Recovering from Trauma
How Therapy Can Help Teens and Adults Heal Mind and Body
When you’ve experienced trauma, life can start to feel divided into before and after.
You might find yourself more anxious, detached, or caught in patterns you can’t seem to change — and then blame yourself for not being able to “just get over it.”
You’re not broken. Your body and mind are doing their best to protect you from something that once felt too much. At Therapy Huddersfield, we specialise in helping both teens and adults recover from trauma in ways that feel safe, compassionate, and sustainable — supporting you to rebuild calm, confidence, and trust in yourself.
Understanding Trauma and the Body’s Response
Trauma isn’t just about what happened — it’s about how your nervous system responded when life felt overwhelming. When an experience is too much, too soon, or for too long, the body can stay in protection mode long after the danger has passed.
You might notice:
Feeling constantly on alert or easily startled
Sudden anxiety or panic
Emotional numbness or detachment
Trouble sleeping or relaxing
Feeling “outside of yourself”
Physical tension, headaches, or stomach pain
These are not signs of weakness — they’re signs that your body remembers what once felt unsafe. Therapy helps you understand these responses and teaches your body that it no longer needs to stay in survival mode.
Finding Ground When You Feel Triggered
When a wave of fear or panic rises unexpectedly, the first step isn’t to think your way out of it — it’s to help your body know it’s safe right now.
Start by noticing your body against the ground — your feet on the floor, the support beneath you.
Then take a long slow breath in, through your nose, pause gently at the top for about three seconds, and breathe slowly out through your mouth.
As you breathe in, imagine drawing in the energy of life — what ancient traditions called prana — and as you breathe out, let your body release what it’s been holding. Keep going for around two minutes, letting each breath be smooth and unhurried.
It doesn’t need to be dramatic or forced, just long and gentle enough to let your nervous system settle. You can’t take calm, steady breaths if you’re running from a tiger and that’s exactly the message you’re sending your body: there’s no danger here now. After a couple of minutes, your amygdala (the part of the brain that scans for threat) begins to relax, allowing your whole system to realise it’s safe.
Often, that’s when the shoulders drop, the colour returns to the face, and the mind begins to slow. From that small island of calm, it becomes easier to understand what’s happening rather than being swept away by it.
The RAIN Approach — Meeting Yourself with Compassion
Once the body feels more settled, we can begin to bring understanding to what’s happening inside. A process I often introduce is RAIN, first developed by meditation teacher Michele McDonald and later expanded by psychologist Tara Brach. It’s a simple but profound way of meeting ourselves with compassion when we’re triggered.
Recognise — gently notice that something is happening.
Even saying to yourself “I’m triggered right now” can help you step out of automatic survival mode.
Allow — let the feeling be there, without fighting it. You don’t have to like it; just soften around it. The body is doing what it learned to do to keep you safe.
Investigate / Curiosity — rather than “investigating” harshly, turn towards the feeling with interest. Ask yourself, “What might this remind me of?” or “Where have I felt this before?” Often, the present reaction carries echoes of something earlier that once felt unbearable.
Nurture — bring warmth and kindness to the part of you that’s hurting.
That might mean placing a hand on your chest, breathing gently, or whispering, “It’s okay, I understand.”
This compassion begins to quiet the body’s alarm system, it tells your nervous system that it’s safe to relax again.
Over time, this way of meeting yourself builds resilience and self-trust. You learn that you can handle difficult feelings without being overwhelmed by them and that’s the heart of trauma healing.
Trauma in Teenagers — Understanding the Hidden Impact
Teenagers often experience trauma differently from adults. At an age when identity and trust are still forming, trauma can show up as:
Withdrawal or loss of motivation in school
Mood swings or irritability
Struggles with friendships or trust
Self-harm, anxiety, or emotional numbness
Young people often tell us they feel “on edge all the time” but don’t know why. Therapy helps them understand what’s happening inside, develop ways to feel safe in their bodies, and rebuild connection with themselves and others.
Healing Mind and Body Together
Modern trauma research — from Bessel van der Kolk to Gabor Maté and Peter Levine — shows that recovery happens through both the mind and the body. Talking helps, but the body also needs to learn that the danger has passed.
At Therapy Huddersfield, we use gentle, trauma-informed approaches to help you reconnect with your body through grounding, breathwork, and mindful awareness. These practices gradually restore the body’s rhythm of calm and connection. As therapy progresses, people often describe feeling more settled and present — not because the past is erased, but because it no longer defines how they live today.
What Trauma Therapy Looks Like with Us
Your first sessions focus on safety and understanding. We’ll explore what’s happening for you now — not just what’s happened before — and you’ll learn how your nervous system responds and how to calm it.
As trust builds, we might gently explore deeper patterns using integrative approaches such as somatic awareness, parts work, or EMDR-based techniques — always at your pace.
There’s no expectation to share everything or re-live memories before you’re ready. You set the pace, and we walk alongside you.
When to Reach Out for Support
You might benefit from trauma therapy if you:
Feel stuck in emotional or relationship patterns
Avoid situations that remind you of the past
Struggle with anxiety, sleep, or concentration
Feel detached from yourself or others
Want to understand and manage your reactions
Reaching out doesn’t mean you have to tell your whole story. It simply means you’re ready to begin understanding why you feel the way you do, and that’s enough to start.
Life After Trauma Therapy
Healing doesn’t mean forgetting, it means your life is no longer defined by what happened. Clients often describe feeling calmer, more confident, and better able to connect with others. They rediscover trust, presence, and a quiet sense of self that feels steady and real. There’s a gentle joy that comes when the body no longer needs to stay on guard — when it finally feels safe enough to rest, breathe, and begin again.
How We Can Help
At Therapy Huddersfield, our trauma specialists — including Hope Pugh, MSc MBACP — have extensive experience supporting both adults and young people through trauma recovery. Our approach is integrative, somatic, and compassion-focused, combining an understanding of the nervous system with a deeply human connection. If this way of working resonates with you, we’d love to support you on your journey.
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of therapy helps with trauma?
Integrative, somatic, and EMDR-based approaches work with both body and mind for lasting healing.
Can teenagers have therapy for trauma?
Yes. Teen therapy helps young people build safety, confidence, and emotional regulation.
Do I need to talk about everything that happened?
No. Early trauma therapy focuses on stability and self-regulation — not re-living memories.
How long does trauma therapy take?
It varies — some clients feel change within weeks; others prefer longer-term support.
Begin Your Recovery Today
You don’t have to carry the effects of trauma alone. With the right support, healing becomes possible — your body learns safety again, and your mind begins to trust the present moment.
At Therapy Huddersfield, we’ll walk alongside you as you rediscover calm, confidence, and connection.
