Trauma

What Is It?

Trauma isn’t just about what happened- it’s about what stayed. As Bessel van der Kolk writes, the body keeps the score. Your mind may know you’re safe now, but your body can still react as if the danger never ended.

Signs of trauma:

• Feeling on edge, hypervigilant, or easily startled even when you're in safe environments 

• Emotional numbness or detachment

• Intense reactions to reminders of the event

• Gaps in memory or difficulty recalling details

• Chronic tension, pain, or other physical symptoms without clear cause

• Avoidance of certain places, people, or conversations

• Feeling like you’re reliving the event, even when you’re safe
   

What Can Cause It?

Trauma can come from a single overwhelming event or repeated experiences that slowly wear away at your sense of safety and trust. Common causes include:

• Childhood abuse, neglect, or loss

• Domestic or sexual violence

• Serious accidents or injuries

• War, combat, or displacement

• Bullying or systemic oppression (racism, homophobia, ableism)

• Medical trauma or life-threatening illness

• Growing up in unpredictable, unsafe, or high-conflict environments
   

Need Urgent Help Right Now?

If things feel urgent and it's out of hours, support is available 24/7:

• Samaritans: 116 123 (free, 24/7) NHS

• Urgent Mental Health Helpline: Call 111 and press option 2

• Open Mental Health Somerset (24/7): 01823 276 892 ​
   

Seeking Counselling in Yeovil?​
One of our friendly therapists can offer a confidential counselling in Yeovil or online with no judgement, no assumptions, just practical steps towards trauma recovery. 

• £70 for individual therapy (50 minutes)

• £120 EMDR therapy (90 minutes)
  
  Meet the team