How Trauma Affects the Brain (and How Therapy Helps)

Yanira Uresti
Jul 8
2 min read

Trauma isn’t just something we “remember” — it’s something our brain and body remember. When we experience something deeply distressing or life-threatening, our brain chemistry, wiring, and even structure can shift in ways that affect how we think, feel, and respond long after the event has passed.

Understanding how trauma impacts the brain can help us be more compassionate with ourselves — and highlight why therapy is such a powerful tool for healing.

How Trauma Changes the Brain

Trauma triggers a survival response in the brain. While this is life-saving in the moment, chronic or unresolved trauma can leave the brain “stuck” in survival mode. Three key areas are often impacted:

1. The Amygdala – The Alarm System

The amygdala scans for danger 24/7.
Trauma can make it hypersensitive, causing overreactions to perceived threats (even when you’re safe).
This can show up as anxiety, irritability, or emotional outbursts.

2. The Hippocampus – The Memory Organizer

The hippocampus helps distinguish between past and present.
After trauma, it can shrink or become less active, making it harder to tell if a trigger is happening “now” or if it’s just a memory.
This is why trauma memories can feel as if they’re happening in real time.

3. The Prefrontal Cortex – The Rational Thinker

This part of the brain helps with reasoning, impulse control, and problem-solving.
Trauma can reduce its ability to “quiet” the amygdala, which is why you may react before thinking.
It’s also linked to difficulty concentrating or making decisions after trauma.

Why Therapy Helps the Brain Heal

The brain is neuroplastic, meaning it can form new pathways and repair old ones — even after trauma. Therapy works with this natural capacity for change.

1. Regulating the Nervous System

Approaches like Polyvagal Theory–based therapy and somatic practices teach your body and brain how to move out of fight/flight/freeze and into a calmer state.

2. Processing and Reframing Memories

Therapies like EMDR and Trauma-Focused CBT help the brain store traumatic memories in a way that no longer hijacks your emotions.

3. Strengthening the Prefrontal Cortex

Mindfulness, self-compassion exercises, and relational therapy strengthen your ability to pause, think, and choose rather than react on autopilot.

4. Rebuilding a Sense of Safety

Therapy provides a safe, consistent relationship that tells the brain, “You are no longer in danger.” This repeated safety experience rewires your threat-detection systems over time.

The Bottom Line

Trauma changes the brain — but with the right therapeutic tools, it can heal. You are not “broken” or “weak” for struggling. Your brain has been doing its best to protect you. Therapy helps it learn that it can finally stand down, allowing you to live with more peace, clarity, and connection.

If you’re ready to take that next step, Tenacity Counseling Center is here to walk with you — at your pace, with compassion, and with tools that work.

Professional References

van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Viking.
Siegel, D. J. (2020). The Developing Mind. Guilford Press.
Porges, S. W. (2011). The Polyvagal Theory. Norton & Company.