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The modern understanding of trauma shifts focus from the event itself to the internal impact. Trauma is not simply caused by something that happened—it’s what happens inside of us in response to that experience. It’s the emotional, neurological, and somatic imprint that occurs when we feel overwhelmed, unsafe, or alone without adequate support.
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Dr. Gabor Maté’s definition is foundational: trauma is not what happens to you, but what happens inside you as a result of what happened to you. In The Myth of Normal, he explains that trauma is the disconnection from self, caused by emotional wounding—not necessarily by overtly dramatic events.
Maté, G., & Maté, D. (2022). The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture. Avery.
“Trauma is not what happens to you. Trauma is what happens inside you as a result of what happens to you.” (p. 26)
Somatic experiencing founder Peter Levine echoes this view, emphasizing that trauma resides in the nervous system—not in the event. Even ordinary experiences can become traumatic if the body is unable to fully process and release the energy of the moment.
Levine, P. A. (2010). In an Unspoken Voice: How the Body Releases Trauma and Restores Goodness. North Atlantic Books.
“Trauma is a fact of life. It does not, however, have to be a life sentence.” (p. 9) He explains how trauma is not about the objective danger but about the subjective overwhelm and lack of support.
Clinical psychologist Bessel van der Kolk expands this understanding by exploring how traumatic experiences become embedded in the body, disrupting emotional regulation and creating lasting disconnection.
Van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma. Viking.
This book outlines how trauma is stored in the body and alters brain circuitry related to safety, fear, and self-perception.
In the field of spiritual psychology, this inner-centric definition of trauma also resonates. Drs. Ron and Mary Hulnick teach that healing doesn’t require reliving every trauma, but requires meeting the inner imprint—the misbeliefs and emotional pain—with loving presence.
Hulnick, R., & Hulnick, M. (2011). Loyalty to Your Soul: The Heart of Spiritual Psychology. Their work supports the idea that our suffering is based less on the event and more on the unresolved meaning and emotion within us.
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Together, these voices affirm that trauma is not about how “bad” something was—it’s about whether we felt safe, supported, and able to process it. Trauma happens when we disconnect from ourselves. Healing happens when we reconnect—with compassion, presence, and care.
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