What is Trauma? A Holistic Perspective

At Kaikoura Holistic Healing we see trauma as not just the event, but the emotional imprint that it leaves - affecting both the mind and the body. Trauma overwhelms your capacity to cope, leaving unresolved energy trapped within your nervous system.

Trauma Is an Experience, Not Just an Event

Trauma is defined by the American Psychological Association (APA) as an emotional response to a distressing event that impacts psychological well-being. But trauma is subjective - what overwhelms one person may not affect another in the same way.

Trauma can stem from:

• Major events: assault, loss of a parent, violence, or natural disasters

• Subtle wounds: unmet emotional needs, harsh criticism, caregiver neglect.

• Chronic Stress: prolonged abuse, systemic disadvantage, emotional abandonment

Dr. Gabor Maté describes:

"Trauma is not what happens to you; it is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you."

Imagine a blow to the head; the true damage is internal. Trauma shapes your beliefs, sense of safety, identity, and worldview.

How Trauma Impacts the Brain

Trauma activates key areas of the brain, disrupting emotional regulation and memory:

• The amygdala acts a threat detector, triggering the stress response (fight, flight, freeze, or fawn).

• The hippocampus shrinks under stress, affecting how memories are stored and recalled. Trauma may then resurface as flashbacks or nightmares.

• The prefrontal cortex has reduced activity, and it may be harder to concentrate, regulate emotions, or make decisions.

How Trauma Affects the Body

The body doesn't just remember trauma - it reacts to it. When the amygdala senses danger, your body enters survival mode, releasing stress hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. Over time, these responses become easily activated - even by minor triggers - keeping you in a heightened state of alert.

You may experience:

• Muscle tension and fatigue

• Digestive issues and chronic pain

• Emotional reactivity or numbness

• Addictive or self-protective behaviours

Trapped Emotions and Survival Adaptations

Trauma often involves moments when:

• You were not allowed to express your feelings

• You had to stay silent in order to feel safe or accepted.

• You felt scared, ashamed, confused without support

  
  

These unresolved emotions become trapped in the body, disconnecting you from joy, clarity, vitality. Instead, you develop survival adaptations:

• Recurring negative patterns in relationships, health, or behaviour

• Limiting beliefs about self, others, or the world

• Emotional shutdown or hypersensitivity

• Feeling stuck or unable to move forward

Even minor present-day triggers - a smell, a tone of voice, or a moment with a partner or child - can provoke a strong emotional reaction rooted in early trauma.

Healing is Possible

While we cannot change the past, we can heal the future. Many people spend years managing surface symptoms yet still feel stuck. That's because pain often lives deep in the unconscious and within the body's nervous system. Root Cause Therapy offers a path to healing by:

• Gently revisiting the moment trauma formed

• Using somatic techniques to release trapped energy

• Restoring a sense of safety and body awareness

• Empowering you to manage emotional responses and reconnect with your inner vitality

Learn more about RCT

The internal wound