Quite often when I ask a client about their trauma history, they either don’t know what counts as trauma, or they don’t realize that particular experiences would qualify as a traumatic experience. It’s not unusual for people to believe that if they weren’t physically or sexually abused or they didn’t experience combat from military service, then their painful experiences don’t qualify as trauma. I’ve long believed that trauma is in the eyes of the beholder. What feels traumatic and painful for you, may not feel traumatic to another, and what’s traumatic and painful for someone else, may not feel traumatic to you. One can experience trauma as a result of a car accident, the sudden or unexpected loss of a loved one, a difficult break-up or loss of friendship, having a birth plan and suddenly being rushed in for a c-section, or other experiences of traumatic births. There are many different experiences that constitute trauma, and just because one experiences trauma does not mean they experience Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), although they may have some of the symptoms of PTSD. It’s important that we honor and process these painful experiences so that they don’t affect the way that we respond or act towards others or specific situations or prevent us from living our best life. Often trauma is most effectively addressed by participating in trauma therapies such as EMDR and Hypnotherapy, however, some people prefer processing their experiences with talk therapy. Whatever your choice, please show yourself the grace to acknowledge and address your trauma, but most importantly please don’t allow others, or yourself, to minimize what you feel.