Distressing and Traumatic Experiences
Many of us carry the weight of experiences we were never given the tools to process. Not always dramatic, visible events. Sometimes it is the slow accumulation of feeling unsafe, unseen, or overwhelmed during years when we had no choice but to absorb it.
Recognising that is not about blaming anyone. It is about understanding why your nervous system still behaves as if the threat is current, even when your conscious mind knows it isn’t.
Understanding Trauma
While many associate trauma or Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) with ‘Big T’ events like accidents, war, or domestic abuse, it’s now understood that lower-level, but persistent stressors can be traumatising. In fact any chronic cumulative experiences that induce stress, fear, or a sense of helplessness can lead to emotional dysregulation and the development of traumatic responses within our subconscious and body. This is particularly true when these experiences are endured during childhood. Examples include an unhappy home life, a physically or mentally ill family member, parental breakup, or persistent financial worries.
The reason past events can have such a hold on us is that the subconscious and body don’t experience time the way the conscious mind does. What the conscious mind has processed and moved on from, the subconscious and body may still be carrying, replaying on a loop, and treating as a current threat. To your subconscious and body, something that happened 5, 10, or 40 years ago can feel as present and urgent as if it is happening now.
Recognising the Symptoms of Trauma in Yourself
Unprocessed trauma can manifest in various ways, including emotional, physical, and behavioural symptoms. They can also be root causes of co-occurring disorders, such as substance abuse, eating disorders, and other behavioural health issues.
If the symptoms resulting from a traumatic or distressing event become overwhelming or persist for more than a couple of weeks, seeking professional assistance is advisable.
How I work
Talking about what happened can bring temporary relief. But retelling the story keeps the conscious mind in the driver’s seat, and the conscious mind isn’t where the imprint lives.
I work at the level of the subconscious and the body, where distressing experiences are actually stored. Not by reliving them or rationalising them. By working directly with what the nervous system is still holding, and giving it what it needs to finally let go.
This is where lasting change happens. Not in the story. In the system that’s still reacting to it.
Most clients complete the core work in a matter of weeks.
Watch this short explanation of The Richards Trauma Process from its founder, Judith Richards:
Ready to address what your nervous system is still carrying?