What is trauma therapy? A compassionate guide to healing
If you have ever asked yourself, “Why do I react this way?” or “Why do I feel stuck even when I want to move forward?” you are not alone. Many people carry experiences of trauma that shape how they think, feel, and relate to others, often without realizing how deeply those experiences are connected to the present. Trauma therapy provides a safe space to explore those connections, to begin understanding the impact of the past, and to build new pathways for healing.
What is a trauma therapist?
A trauma therapist is a mental health professional who is trained to understand how trauma impacts the brain, body, and relationships. Instead of asking, “What is wrong with this person?” a trauma therapist shifts the question to “What happened to this person?” This perspective comes from the Sanctuary Model, which emphasizes compassion and curiosity instead of judgment. Trauma is not a personal flaw. It is a response to overwhelming experiences that were too much, too soon, or too often.
When you ask, “What is trauma therapy?” the answer is not one-size-fits-all. Trauma therapy can look different depending on the type of trauma experienced, the person’s goals, and the therapeutic approach. At its core, trauma therapy is trauma informed—which means it recognizes the widespread impact of trauma, understands paths for recovery, and prioritizes safety, empowerment, and collaboration.
Acute trauma vs. complex trauma
One important distinction in trauma therapy is between acute trauma and complex trauma.
Acute trauma usually refers to a single, overwhelming event such as a car accident, natural disaster, or sudden loss. These experiences can leave someone feeling shaken, fearful, or hypervigilant, but healing often begins by processing that single event.
Complex trauma, on the other hand, develops from repeated or chronic exposure to difficult experiences, often in childhood. This can include abuse, neglect, community violence, or growing up in a family system impacted by intergenerational trauma. Complex trauma can shape not just how someone feels in the moment, but also their entire sense of self and how they see the world.
In my practice, I specialize in working with individuals who carry complex trauma and intergenerational trauma. These are the kinds of wounds that are woven into identity and relationships over time, and they often require a compassionate, relational approach to begin untangling.
How trauma impacts core beliefs
Trauma can deeply alter the beliefs we hold about ourselves, others, and the world:
Beliefs about self: Trauma may create feelings of shame, worthlessness, or being “broken.” Survivors often blame themselves for what happened, even when it was outside of their control.
Beliefs about others: When trust has been violated, it can be hard to feel safe in relationships. Some people become hyper-independent, believing they can only rely on themselves. Others may feel overly dependent, fearing abandonment at every turn.
Beliefs about the world: Trauma can shift someone’s worldview, making the world feel unsafe, unpredictable, or hostile. Everyday stressors can feel overwhelming because they echo earlier experiences of threat.
These shifts in beliefs are not weaknesses. They are survival adaptations. Trauma therapy helps identify these patterns, gently challenge them, and build new beliefs that reflect both truth and hope.
How trauma impacts relationships
Relationships are often where trauma is felt most acutely. Someone who has experienced trauma may find it difficult to trust, may expect rejection, or may feel triggered by closeness. Arguments with a partner, misunderstandings with friends, or even distance from family can feel more charged because they stir up old wounds.
In therapy, I often explore how clients’ current relational patterns connect back to earlier experiences. Together, we identify cycles that no longer serve them and begin to create new ways of relating that feel safer and more authentic.
How trauma impacts parenting
Trauma also affects parenting. Parents who carry unhealed trauma may feel triggered by their child’s behavior, experience overwhelming guilt, or fear repeating harmful cycles. Sometimes this shows up as being overly strict, overly permissive, or emotionally withdrawn.
In my work, I have supported many parents in understanding how their own childhood experiences influence the way they show up for their children. With support, parents can begin to rewrite those patterns and create new legacies.
My training in Child-Parent Psychotherapy (CPP) has been especially meaningful here. CPP is an evidence-based treatment for young children and their caregivers who have experienced trauma. It emphasizes strengthening the parent-child relationship as the pathway to healing.
My experience working in child welfare
Before focusing on private practice, I worked in the child welfare system, including foster care, adoption, and prevention programs. That experience shaped my understanding of how trauma is not just individual, but systemic. Children living between foster and biological families often carried confusion, grief, and loyalty conflicts. Parents in the system were often navigating their own trauma histories while trying to care for their children under stressful, highly monitored conditions.
These experiences taught me that healing requires holding compassion for every layer of the story. It also reinforced why I am committed to working with individuals and families who are breaking cycles of intergenerational trauma.
What is trauma informed therapy?
Being trauma informed means creating a therapeutic space that prioritizes:
Safety: Clients feel emotionally and physically safe.
Trust and transparency: Clear boundaries and consistent care.
Collaboration: The therapist and client work together, not in a top-down dynamic.
Empowerment: Clients are supported in reclaiming their voice and agency.
Cultural humility: Recognizing how systemic oppression and cultural identity shape experiences of trauma.
These principles guide my work as a trauma therapist in New York.
Affirmations for the healing journey
Affirmations can be powerful reminders that healing is not about perfection, but about compassion and growth. Here are some that may resonate with anyone navigating complex or intergenerational trauma:
I am not defined by what happened to me.
My story is worthy of being heard.
I can carry both my pain and my resilience.
It is safe to begin imagining a new way forward.
I can break cycles without carrying shame.
My relationships can be different from what I experienced.
Healing is not linear, and that is okay.
These affirmations can help anchor you in moments of self-doubt or overwhelm, reminding you that the process of trauma therapy is about reclaiming your power and honoring your humanity.
Final thoughts: Healing is possible
Trauma therapy is not about erasing the past. It is about building a new relationship to it. By asking “What happened to you?” instead of “What is wrong with you?” we open the door to compassion and healing.
If you are living with complex trauma or intergenerational trauma, know that your story makes sense. Healing is possible. And you do not have to do it alone.
✨ I offer trauma-informed, culturally responsive therapy for individuals navigating complex and intergenerational trauma. My background in child welfare and CPP allows me to hold both individual stories and family systems with care.
📞 To learn more, you can email me at ashleyrodriguezphd@gmail.com to schedule a free 15-minute consultation.
