Christina Babich Psychology

How Trauma Impacts Your Nervous System (and How Therapy Can Help You Heal)

Trauma doesn’t just live in your mind—it lives in your body. Learn how it affects your nervous system and how therapy helps restore safety and regulation.

Trauma Isn’t Just Mental—It’s Neurological

If you’ve experienced trauma—whether from a single event or chronic stress—you may notice that your body reacts in ways you can’t always control.

You might feel constantly on edge, emotionally flooded, or totally shut down. That’s not weakness—it’s your nervous system trying to protect you.

Trauma is more than a psychological experience. It physically changes the way your nervous system functions, keeping you stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. The good news? It can be healed—especially through therapy that addresses both the mind and body.

What Happens to the Nervous System After Trauma?

When you go through trauma, your body enters a survival state—mobilizing all its resources to keep you safe. But when that response doesn't shut off properly, it can lead to long-term dysregulation.

Common Signs of Nervous System Dysregulation After Trauma:

Chronic anxiety or hypervigilance
Feeling emotionally overwhelmed by small triggers
Difficulty relaxing or “coming down”
Numbness, disconnection, or feeling frozen
Trouble sleeping, digesting, or focusing

Your system is doing its best to protect you. But being stuck in this state for too long can feel exhausting, isolating, and disorienting.

Why Regulating the Nervous System Is Key to Healing

You don’t need to “think your way out” of trauma.

In fact, healing often begins by working with your body, not against it.

When you begin regulating your nervous system, you shift from survival mode into a state of rest and connection. This helps you:

Feel more grounded and calm
Improve emotional regulation
Reduce anxiety, panic, and chronic tension
Reconnect with your body, energy, and sense of self

How Therapy Helps Regulate the Nervous System

Trauma-informed therapy helps you feel safe again—in your body, in your environment, and in your relationships.

Therapeutic approaches like:

Somatic therapy or Somatic Experiencing
Trauma-focused CBT
Mindfulness and body-based practices
Polyvagal-informed interventions

These therapies are designed to reset your nervous system, build internal safety, and gently process stored trauma without retraumatizing.

Reclaiming Peace, One Session at a Time

You’re not “too sensitive.” You’re not broken. Your nervous system is responding exactly how it was wired to—but it doesn’t have to stay stuck there.

Therapy offers a space to:

Explore what happened without judgment
Release chronic tension and emotional looping
Build tools to calm and regulate your nervous system
Feel more in control, connected, and at peace

Ready to Heal from Trauma?

If you’ve been living with anxiety, emotional overwhelm, or a sense of disconnection, you’re not alone—and there is a path forward.

I specialize in trauma-informed therapy for adults, including those navigating nervous system dysregulation, anxiety, and trauma recovery.
Book a free consultation today.

Here are some other articles that might help you on your journey of trauma recovery and nervous system healing:

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How Trauma Affects Your Nervous System (And How Therapy Helps)