Healing from trauma

The WHO, the VA and the NHS all recommend trauma-focused talk therapies as the first choice for PTSD. They include Cognitive Processing Therapy (CPT), Prolonged Exposure (PE), EMDR and trauma-focused CBT.

You don’t need a diagnosis of PTSD to benefit from a trauma-informed therapist. The PTSD guide explains how each of these therapies works, plus shorter and gentler options.

Somatic approaches, such as Somatic Experiencing, focus on noticing body sensations and gently releasing stored stress, rather than talking through every detail.

To be honest about the evidence: a 2021 review found early signs that these approaches may help with PTSD symptoms, but the quality of studies was mixed. More strong research is needed. Many people use them alongside a proven trauma therapy.

Gentle body practices like yoga, walking, breathwork and progressive muscle relaxation can also help calm the nervous system day to day.

Talk therapy can happen in groups as well as one-to-one. Hearing others share similar experiences can make you feel less alone and less “broken”.

Peer support, from people with lived experience, is one of SAMHSA’s six principles of trauma-informed care.

In a 2014 trial, 64 women with long-lasting PTSD that had not improved with earlier treatment took either a weekly one-hour trauma-informed yoga class or a women’s health class, for 10 weeks. At the end, 52% of the yoga group no longer met the criteria for PTSD, compared with 21% of the other group.

That was one small trial, led by the book’s author. Looking across studies, the NIH’s complementary health center (NCCIH) reports that a 2018 review of 7 studies found only low-quality evidence of a possible benefit. A 2025 review of 14 exercise trials for PTSD found yoga had the largest effect of the types studied.

If you want to try it

• Look for a qualified teacher, and ask about their training in trauma
• Start gently. NCCIH advises beginners to avoid extreme poses and forceful breathing
• It’s okay to ask the teacher not to touch or adjust you
• Skip any pose or rest whenever you want. You are in charge of your body

The 2025 review of 14 randomized trials found that exercise overall reduced PTSD symptoms compared with control groups. Strength training helped too, not only yoga.

Walking, dancing, swimming, gardening or lifting weights can all be ways in. Choose something you enjoy, so you keep doing it. If you live with pain or a health condition, check with your clinical provider first. The PTSD guide’s “Pain and physical health” section has ideas for starting small.

Slow breathing and grounding are body-based skills you can use anywhere. Practise them on calm days so they’re ready on hard ones.

See “Grounding: coming back to now” in this guide, and the Breathing basics guide for step-by-step exercises and an honest look at the science. The Breathing for anxiety, panic & big feelings guide explains what to do if focusing on your breath feels worse, which can happen after trauma.

Somatic Experiencing was developed by Peter Levine. Instead of retelling the trauma in detail, people pay attention to body sensations, slowly build their ability to handle stress feelings, and draw on inner and outer resources that help them feel steady.

A 2021 review included 16 studies. It found preliminary evidence of benefit for PTSD symptoms, but only a few studies were strong enough to prove it works. Samples were small and methods varied. The authors call for larger, fair trials.

Sensorimotor psychotherapy combines talk therapy with attention to how the body moves and holds itself. In a 2021 pilot trial, 32 women with childhood trauma took part in a 20-session group or a waitlist. The group showed better body awareness and less anxiety.

The researchers called this preliminary evidence. It was small and compared the group with no treatment, so much more research is needed.

EMDR is often grouped with body-based approaches because it uses eye movements, taps or sounds. Unlike most of them, it has strong research behind it. The WHO, VA and NHS all recommend it for PTSD.

Scheeringa’s review notes that EMDR is one of the two main recommended trauma treatments, alongside CBT, but has not been shown to work better than CBT. The PTSD guide’s “Therapies that help” section explains how it works.

SAMHSA, the U.S. agency for mental health, describes a trauma-informed program or organization with four Rs.

The four Rs, in plain words

• Realize: it understands how widespread trauma is, and that recovery is possible
• Recognize: it notices signs of trauma in the people it serves, their families, and its own staff
• Respond: it builds what it knows about trauma into its rules, routines and everyday practice
• Resist re-traumatization: it works hard not to repeat harm, even by accident

Notice that staff are included. Helpers carry trauma too, and a trauma-informed place looks after them as well.

What each one means for you

• Safety: you feel physically and emotionally safe
• Trustworthiness and transparency: things are explained clearly and honestly
• Peer support: people with lived experience are part of healing
• Collaboration: you and your helper work as a team, with power shared
• Empowerment, voice and choice: your strengths and choices are respected
• Culture, history and gender: your background and identity are understood

Re-traumatization is when a service accidentally recreates something that feels like the original harm. SAMHSA notes, for example, that seclusion and restraint in care settings can cause psychological harm and physical injury.

Everyday examples

• A procedure starting without explanation or warning
• Being touched without being asked first
• Being told to “calm down” or not being believed
• Having to repeat a painful story to many different people
• Feeling unable to leave, ask questions, or say stop

Trauma-informed care is built on voice and choice. That means you can say what helps you feel safe. Most good providers will be glad you told them.

Requests people find helpful

• “Please tell me what you’re going to do before you do it.”
• “Can you ask before you touch me?”
• “I’d like to sit near the door.”
• “Can I bring someone with me?”
• “I may need a short break. Can we agree on a signal?”
• “I’d rather not go into details today.”
• “Can I see a provider of a particular gender?”

The VA’s signs of quality care

• You’re involved: your provider explains the options and you choose together, based on your goals
• You follow a proven treatment: trauma-focused therapies like CPT, PE and EMDR have the best chance of working
• Your progress is measured: often with short questionnaires that you review together
• You are improving: your own sense of progress matters

Not every sign has to be there for care to be good, but each one improves your chances. If you are not getting better, a good provider will talk with you about changing the plan.

