How to Deal with Trauma: Useful Ways to Heal and Move On
How to treat childhood trauma in adults? Keep reading.
Trauma can be hard to handle. Here are some simple steps to help you cope.
Talk About Your Feelings: Share what you feel with someone you trust. It can help to express your emotions.
Practice Self-Care: Take care of your body and mind. Eat well, exercise, and get enough sleep.
Try Mindfulness: Focus on the present. Mindfulness exercises, like deep breathing, can calm your mind.
Set Small Goals: Take small steps to feel better. Set easy tasks that you can manage each day.
Seek Professional Help: If you need more support, talk to a therapist or counselor. They can guide you through your feelings.
Connect with Others: Spend time with friends or family. Support from loved ones can make a big difference.
Remember, healing takes time. Be patient with yourself.
Imagine Your Life is a House.
One day, without warning, a storm tears through, shattering windows, flooding rooms, ripping off the roof. You do your best to clean up, patch the walls, and move on... but the foundation? It’s cracked. And no matter how many throw pillows or fresh coats of paint you try, something always feels unstable. That’s what trauma does. It shakes you at the core, quietly, invisibly and healing means rebuilding from the inside out, not just covering the damage.
Trauma is more than a "bad memory" or a rough patch you’re supposed to get over. It rewires how you think, feel, and react. If you don’t understand it, you might spend years stuck in survival mode, feeling disconnected, exhausted, or like something’s “off.”
This guide breaks down what trauma actually is, how it impacts your body and mind, and most importantly how to start feeling better. Whether you're navigating the aftermath of childhood trauma, toxic relationships, or a recent traumatic event, you're in the right place.
What Is Trauma and How Does It Show Up?
Trauma can stem from one intense event, a series of painful experiences, or long-term exposure to emotional harm. Think: car accidents, betrayal, chronic neglect, emotional abuse, or unsafe home environments. Trauma doesn’t have to be dramatic to be damaging, sometimes it’s the slow, subtle erosion of your sense of safety.
Common Types of Trauma Events
Acute Trauma: A one-time incident like an accident or assault that leaves a lasting emotional imprint.
Chronic Trauma: Repeated exposure to distressing situations, such as bullying, domestic violence, or growing up in chaos.
Complex Trauma: Layers of trauma, often from childhood and close relationships. It impacts identity, trust, and emotional regulation.
Recognizing the type of trauma you’ve experienced helps you find the support and strategies that actually work.
Can EMDR be done virtually? Yes, absolutely.
Signs You Might Be Dealing with Trauma & How To Cure Trauma
Trauma doesn’t always scream. Sometimes, it whispers through your habits, energy, and relationships. These symptoms can show up long after the trauma itself.
Mental and Emotional Signs
Constant anxiety or dread
Depression or emotional numbness
Flashbacks, nightmares, or intrusive memories
Disconnection from others or from yourself
Overthinking, perfectionism, or trouble concentrating
Physical Symptoms
Trouble sleeping or vivid nightmares
Chronic fatigue or burnout
Appetite swings (eating too much or not at all)
Tight chest, racing heart, or muscle tension
If any of this sounds familiar, your nervous system may be stuck in a state of survival. And there are ways out.
Coping Skills for Trauma That Actually Help: Coping with a Traumatic Event
You don’t need a perfect morning routine or a year-long retreat. Start with real, doable tools that support your nervous system and help you feel safe again.
If trauma feels like crossing a wobbly rope bridge every day, adaptive coping strategies are like adding support beams underneath, tools like mindfulness, support systems, and journaling don’t erase the fear, but they make the crossing sturdier. In one study of emergency responders, folks constantly living in the red zone, those who used adaptive strategies like problem-solving and emotional expression had way fewer trauma symptoms. These tools actually worked to stabilize their minds (source).
1. Mindfulness and Grounding
Practices like deep breathing, meditation, or simply naming five things you see can help pull you out of fight-or-flight and into the present moment. Grounding is a core skill in trauma recovery, proven to reduce reactivity and improve emotional regulation (source).
2. Journaling
Expressive writing, without censorship, can help process difficult emotions. It also boosts trauma-coping self-efficacy, which is linked to better emotional outcomes and reduced PTSD symptoms (source). Try prompts like: “What am I holding in right now?” or “What does my body need from me today?”
3. Movement
Movement is medicine. Whether it's yoga, stretching, or a walk around the block, physical activity helps discharge stress hormones and regulate your nervous system. Studies show it plays a key role in managing occupational trauma and burnout, especially among first responders (source).
4. Sleep Hygiene
Quality sleep supports brain healing. A consistent nighttime routine, like reducing screen time, adding soft lighting, and using calming scents, can improve sleep and decrease trauma-related fatigue. Poor sleep is often tied to increased symptoms of PTSD and depression (source).
