When we think of trauma, we often imagine extreme events—accidents, violence, or loss. But trauma isn’t always about what happened to you. Often, it’s about what happened inside you—especially in moments when you felt alone, overwhelmed, or emotionally unsupported.
Adam Young, LCSW, (a therapist with the Podcast The Place We Find Ourselves), offers a helpful way to understand trauma. He explains that trauma can happen anytime we face something too big to handle without enough support. It could be a moment where no one came to comfort you, or where your emotions were ignored, shamed, or dismissed. Over time, those moments can shape how you see yourself and how safe the world feels.
You don’t have to have a dramatic story for your pain to be real. In fact, many people carry wounds from childhood—especially if their caregivers were emotionally unavailable, unpredictable, or overly critical. These early attachment wounds can follow us into adulthood, showing up as anxiety, shame, perfectionism, or a deep sense of “not enough.”
The good news? Healing is possible.
As Adam Young says, healing starts when we begin telling the truth about our stories—gently, and with support. In therapy, we create space to explore those stories without judgment. We slow down, listen to what your body remembers (and use EMDR, brainspotting, or deep brain reorienting to calm those responses), and name what’s been too painful to face alone.
You don’t have to stay stuck. Your story matters. And you don’t have to carry it by yourself anymore.