Healing Resources for Trauma Recovery
Everything you need to begin your healing journey in one place: therapy options, recommended books, grounding techniques, and evidence-based approaches matched to your trauma response type.
Not sure what your trauma response is yet?
Take our free 2-minute quiz to discover your primary and secondary patterns.
Take the Free Quiz →Online Therapy Platforms
Working with a trauma-informed therapist is the most effective path to recovery. These platforms make it easy to start from home.
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Evidence-Based Therapy Approaches
Different therapy modalities work better for different trauma response patterns.
EMDR
Best for: Flashbacks, intrusive memories, PTSD
Somatic Experiencing
Best for: Freeze/fawn responses, physical symptoms
IFS (Internal Family Systems)
Best for: People-pleasing, inner critic, fawn response
CBT
Best for: Anxiety, perfectionism, flight response
DBT
Best for: Emotional dysregulation, fight response, mood swings
Essential Books for Trauma Recovery
The Body Keeps the Score
by Bessel van der Kolk · Best for: Everyone
Complex PTSD: From Surviving to Thriving
by Pete Walker · Best for: Complex trauma
Set Boundaries, Find Peace
by Nedra Glennon Tawwab · Best for: Fawn types
Waking the Tiger
by Peter Levine · Best for: Freeze types
Quick Grounding Techniques
Use these when a trauma response activates. They help your nervous system return to safety.
5-4-3-2-1 Technique
Flight & FreezeUse all 5 senses to anchor in the present moment
Cold Water/Ice
Fight & FlightActivate the dive reflex to rapidly calm your nervous system
Physiological Sigh
All typesDouble inhale through nose, long exhale through mouth
Bilateral Tapping
All typesCross arms, tap shoulders alternately
Feet on the Floor
Freeze & FawnPress feet firmly down, feel the ground
Resources by Response Type
Free Trauma Response Workbook
Self-assessment exercises, journaling prompts for each type, grounding techniques, and a healing action plan — all in one free PDF.
Get the Free Workbook →Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best therapy for trauma?
It depends on your patterns and on what feels safe. The approaches with the strongest research support for PTSD are trauma-focused CBT (including cognitive processing therapy and prolonged exposure) and EMDR. Somatic experiencing and Internal Family Systems (IFS) are also widely used, though their evidence base is smaller. The most important factor is finding a trauma-informed therapist you feel safe with.
How long does it take to heal from trauma?
It varies a lot from person to person. Structured, evidence-based treatments for PTSD after a single event are often delivered over a few months of weekly sessions — cognitive processing therapy, for example, is usually 12 sessions. Complex trauma from childhood typically needs longer-term work, often measured in months or years. Progress is rarely linear, but early signs tend to include better sleep, less reactivity and moments of genuine calm.
Can you heal from trauma without therapy?
Self-awareness tools like quizzes, books and grounding techniques genuinely help, and some people recover well with the support of people close to them. Deeper or long-standing patterns often benefit from professional support, because a therapist offers a safe relationship in which to practise new responses. Online therapy has made that support easier to reach.
Healing Articles
Free Trauma Response Healing Guide
A practical PDF with the 90-second reset, grounding techniques, and journaling prompts for each trauma response type. Instant download.