5. Boundaries
Boundaries protect your energy and teach your nervous system safety. Saying "no" to draining people or commitments is a powerful, adaptive coping mechanism that supports resilience and emotional stability (source).
Why It Matters
Avoidance, overworking, numbing out with food or substances, they feel like they work... until they don’t. It’s like slapping duct tape over a hole in a leaking boat. You might stay afloat for now, but the longer you wait to fix the real damage, the faster that emotional water floods in. Research from the NIH found that these “quick fix” strategies, especially when formed early from childhood trauma, actually lead to worse mental health outcomes long-term (source).
You’re taught to put your own oxygen mask on first, but when you're in survival mode, asking for help feels impossible, or even dangerous. The truth? Strong social support isn’t a bonus; it’s a lifeline. Research shows it doesn't just feel good, it literally helps your brain regulate stress better and recover faster from trauma (source).
How to Get Trauma Support That Actually Works
You can start coping with trauma, but you don’t have to do this alone. Overcoming a traumatic event becomes more effective and sustainable when you have the right support system. According to the National Center for Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, about 7 or 8 out of every 100 people will experience PTSD at some point in their lives (source).
Find a Trauma-Informed Therapist
Look for someone trained in:
IFS (Internal Family Systems): Helps you explore the protective and wounded parts of yourself.
EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing): Targets and processes traumatic memories
CBT (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy): Reframes distorted thoughts and builds emotional regulation
You can also explore therapy intensives if weekly sessions don’t feel like enough. Trauma intensives are a quick pass on how to move on from trauma. Read more about my intensive therapy options by clicking the link above.
Join a Support Group
Shared experience = less shame. Group support creates community and helps normalize what you’re going through.
Build a Personal Support System
You don’t need a crowd, just one or two people who truly get you. Safe connection is a powerful part of trauma healing.
How to Help Someone with Trauma (Without Making It Worse)
Supporting someone with trauma takes more than good intentions. Here's what actually helps:
Listen without trying to fix
Validate their emotions without judgment
Avoid toxic positivity or minimizing statements
Offer concrete help—like childcare, errands, or company during hard moments
Respect their pace. Healing isn’t linear.
Moving On from Trauma Isn’t About Forgetting: How to deal with Trauma
Let’s be clear, healing isn’t about erasing the past. It’s about giving it less power. Trauma may be part of your story, but it doesn’t get to write the ending.
Start With This:
Accept what happened – without shame or self-blame
Stay present – using mindfulness, breathwork, or grounding tools
Create forward momentum – by setting small, meaningful goals
These shifts build emotional trust with yourself. That’s where real resilience begins.
Final Thoughts: Trauma Recovery Is Possible
You’re not broken. You’re a human who’s been through too much, without the right tools or support.
That can change. You can feel lighter. You can trust yourself again. Let's get you the support for trauma that you need. There is trauma help available online in Pennsylvania and across Pennsylvania. We can learn together how to cope with a traumatic event.
I specialize in helping adults recover from toxic relationships, childhood trauma, and emotional burnout. If you're ready to stop surviving and start rebuilding, book a consultation today.
Because you don’t have to heal alone and the right kind of help changes everything.
Trauma therapist in Pittsburgh and across Pennsylvania. Accepting new clients for trauma intensives.
If you’re struggling to move forward from a toxic relationship, let’s work together. I offer online trauma therapy and intensives across Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and all of Pennsylvania.
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Disclaimer: Listen, what you see here on my blog or social media isn’t therapy, it’s meant to educate, inspire, and maybe even help you feel a little less alone. But if you’re in it right now and need real support, please reach out to a licensed therapist in your state who can walk alongside you in your healing journey. Therapy is personal, and you deserve a space that’s all about you. If you’re in PA and looking for a trauma therapist who gets it, I’m currently accepting new clients for trauma intensives. Let’s fast-track your healing journey, because you deserve to feel better, sooner.
About the Author: Mariah J. Zur, LPC is a trauma-informed therapist based in Pennsylvania, specializing in childhood trauma recovery, emotional healing, and helping individuals break free from toxic relationship patterns. With over 10 years of experience, Mariah uses evidence-based approaches like Internal Family Systems (IFS) therapy and trauma intensives to guide her clients through their healing journey. Passionate about empowering women to reclaim their emotional freedom, Mariah provides virtual and in-person therapy in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and across Pennsylvania. When she's not in the therapy room, she’s advocating for mental health awareness and supporting others in their personal transformation.
Research Brief Author: Mariah J. Zur, M.S., LPC, CCTP.