Think about how this person has handled other private things. Do they keep confidences? Do they listen without jumping in with advice? Do they stay calm? Those are good signs.

People survivors often start with

• A therapist or counselor, who is trained to listen and keeps things confidential
• A trusted friend who has been through hard things too
• A support group or hotline, where you can share without giving your name
• A faith leader, coach or teacher you trust
• A doctor or nurse, especially if what happened affects your health

Telling your story is not all or nothing. You can say “Something happened when I was a kid that still affects me” without saying what. You can share more later, or never.

Ways to open the door

• “I want to tell you something, but I don’t want to go into details.”
• “I just need you to listen. You don’t have to fix anything.”
• “This is hard for me to say. Can we go somewhere private?”
• “I’m telling you so you understand why I react to certain things.”

A simple plan

1. Decide what you want to share, and what you’d rather keep private.
2. Decide what you want from them: listening, a hug, help finding a therapist, or just understanding.
3. Pick a private time when neither of you is rushed.
4. Plan something comforting for afterwards, like a walk, a shower, or texting a friend.
5. Remind yourself: however they react, telling was brave.

It is normal to feel shaky, tearful, exposed or even relieved afterwards, sometimes into the next day. Use your grounding skills and be gentle with yourself.

Sometimes people react with shock, blame, disbelief, or by making it about themselves. The 2019 review found that these negative reactions seem to hurt more than positive reactions help, which is why a bad reaction can sting so much.

If this happens, it is not proof that you shouldn’t have spoken, or that nobody will understand. Try again with someone else, like a therapist, hotline or support group, where people are trained to respond well.

Some survivors find meaning in sharing their story publicly, through social media, writing, art or advocacy. It can help others feel less alone and push for change.

Questions to ask yourself first

• Am I ready for comments I can’t control, including unkind ones?
• Could this affect my safety, job, family, or a legal case?
• Would I be comfortable with this being online years from now?
• Do I have people to lean on after I post?

“New possibilities” is one of the five areas of growth Tedeschi and Calhoun describe. Some people change careers, start volunteering, or find a cause that gives the hard experience meaning.

What it can look like

• A survivor who trains as a peer supporter
• A parent who starts a support group after losing a child
• Someone who finally goes back to school or art

“Relating to others” is another of the five areas. People often describe knowing who their real friends are, feeling closer to them, and feeling more compassion for others going through hard times.

“Personal strength” is a third area. Many survivors feel more able to handle hard things, while also feeling more aware of how fragile life can be.

“Spiritual change” is the fourth area. For some, faith deepens. Others wrestle with big questions and come to new beliefs. Both can be part of growth.

“Appreciation of life” is the fifth area. People describe valuing each day more and changing their priorities, like spending more time with family.

Growth and pain are not opposites. Many people feel both side by side, sometimes for years. And not finding growth is not a failure.

Things that may help growth over time

• Being with people who listen without rushing you
• Making sense of what happened, often with a therapist
• Helping others, when you feel ready
• Writing, art, prayer or other ways of reflecting

Let your loved one know you are there to listen whenever they want to talk, and that it’s okay if they don’t. Pushing for details can make someone feel unsafe.

Things that help to say

• “I believe you.”
• “It’s not your fault.”
• “You don’t have to tell me anything you don’t want to.”
• “How can I help right now?”

Things to avoid

• “Just get over it.”
• “Why didn’t you…?”
• “It could have been worse.”
• Giving advice they didn’t ask for

Right after a traumatic event, people often feel shocked, numb, jumpy or tearful. Your calm presence can help their body start to settle.

Ways to help

• Help them feel safe and meet basic needs: a meal, a warm drink, a ride home
• Offer to stay with them, or check in by text
• Take on practical tasks like childcare, calls or paperwork
• Let them talk if they want to, without pushing for details
• Gently encourage regular sleep, meals and some daily routine
• Watch for drinking or drug use as a way to cope

If after a few weeks their reactions aren’t easing, or are getting in the way of work, school or relationships, encourage them to see a counselor or doctor.

Pulling away from others is a common trauma reaction. Gently keep the door open: invite them for a walk, a meal or a simple outing, without pressure.

Learn about trauma so you understand what they’re going through, and notice which situations seem to be triggers.

Practical help can make a big difference: looking up therapists together, helping schedule appointments, or offering a ride.

If things aren’t getting better after some weeks of treatment, encourage them to talk with their provider about it.

When emotions run high, a time-out that either person can call helps. Agree on a signal and a time to come back to the conversation.

Talk calmly, use “I” statements, take turns, and avoid blame.

Supporting someone through trauma can be draining. You won’t have all the answers, and change may be slow. You can’t fix another person.

Keep up your own friendships, interests and rest. Lean on family, friends, faith communities, support groups or a counselor of your own.

The CDC lists communities where people feel connected and involved, and where violence is not accepted, as protective against childhood trauma.

What communities can do

• Offer mentoring and after-school programs for young people
• Teach healthy relationship skills
• Support affordable childcare and family-friendly workplaces
• Make sure therapy and crisis help are available when trauma happens

Some communities carry trauma from war, forced displacement, or long histories of discrimination. CDC data show that some groups, like American Indian or Alaska Native and multiracial adults, report more childhood adversity, which points to unequal stress, not personal weakness.

Trauma-informed care pays attention to culture, history and gender. Cultural traditions, language, faith and community gatherings can also be powerful sources of healing.

The VA lists faith or spiritual communities among the places families can turn to for support. Prayer, worship, ritual and caring congregations can bring comfort and belonging.

Many survivors stay quiet because of shame or fear of not being believed. Talking openly in families, schools, workplaces and faith groups helps people see they are not alone.