“Trauma Recovery Tips” for Motivation
This is a collection of monthly Trauma Recovery Tips from a trauma specialist, designed to help reduce the effects of trauma and chronic stress so you can live from a place of healing, hope, and greater ease.
Healing from trauma looks different for everyone. As a trauma-focused therapist, I never recommend strategies I haven’t personally tried or regularly use. What I share here reflects years of clinical experience, research, client feedback, and collaboration with other professionals—combining both cutting-edge and time-tested approaches to healing emotional wounds and managing ongoing stress.
Trauma Recovery Tips
Trauma Tip #1: Adaptogens for Stress Support
Adaptogens are herbs and mushrooms that support the endocrine system and help the body counteract the effects of stress. They work by helping regulate adrenal function and modulate the fight-flight-or-freeze response.
These natural supports can increase resilience during stressful periods. My personal favorites are Tulsi (Holy Basil) and Ashwagandha, which I use regularly to help manage stress.
Trauma Tip #2: Healing Through Reading
Recommended book:
The Drama of the Gifted Child: The Search for the True Self
by Alice Miller
This book explores how early emotional experiences shape identity and coping patterns, offering insight that many trauma survivors find deeply validating.
Trauma Tip #3: Understanding the Limbic System
The limbic system—often referred to as the “emotional brain”—plays a central role in trauma responses. It assesses safety in a fast, black-and-white way (safe vs. unsafe), without logic or reasoning.
This system includes the amygdala and hypothalamus, which govern fight-or-flight responses and set the emotional tone of the mind. Trauma can cause this system to remain overactivated, leading to heightened emotional reactivity and stress.
Trauma Tip #4: Letting Go
“If you let go a little, you will have a little happiness.
If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of happiness.
If you let go completely, you will be free.”— Ajahn Chah
Trauma Tip #5: Go Outside
Spending time outdoors can have a powerful regulating effect on the nervous system. Take a walk, sit in the grass, notice the clouds, smell flowers, or place your hands in the soil. Simple contact with nature can help ground the body and calm stress responses.
About These Trauma Recovery Tips
This information is provided by Lemecia Lindsey, LICSW, who has dedicated her private counseling practice to helping clients heal from trauma. She specializes in EMDR therapy, neurofeedback, and integrative mental health care.
These tips are not a substitute for medical care. Please consult with a qualified healthcare provider to determine what approaches are appropriate for you.
Support for Trauma Recovery
If trauma or chronic stress continues to affect your daily life, professional support can help. Therapy can provide personalized tools and guidance beyond self-care strategies.
Vancouver EMDR Therapy PLLC
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