A Glossary of Terms to Assist You on Your Trauma-Recovery Journey
Trauma Recovery Terms
Attachment repair – Healing patterns of insecurity or mistrust in relationships that formed in early life.
Boundaries – Limits set to protect physical, emotional, and energetic well-being.
Containment – The skill of holding emotional experiences in a manageable way without becoming overwhelmed.
Dissociation – A disconnection from one’s body, thoughts, or surroundings, often as a survival response.
Emotional processing – The act of allowing, feeling, and making sense of emotions rather than avoiding them.
Flashbacks – Vivid, involuntary reliving of a past traumatic event through images, sensations, or emotions.
Grounding – Techniques to reconnect to the present moment and the body, often through the senses.
Hyperarousal – An over-activated stress state marked by anxiety, racing thoughts, or heightened alertness.
Hypoarousal – An under-activated state marked by numbness, withdrawal, or low energy.
Integration – The process of connecting fragmented memories, emotions, and bodily experiences into a cohesive whole.
Nervous system – The body’s communication network (brain, spinal cord, nerves) that governs stress responses, emotions, and movement.
Polyvagal theory – A model explaining how the vagus nerve regulates stress, safety, and social connection.
Regulation – The ability to balance one’s emotional and physiological state in response to stress.
Repatterning – Replacing old, trauma-based habits with new, healthier patterns of thought, movement, or reaction.
Resilience – The ability to adapt and recover from stress, adversity, or trauma.
Resourcing – Identifying and using people, places, sensations, or memories that create safety and calm.
Safety – A state of physical and emotional security where the nervous system can rest and repair.
Somatic memory – The body’s retention of experiences, often stored as sensations or patterns of tension.
Triggers – Sensory cues or experiences that remind the nervous system of past trauma, causing distress.
Window of tolerance – The optimal arousal zone where a person can think clearly, feel emotions, and remain present.
Somatic Terms
Touch – Physical contact that can be used for grounding, comfort, or awareness.
Titration – Gradually approaching and working with difficult sensations or memories to avoid overwhelm.
Somatic tracking – Gently observing sensations in the body without trying to change them.
Sensation – Physical feelings perceived through the senses or within the body.
Release – The letting go of physical tension or stored emotional energy.
Proprioception – The sense of where one’s body is in space and how it is moving.
Posture – The alignment and positioning of the body, often linked to emotional state.
Pendulation – Moving attention between states of discomfort and states of safety to promote integration.
Muscle memory – The body’s ability to perform tasks without conscious thought, based on repetition.
Movement patterns – Habitual ways of moving that can reflect or shape emotional and mental states.
Micro-movements – Small, often subtle motions that can shift tension or increase awareness.
Kinesthetic awareness – Sensitivity to body movement, muscle tension, and coordination.
Interoception – The perception of internal bodily sensations such as heartbeat, hunger, or breath.
Ground contact – Awareness of and connection with the earth or a stable surface through the body.
Felt sense – The holistic, internal sense of a situation or feeling that is more than words can describe.
Energy flow – The felt sense of vitality or movement of subtle energy in the body.
Embodiment – Fully inhabiting and sensing one’s body in the present moment.
Breathwork – Deliberate control and modulation of breathing patterns for relaxation, energy, or emotional release.
Body awareness – The ability to sense and identify different parts and states of the body.
Alignment – The positioning of body parts in relation to each other for efficiency and ease.
Mindfulness Terms
Acceptance – Allowing experiences, feelings, and sensations to be as they are without resistance.
Awareness – Conscious noticing of internal states and external surroundings.
Beginner’s mind – Approaching each moment with openness, curiosity, and no preconceptions.
Breath awareness – Focusing on the natural rhythm and sensations of breathing.
Compassion – The recognition of suffering and the desire to relieve it.
Deep listening – Fully attending to what another person or environment is communicating, verbally or nonverbally.
Detachment – Releasing over-identification with thoughts, emotions, or outcomes.
Equanimity – A balanced mental state that stays steady in the face of pleasant or unpleasant experiences.
Focus – The ability to sustain attention on a single object, thought, or sensation.
Gratitude – A focus on noticing and appreciating what is beneficial or meaningful.
Impermanence – The understanding that all things, including emotions and sensations, are temporary.
Intention – A conscious choice to guide attention and action toward a desired quality or outcome.
Loving-kindness – A meditation practice that cultivates feelings of goodwill toward oneself and others.
Mindful movement – Moving with full awareness of bodily sensations, alignment, and breath.
Non-judgment – Observing thoughts, emotions, or sensations without labeling them good or bad.
Noticing – Becoming aware of subtle details or shifts in thoughts, emotions, or sensations.
Observation – Paying attention to what is happening without interference or analysis.
Present moment – The here-and-now, as experienced without distraction from past or future concerns.
Stillness – A state of inner and outer quiet in which the mind and body rest.
Witnessing – Observing experiences internally or externally with a neutral perspective.