Understanding Trauma and Dissociation
What Trauma Can Feel Like
Trauma is not just about what happened, but about what it was like to go through something overwhelming without enough support, care, or safety. When you were scared, hurt, or alone, your body and mind did what they needed to do to survive. Sometimes that meant fighting back, sometimes shutting down, sometimes staying small and quiet to keep the peace. These responses were wise and protective in the moment, even if now they leave you feeling stuck or unsure of yourself.
When painful experiences happen again and again, especially in childhood or in important relationships, your nervous system learns to stay on guard. Instead of being able to fully relax and feel safe with others, you might notice yourself bracing for something to go wrong, struggling with trust, or carrying a deep sense of shame.
Trauma shows up not because you are broken, but because your body remembers what it was like to not have enough safety, comfort, or connection. Healing means slowly building that sense of safety again — both inside yourself and in your relationships — so you can feel more grounded, connected, and cared for.
PTSD and C-PTSD Treatment
While both PTSD and Complex PTSD (C-PTSD) share similarities, the treatment approach often looks different.
PTSD can sometimes be resolved more quickly by reprocessing the traumatic event through therapies like EMDR.
Complex C-PTSD (PTSD with dissociative features), often needs a slower, more layered approach. This may include building safety and stability, working gently with dissociation or protective parts of self, and gradually reprocessing memories.
With the right support, both can be treated effectively — the goal is not just to reduce symptoms, but to help you feel safer, more connected, and more whole.
What Dissociation Can Feel Like
Dissociation can look and feel different for each person, but many describe it as a sense of disconnection from themselves, others, or the world around them. Some common experiences include:
Feeling “spaced out,” foggy, or detached
Losing track of time or having memory gaps
Watching yourself from outside your body
Feeling like the world isn’t real (dreamlike or distant)
Numbness, emptiness, or feeling “shut down”
Parts of yourself that seem in conflict — one part wants to move forward, another feels stuck or afraid
Dissociation is often the nervous system’s way of protecting you during overwhelming or traumatic experiences. It can help you “check out” when things feel too much to handle. While this survival strategy may have kept you safe at the time, it can also make everyday life harder — leaving you feeling disconnected, out of control, or unable to fully engage in relationships and activities you care about.
Dissociation Treatment
Healing from dissociation is possible with the right support. In therapy, we work gently and at your pace, combining trauma-informed approaches like EMDR and parts work.
Treatment may include:
Grounding and stabilization — learning ways to feel safe and present in your body.
Parts work therapy — helping different parts of you feel understood and supported.
EMDR therapy — processing painful memories once a foundation of safety is built.
Mindfulness and self-compassion — gently observing your inner world with kindness rather than judgment.
Rebuilding inner trust — nurturing a sense of safety, balance, and choice within yourself.
Over time, therapy can reduce the intensity of dissociation, strengthen connection with your body, and help you feel more whole.
Childhood Emotional Neglect & Dissociation
Emotional neglect often happens quietly, even in loving families. You may have grown up in a home where physical needs were met, but emotional needs were unseen or dismissed. Maybe no one asked how you felt, comforted you when you were sad, or helped you make sense of anger, fear, or loneliness. Over time, your system learned the safest way to belong was to disconnect from what you felt.
This kind of disconnection is a form of dissociation — not dramatic or obvious, but subtle and chronic. You might notice it as blankness, fogginess, or difficulty feeling anything deeply. You might go through the motions of life while sensing something missing inside. When emotions weren’t welcomed early on, the nervous system often adapts by separating feeling from awareness. Parts of you may have learned to stay busy, capable, or agreeable while pushing painful emotions far out of reach.
In therapy, we approach this with gentleness and respect. Through EMDR and parts work, we help your system reconnect with the emotions it once had to silence. The goal isn’t to flood you with feelings, but to help each part of you safely rejoin the whole — the self that thinks, the self that feels, and the self that longs to connect. Healing emotional neglect often means learning, maybe for the first time, that presence, care, and attunement can exist inside you too.
