When we talk about “trauma” in psychology, we are really referring to the aftereffects of an event — the emotional wound that remains after something you have experienced or witnessed. These wounds haven’t healed, and when you are reminded of the event — or “triggered” — it can feel as though the experience is happening all over again.

This can lead you to start avoiding certain places, thoughts, situations, or topics that provoke discomfort, which over time can become very limiting. Trauma can also affect your ability to regulate emotions — you may feel either overwhelmed by them or, on the contrary, numb and disconnected, making it difficult to relate to others.

In therapy, you have the opportunity to face your traumas in a safe and supportive way, so that you can gradually leave them behind — where they belong.