Why You Can’t Just “Release” Trauma
Episode 85: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | YouTube
View transcript on Buzzsprout
“Releasing trauma” has become one of the trendiest things to say in the healing space. It’s a catchy phrase, the IG reels of people shaking or sobbing grab your attention, it makes you think if you do A then B is the result—but today, Amanda breaks down why trauma isn’t something you can simply push out of your body. Instead, she offers a grounded, nervous system-informed framework for reclaiming healing through safety, capacity, and integration—not cathartic release
What We Cover in This Episode
- What “releasing trauma” often refers to—and why it can backfire
- A nervous system definition of trauma: overload, overwhelm, or deprivation
- Why patterned healing requires layered work (physical, psychological, relational, and more)
- How creating felt safety—rather than pushing energy out—is the real path to healing
Trauma Is What Happens Within You, Not Just What Happened to You
Rather than treating trauma as a single event, Amanda redefines it as anything that overwhelmed your system—whether it was too much stress, too little support, or something misaligned with your capacity. Trauma lives in your beliefs, sensations, and coping patterns long after the event has passed.
Without proper time‑stamping, your brain doesn’t fully register closure. It keeps holding defense mechanisms. This means trauma isn’t something external you can purge—it’s an ongoing imprint inside your body and mind.
“Release Trauma” Isn’t the Whole Story
Yes, cathartic methods like screaming or shaking can feel powerful—but without safety and readiness, they often retraumatize rather than heal. Amanda emphasizes that effective trauma work is paced and supportive. Instead of forcing release, the goal is to cultivate trust within your own body so that over time your system can soften.
Inside her monthly Release class, the focus is on:
- Somatic Awareness – Developing safety in your body
- Kind, Curious Co-regulation – Holding discomfort with neutrality
- Regulation Tools Practice – Feeling how breath, grounding, and vagal stimulation shift your state
Like weightlifting, trauma healing isn’t about making the barbell lighter—it’s about training your capacity to carry more with ease.
Healing Trauma Happens in Layers
Meaningful integration often requires work in multiple areas:
| Healing Layer | What It Addresses | How to Support It |
| Physical | Stored tension, physiological trauma | Somatic movement, nutrition, bodywork |
| Emotional | Held emotions like shame or grief | Mindful feeling, safe emotional space |
| Psychological | Beliefs and cognitive patterns | Parts work, CBT, narrative reframing |
| Relational | Trust and boundary challenges | Therapeutic connection, play, support |
| Developmental | Inner child & attachment wounds | IFS, childhood reparenting |
| Cultural / Societal | Collective / inherited trauma | Community, narrative healing |
| Spiritual / Energetic | Meaning, purpose, connection | Values work, meaning-making practices |
No single modality heals all layers. Amanda stresses that trauma is complex—and your path likely requires an integrated approach tailored to your unique experience.
Trauma healing isn’t about forcefully ejecting past pain—it’s about creating a felt experience of safety and slowly expanding your capacity to carry it. Over time, your body naturally learns it no longer needs to hold trauma as protection—and begins to unwind. This shift opens space for true integration, growth, and peace.
Three Tangible Takeaways
- Trauma isn’t something to “get rid of.” It softens only when your system feels safe. Actively building internal safety is the real work.
- Healing happens in layers—physical, emotional, cognitive, relational, developmental, and more. A one-dimensional approach often falls short.
- Focus on building capacity, not eliminating discomfort. Like weightlifting, sometimes slow and steady strengths you the most.
Looking for more personalized support?
- Book a FREE discovery call for RESTORE, our 1:1 anxiety & depression coaching program (HSA/FSA eligible & includes comprehensive bloodwork)
- Join me inside the Regulated Living Membership, a mental health membership and nervous system healing space (sliding scale pricing available)
- Join my Release Class – Monthly guided nervous system regulation class
- Order my book, Healing Through the Vagus Nerve today!
- Download free resources here
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Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or qualified mental health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.
