Trauma-Informed vs. Trauma-Trained: Why It’s Crucial to Work with a Qualified Trauma Therapist

Trauma & HealingTreatment AreasPsychotherapy 101

Nov 15

If you’ve ever searched for a therapist to help you heal from trauma, you’ve probably come across the term “trauma-informed.” At first glance, it sounds reassuring. But being trauma-informed doesn’t necessarily mean a therapist has the depth of expertise, training, or tools to support you toward true healing—and that doesn’t mean they aren’t great therapists. It just means you’ll want to ask more questions about their experience.

While many professionals describe themselves as "trauma-informed," this is far from sufficient when it comes to providing effective care for someone with a history of trauma. Trauma is complex, and healing trauma is equally complex. Trauma lives in the body; it is deeply embedded in the nervous system, and treating it requires specialized training and certifications in modalities specifically designed for trauma treatment. Trauma-focused modalities do not include CBT and DBT (although elements of these are present in every aspect of therapy). Effective trauma therapy requires a therapist with specialized training in at least one trauma-focused modality designed to address trauma at its root—not just its symptoms.

So, what is trauma therapy? And why does specialized training matter so much? Let’s break it down.

What is Trauma Therapy?

Trauma therapy isn’t your typical “talk therapy.” It goes far beyond exploring thoughts and emotions by addressing how trauma is held in the body and nervous system. Trauma doesn’t just exist as a memory in the mind—it also lives in the body, disrupting your nervous system and creating patterns of emotional and physical distress that words alone often can’t touch.

Trauma disrupts your sense of safety, self-worth, and connection, leaving behind emotional and physical imprints that manifest as anxiety, depression, chronic stress, or even physical pain.

True trauma therapy uses proven methods to guide you through the physical imprints, helping you process what happened in a way that allows your mind and body to fully release it. Techniques like Somatic Experiencing, EMDR, Bioenergetics, NeuroAffective Touch, and other body-based practices focus on releasing stored survival energy incrementally, regulating the nervous system, and completing survival responses that were interrupted, allowing you to naturally rediscover a sense of safety and peace.

Why "Trauma-Informed" Isn’t Enough

The term "trauma-informed" indicates that a therapist understands the effects of trauma and the need to create a safe environment for clients. While this is foundational, it’s also basic—a level of understanding even the most entry-level therapists are expected to have.

Being trauma-informed doesn’t equate to having the specialized skills needed to treat trauma effectively. Understanding something doesn’t mean you know how to treat it. I understand why my car needs repairs and maintenance, but that doesn’t mean I’m grabbing a wrench and fixing it myself.

Specialized trauma therapists have the training to navigate the complexities of trauma. Without this expertise, even the most well-meaning therapists risk leaving clients feeling retraumatized, more dysregulated, or even more stuck than before. A therapist treating trauma without specialized training may inadvertently cause more harm than good.

Trauma Therapy Techniques That Support Healing

Effective trauma therapy is not one-size-fits-all. A trauma therapist should be trained or certified in one or more of these modalities (ideally blending elements from several) to meet you where you are and honor the pace your mind and body need to heal. There are many modalities beyond these, but these are the most effective and widely-used:

Somatic Experiencing (SE): Focuses on releasing stored trauma from the body by gently guiding you to notice and complete unresolved survival responses, helping you regain control over your physical and emotional state.
Therapeutic Touch and Bodywork: Modalities like myofascial release, Bioenergetics, Kathy Kain’s Touch Skills, or NeuroAffective Touch help access and process memories through the body, addressing what was violated, suppressed, or needed but never received. This is one of the most effective techniques for restoring safety and recovering memory, and a personal favorite.
Polyvagal Theory Interventions: Works with the vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system to shift you out of "fight, flight, or freeze" and into a state of regulation (calm and connection). This is interwoven into Somatic Experiencing and can also be supported through Polyvagal Yoga or Vagus Nerve Yoga between sessions.
Attachment-Based Therapy: Addresses relational wounds such as mistrust, insecurity, or fear and insecure attachment patterns developed that stem from early relationship trauma, helping you build stronger, healthier connections in your current relationships.
Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR): Uses bilateral stimulation to help your brain reprocess traumatic memories, reducing their emotional charge and interference in your present life. Many EMDR-trained therapists expand their skills with Somatic Experiencing® due to limitations in the EMDR framework.
Psychedelic-Assisted Therapy: Under safe, supportive conditions, plant medicines and psychedelics like ketamine, MDMA, psilocybin, and others can help you access and process deep emotional wounds, foster new perspectives, and reconnect with a sense of meaning. Integration therapy is absolutely essential for weaving these insights into daily life and producing actual change.
Internal Family Systems (IFS) / Narrative Therapy: IFS therapy recognizes that individuals have various “parts” within themselves—like the wounded inner child or the angsty teenager, each with their own beliefs, emotions, and roles that can be brought into balance when they are given a voice and a space to emerge and be met with compassion. Narrative therapy allows you to rewrite the story around your trauma in a way that empowers healing and meaning.
Non-Verbal Practices (Mindfulness, Grounding, Creative Expression): Uses tools like breathwork, sensory awareness, art, music, or movement to process emotions and stay present. These practices are excellent supplements to therapy and especially effective for children, but are often too limited to be stand-alone modalities for treating trauma.

Looking for a Trauma Therapist in California?

California is home to many progressive, body-based therapists who specialize in treating trauma. As a trauma therapist trained in Somatic Experiencing, I also draw on the knowledge I’ve gained through books, research, personal experience, and additional trainings. These have taught me elements of Internal Family Systems, Polyvagal Theory, Trauma-Focused CBT, Bioenergetics, NeuroAffective Relational Model, and NeuroAffective Touch. I integrate these body-based practices to help my clients work through layers of trauma so they can restore safety to their nervous system and reclaim the parts of themselves that feel lost or fragmented in a safe and compassionate environment.

Trauma can leave you feeling stuck, disconnected, and overwhelmed, but healing is possible. With the support of a somatic therapist or trauma therapist, you can restore balance to your nervous system and reconnect with yourself in a way that feels safe, grounded, and aligned.