If you’ve ever experienced your heart beginning to race out of nowhere, your stomach dropping, or suddenly feeling like you can’t breath despite nothing dangerous happening, then you’ve experienced your nervous system. And it’s doing exactly what it was designed to do - protect you.
But when we’ve experienced trauma, especially repeated or unresolved trauma, our nervous system can get stuck in overdrive. The good news? With the right tools and support, you can heal, regulate, and reclaim your sense of safety and autonomy.
There’s a misconception floating around that trauma is only the big, obvious stuff—abuse, car accidents, violence. And it definitely can be. But trauma can also be subtle and cumulative—emotional neglect, growing up in a chaotic household, or being constantly invalidated.
At its core, trauma is anything that overwhelms your nervous system’s ability to cope.
It’s not about the event itself—it’s about how your brain and body respond to it.
Your nervous system has one job: keep you safe. It scans for threats 24/7 (even when you’re sleeping). This process is called neuroception—a subconscious surveillance system that determines whether you're safe, in danger, or in serious danger.
Here’s how it responds:
Safe Mode (Ventral Vagal State)
You're calm, connected, and grounded. You can laugh at memes, cry during Grey’s Anatomy, and text your BFF without spiraling.
Fight or Flight (Sympathetic State)
Your body pumps out cortisol and adrenaline. You feel anxious, angry, restless, or panicky. Your heart races, your breathing quickens, and you're ready to run—or throw hands.
Freeze or Fawn (Dorsal Vagal State)
Your body hits the brakes. You shut down, feel numb, disconnected, or like you’re watching life from the outside. This is your nervous system saying, “Too much. Let’s play dead.”
Trauma often traps us in the fight/flight/freeze response—even when we’re no longer in danger.
Women’s bodies and brains are biologically wired for connection, which is beautiful—and also makes us more susceptible to certain types of trauma.
Chronic stress, people-pleasing, perfectionism, and relational trauma (like betrayal, abandonment, or emotional abuse) can deeply impact our sense of safety.
And guess what? Hormones like estrogen and progesterone also interact with our stress response. That’s why trauma can feel different during certain times of your cycle.
If you’ve been feeling “off” but can’t explain why, here are some clues your nervous system may need support:
We don’t “get over” trauma. We heal by learning how to regulate our nervous system—so our bodies can feel safe again, not just think they are.
Bottom-Up Healing (Body First)
Trauma is stored in the body, not just the mind. That’s why healing often starts from the bottom up—regulating the body so the brain can follow. Bottom-up healing can aided through somatic therapy, EMDR, and mindfulness exercises.
Top-Down Healing (Mind First)
This is your classic talk therapy, CBT, and other brain-based tools that help you understand your patterns and shift them over time.
Relational Healing
Because trauma often happens in relationships, it makes sense that healing happens in relationships, too. Safe, supportive connection is one of the most powerful regulators of your nervous system.
That’s why treatment in a women-specific environment—where you’re seen, heard, and understood—can be so transformative.
It’s not always easy to heal. But it is always possible.
Your nervous system isn’t the enemy. It’s been protecting you this whole time. Now, with the right tools and support, it can learn a new story—one where safety isn’t a distant dream, but a lived experience.
Looking for trauma-informed, women-centered care in Austin, TX? We’re here for you. Reach out today to learn more about how we help women heal from the inside out.