Prioritize good sleep habits
Establish a solid sleep rhythm. Begin a calm bedtime routine, such as listening to calming music, having a warm beverage, and going to bed at the same time each night. A solid night's sleep helps you regulate your emotions and manage stress.
Helping others (when you’re ready)
Whether you help a friend or begin volunteering, altruism can bolster your well-being. Joining a peer support group, where you can lend advice to others with similar struggles, can be empowering.
Set gentle boundaries with triggers
Trauma can strip away your sense of agency, but setting boundaries can help you restore this. Knowing when to set limits also reinforces that you can protect yourself, which can feel empowering.
These tools can help reduce stress, but if symptoms aren’t improving or are interfering with daily life, working with a licensed therapist can be helpful.
FAQs
Is it possible to heal from trauma?
Yes, it’s absolutely possible to heal from trauma. Trauma researchers have identified many different types of therapy that can aid in your healing and mental health recovery.
Is healing childhood trauma different from recovering from a car accident?
Trauma that occurs repeatedly, often within a relationship is called complex, while recovering from a car accident is an acute trauma. Different types of therapy can help you recover from either situation. Headway’s skilled and trained therapists can put together a treatment plan that’s right for you.
Can you feel traumatized even if the trauma didn’t happen to you?
Yes, this is called secondary trauma. You can experience secondary trauma if your child gets in an accident or a loved one gets diagnosed with a serious illness.
Find the right trauma therapist for you on Headway
Healing from trauma takes time. You don’t have to face it alone. In addition to self-guided strategies, speaking with a trauma-informed therapist can help.
If you’re looking for therapy tailored to your needs and preferences, Headway helps you find licensed, in-network therapists and psychiatrists who accept your insurance — making it as easy as possible to access support when you’re ready.
This content is for general informational and educational purposes only and does not constitute clinical, legal, financial, or professional advice. All decisions should be made at the discretion of the individual or organization, in consultation with qualified clinical, legal, or other appropriate professionals.
© 2025 Therapymatch, Inc. dba Headway. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission.
Trauma & relationships
Here’s how to deal with a breakup
Wondering how to deal with a breakup and what to do after? Here are eight ways to heal as you get over someone.
4 types of therapy for PTSD
With many different therapy approaches, it can be difficult to understand their differences and how they support people with PTSD.