What This Can Look Like in Daily Life
Emotional neglect doesn’t always leave obvious scars. It often shows up in subtle ways — quiet patterns that make it hard to stay connected to yourself or others.
You might notice:
Feeling emotionally flat, foggy, or disconnected from what you feel
Struggling to identify your needs or preferences
Feeling invisible or like your presence doesn’t impact others
Difficulty trusting closeness or fully relaxing around people
A tendency to care for others but minimize your own pain
Going into “functioning mode” when emotions arise
Feeling guilt or discomfort when you cry or need help
A part of you that stays composed while another part feels small or unseen
A sense that something’s missing, even when life looks fine on the outside
These experiences often reflect the nervous system’s adaptation to not being emotionally seen or understood. In therapy, we gently work to reconnect you with your emotions, your body, and the younger parts that learned to disappear to stay safe. Through EMDR and parts work, those parts can begin to trust that it’s safe to exist — and to be felt — again.
Healing Through EMDR & Parts Work
Common Types of Parts
We all have different parts inside us — each with its own role, emotion, and way of protecting us. Every part developed for a reason, even if its strategies don’t always feel helpful now.
A part that wants to stay in control and plan for every possibility
A part that feels anxious, always scanning for what could go wrong
A part that shuts down or goes numb when things feel too big
A part that works hard to please or take care of others
A part that feels angry or defensive when you’re hurt
A part that turns to food, screens, or substances to calm down
A part that feels young, scared, or ashamed
A part that criticizes you to prevent judgment from others
A part that just wants to rest and be left alone
A grounded part that can slow down, breathe, and care for the others
Before reprocessing painful memories, therapy begins by helping your nervous system feel anchored in the present. We focus on grounding, resourcing, and learning to recognize when a protective part of you steps in to help. These parts have carried you through difficult times, and our work starts by understanding their intentions and helping them trust that you no longer have to face life in survival mode.
When your system feels ready, EMDR provides a structured and gentle way to process what’s been stuck — not by reliving the trauma, but by allowing your mind and body to complete what was once interrupted. As these memories begin to settle, parts work supports deeper integration, ensuring that each inner part feels seen, included, and safe to soften its role.
Together, EMDR and parts work create a process that honors both your story and your pace. Over time, what once felt overwhelming can begin to feel manageable, and you can move through life with a greater sense of steadiness, clarity, and connection.
Frequently asked questions
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Trauma isn’t only about what happened — it’s about how your mind and body were affected by what happened. When an experience feels too overwhelming or unsafe to process, parts of it can get “stuck,” leaving you feeling on edge, disconnected, or overly alert long after the event has passed.
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Dissociation is the mind’s way of protecting you when something feels too much. It can look like spacing out, feeling detached from your body, or feeling like you’re watching yourself from the outside. It’s not a flaw or weakness — it’s a sign that your system has been trying to help you stay safe.
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You might notice moments where things feel foggy, dreamlike, or distant. Some people feel emotionally numb, while others feel like they’re watching life happen from the outside. These experiences can range from mild to intense, and therapy can help you understand and regulate them.
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You don’t need to have detailed memories to benefit from therapy. We focus on how your body and mind respond in the present — not on forcing memories to surface. Healing happens through safety, awareness, and connection, not through reliving the past.Description text goes here
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Not necessarily. Trauma healing isn’t about retelling every detail — it’s about helping your nervous system realize that the danger has passed. We can focus on safety, emotion regulation, and connection before exploring any specific memories.
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Therapy creates a safe and steady space to reconnect with your body, your emotions, and your sense of self. We move at a pace that feels manageable, building stability first through grounding and resourcing before processing painful experiences. Over time, you’ll notice more presence, choice, and self-trust returning to your life.
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Yes. Everyone has different aspects of themselves, and for people who’ve experienced trauma, these parts can feel more distinct or disconnected. In therapy, we help those parts begin to communicate and work together so you feel more whole and balanced inside.
A safe place to start.
Life can feel heavy at times, and none of us are meant to carry it all alone. I’d be honored to walk alongside you as you find steadiness, clarity, and healing in your own way.