Understanding Psychological Trauma and Healing Approaches

Written By: Isaiah Curiel-Gomez, Clinical Trainee at ACS, On-Campus Counseling Program

WHAT IS PSYCHOLOGICALTrauma? Psychological trauma can be defined as “a deeply disturbing experience that impacts a person’s physical or psychological safety and well-being to the degree that it impedes their ability to function in the world. It involves an overwhelming level of stress that exceeds one’s internal resources, and thus, one is unable to cope or integrate the intense emotions that emerge from that experience” (2021).

Clinicians distinguish between acute trauma and developmental trauma, as each requires a different treatment framework (Kraybill, 2018).

• Examples of acute trauma include physical and sexual assault, military combat, accidents, certain medical procedures, natural disasters, and violent crime.
• Examples of developmental trauma include childhood abuse (physical or emotional), neglect, deprivation, unsafe living conditions, and repetitive bullying (2021).

Importantly, trauma is not only internal, but is also shaped by social and cultural context and how an individual engages with their community (Lemma & Levy, 2004).

The Importance of Cultural Relevance in Trauma Treatment

Children and young adults experiencing trauma, PTSD, anxiety, or depression benefit from a holistic, culturally relevant approach. Beyond traditional psychological interventions, body-based practices such as trauma-informed yoga, Qigong, and art therapy can support healing.

• Trauma-informed yoga helps clients notice dissociation and distress, while fostering embodiment, grounding, and a safe mind-body connection (Rice, 2022).
• Creative modalities like art therapy offer nonverbal outlets for processing trauma in culturally sensitive ways.

Stages of Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care unfolds in structured phases, each designed to support the client’s healing process:

1. Building Trust and Safety
   – Establishing a secure therapeutic relationship.
   – Clinician demonstrates capacity to hold and tolerate traumatic material (2021).
2. Symptom Stabilization
   – Developing emotional regulation skills.
   – Expanding the client’s “window of tolerance” for emotional activation.
   – Encouraging self-reflection or mentalization skills.
3. Processing the Trauma
   – Direct exploration of past traumatic experiences.
   – Supporting a shift from chronic dysregulation toward emotional regulation (2021).
4.  Integration and Meaning-Making
   – Reducing trauma-driven behaviors.
   – Making sense of past experiences and their impact on identity.
   – Consolidating emotional regulation skills within the family system.
   – Measuring progress through integration of body sensations, emotions, and cognition (2021).

The Role of Family and Community

Later stages of trauma-informed care often involve family and group therapy, ensuring the client can process memories and emotions in a supportive system. Treatment plans are tailored to each client’s unique needs, sometimes including the active participation of family and friends (2021).

Clinicians must also acknowledge systemic and cultural factors—such as institutions, communities, and cultural narratives—that contribute to trauma and influence outcomes (Goldsmith et al., 2014).

Biopsychosocial Empathy: A Holistic Framework

Healing trauma requires empathy that recognizes the interaction of biological, psychological, and social processes. Biopsychosocial empathy emphasizes that health is shaped not only by medical or biochemical factors, but also by life experiences, emotions, social environments, and cultural beliefs (Cicek, 2019).

For physicians and mental health providers, adopting this perspective means maintaining a patient-centered approach, continuously considering how emotional status and social context affect physical and psychological health.

Conclusion

Effective trauma treatment integrates cultural sensitivity, holistic practices, family systems, and biopsychosocial empathy. By combining psychological interventions with body-based practices and community awareness, clinicians can more effectively address trauma and the related challenges of depression, anxiety, and relational difficulties.

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References

Cicek, E., Yilmaz, A., & Aslanhan, H. (2019). Evaluation of empathy and biopsychosocial approaches of medical faculty assistant doctors. Journal of education and health promotion, 8, 214. https://doi.org/10.4103/jehp.jehp_384_19

Goldsmith, R. E., Martin, C. G., & Smith, C. P. (2014). Systemic trauma. Journal of trauma & dissociation, 15(2), 117–132. https://doi.org/10.1080/15299732.2014.871666

Koepp, R., Santos, A. P. dos, Jamieson, J., Garofoli, J., & Quigley, S. (2023, July 19). Building Trust and healing after trauma. ASA Generations. https://generations.asaging.org/building-trust-and-healing-after-trauma

Kraybill, O. G. (2018, August 15). What is developmental trauma?. Psychology Today. https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/expressive-trauma-integration/201808/what-is-developmental-traum

Lemma, A., & Levy, S. (2004). The impact of trauma on the psyche: Internal and external processes. In S. Levy & A. Lemma (Eds.), The perversion of loss: Psychoanalytic perspectives on trauma (pp. 1–20). Whurr Publishers.

Rice, A. (2022, January 4). Trauma-informed yoga: How it heals, benefits, and poses to try. Psych Central. https://psychcentral.com/health/what-is-trauma-informed-yoga#how-its-different

Trauma. Community West Treatment. (2021, December 7). https://communitywesttreatment.com/trauma/