Trauma & Post-Traumatic Stress

Trauma occurs when an experience overwhelms a person’s ability to cope and threatens their sense of safety, stability, or emotional integrity. Trauma can result from a single, discrete event or from ongoing or repeated experiences over time. While many people experience traumatic events in their lives, the impact of trauma varies widely. What feels overwhelming or traumatic to one person may not affect another in the same way, and trauma symptoms do not always appear immediately.

Traumatic experiences can include childhood abuse or neglect, emotional or sexual violence, medical trauma, accidents, sudden loss, domestic violence, community violence, natural disasters, military combat, or repeated exposure to others’ trauma. Trauma can also arise from chronic environments, such as chaotic or invalidating households, where safety and emotional needs were not consistently met.

Trauma affects the nervous system and can shape how you relate to yourself, others, and the world. Some people develop symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), such as intrusive memories, hypervigilance, or avoidance. Others experience trauma-related distress through anxiety, depression, emotional numbing, shame, difficulty trusting others, chronic stress, or physical symptoms. Many people do not identify their experiences as “trauma” until they notice patterns that feel hard to explain or shift.

Avoidance is a common and understandable trauma response. Avoiding reminders, emotions, or sensations associated with a traumatic experience often helps people survive in the short term. Over time, however, avoidance can limit emotional range, disrupt relationships, and lead to symptoms such as panic, irritability, disconnection, substance use, or chronic physical tension.

At Therapists of New York, our clinicians are trained to treat trauma across a wide range of presentations. We work with individuals who are processing a single traumatic event as well as those who have lived with chronic or developmental trauma. Trauma therapy is not one-size-fits-all. Some clients benefit from directly processing traumatic memories, while others focus first on stabilizing symptoms, understanding trauma responses, and strengthening nervous system regulation. What matters most is that therapy moves at your pace and supports a sense of safety and agency.

In trauma-focused therapy, you may work on:

• Understanding how trauma affects the brain, body, and nervous system

• Identifying trauma triggers and learned survival responses

• Reducing avoidance and building tolerance for difficult emotions

• Learning grounding and regulation skills to manage overwhelm

• Exploring how trauma influences self-esteem and relationship patterns

• Developing self-compassion and reducing shame or self-blame

• Integrating traumatic experiences into your broader life story without being defined by them

Healing from trauma does not mean erasing the past. It means helping your nervous system feel safer in the present and restoring choice, connection, and meaning in your life.

If you’re struggling with trauma or post-traumatic stress and want support that honors your experience and autonomy, you can schedule a consultation with one of our clinicians below.