Trauma isn’t just about what happened to you — it’s about how those experiences shaped what happened inside you.
This perspective, shared by many trauma-informed therapists and researchers, reshapes how we understand pain and healing.
Many people hesitate to use the word trauma. They think:
“I haven’t been through war.”
“Others have had it worse.”
But trauma isn’t the event itself — it’s what happens within us as we adapt to overwhelming experiences.
It’s the disconnection that once helped us survive — but now stifles our aliveness.
It’s the perfectionism, people-pleasing, or emotional numbness that protected us — but now leaves us feeling stuck.
As a therapist, my role isn’t to diagnose — it’s to meet every part of your experience with curiosity and compassion.
We don’t need to pathologize your feelings. In a disconnected, overstimulated world, your responses make sense.
Healing doesn’t mean fixing what’s “broken.” It comes from:
Presence
Being gently witnessed
Reconnecting with parts of yourself that had to go quiet to stay safe
This is the work of trauma healing: not judgment, but curiosity. Not pushing through, but softening toward.
You don’t have to perform or hide to be worthy of support.
You’re not too much. You’re not making it up. You’re adapting.
With time, connection, and support, you can heal.
If you’re ready to explore your healing journey, I offer in-person sessions in St. Albert and virtual therapy across several provinces. You don’t have to navigate this alone.
Annika Schaefer
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