After years of working with teens and adults carrying invisible wounds, I’ve learned that trauma isn’t just something that happened—it’s something that continues to happen within the body until we address it with intention and care.
Trauma has a way of embedding itself in our nervous system, creating patterns that persist long after the danger has passed. A teen who experienced childhood neglect might find their heart racing during normal conversations, or an adult survivor of a car accident may feel their muscles tense every time they hear screeching brakes. As Bessel van der Kolk powerfully demonstrates in “The Body Keeps the Score,” our bodies hold onto traumatic experiences in ways our conscious minds often can’t access or understand.
While traditional therapy remains vital, I’ve witnessed profound healing when we include the body in recovery. Trauma lives in our muscles, breath patterns, and nervous system responses. A client might intellectually understand their anxiety, but their body still responds as if the threat is present. This is why approaches like EMDR, somatic therapy, yoga, and breathwork can be so transformative—they speak the language the trauma knows.
Teen clients face unique challenges because their brains are still developing. Trauma can disrupt this natural process, affecting everything from emotional regulation to academic performance. I often see teens labeled as “difficult” or “attention-seeking” when they’re actually displaying normal responses to abnormal experiences. Understanding this helps families approach healing with compassion rather than frustration.
Recovery isn’t about forgetting what happened—it’s about teaching the mind and body that they’re safe now. This happens through consistent, gentle practices that rebuild trust in one’s own experience. Sometimes healing looks like learning to breathe deeply again, or discovering that muscles can actually relax.
The journey from surviving to thriving requires honoring both the story our minds tell and the truth our bodies hold.
This is great resource to have to use with clients!
Salt + Cedar Collective 