The Reality of "Big T" and "Little t" Trauma

When we talk about trauma in healthcare, we recognize two important categories that can both significantly impact your well-being:

"Big T" Trauma

These are the experiences most people readily identify as traumatic:

• Major accidents, injuries, or medical emergencies
• Significant losses or life-changing events
• Natural disasters or violent incidents
• Experiences that fundamentally shifted how you see yourself or the world

"Little t" Trauma

These experiences are often minimized but can be equally impactful:

• Chronic stress from difficult relationships or work environments
• Childhood experiences of feeling consistently unseen, unheard, or invalidated
• Repeated disappointments, rejections, or betrayals
• Ongoing medical issues or chronic pain
• Daily stressors that accumulate over months or years

The crucial truth: Your nervous system doesn't rank trauma. Whether an experience feels "big" or "small" to your conscious mind, your body responds to threat and stress in similar ways, creating protective patterns that can persist long after the original experience.

How Trauma Lives in Your Body

When we experience any form of trauma, our bodies are designed to help us survive. This survival response often includes:

• Disconnection from physical sensations to avoid pain
• Hypervigilance or constant scanning for danger
• Emotional numbing or overwhelming emotional responses
• Muscle tension and holding patterns
• Changes in breathing, heart rate, and digestive function

These responses make perfect sense in the moment of stress or danger. However, when they become our default way of being, they can manifest as:

• Unexplained physical symptoms or chronic pain
• Difficulty sleeping or constant fatigue
• Feeling emotionally shut down or easily overwhelmed
• Challenges with trust and intimate relationships
• A persistent sense of being "stuck" or unable to move forward
• Anxiety, depression, or racing thoughts
• Feeling disconnected from your own body and needs

The Power of Mind-Body Integration

Traditional approaches to trauma often focus primarily on the mind—talking through experiences, understanding patterns, and developing coping strategies. While these approaches have value, research increasingly shows that trauma recovery requires addressing the body's responses as well.

Mind-body approaches recognize that:

• Trauma is stored in the nervous system and tissues, not just in memories
• Healing happens through felt experience, not just intellectual understanding
• The body holds wisdom about what it needs to feel safe again
• Group settings can provide the safety and connection needed for nervous system regulation

Why Group Healing Matters

Trauma often creates isolation and disconnection. Group healing provides several unique benefits:

Shared Experience: Discovering you're not alone in your struggles can be profoundly healing.

Nervous System Co-regulation: Being in a calm, supportive group helps your nervous system learn new patterns of safety.

Practice Space: Groups provide opportunities to practice vulnerability and authentic connection in a safe environment.

Witnessing and Being Witnessed: Both sharing your story and holding space for others creates powerful healing experiences.

Our Approach: Mind-Body Skills for Transforming Trauma

At Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine, our Mind-Body Skills groups, led by specialist Geny Moreno, integrate multiple approaches to help you:

• Reconnect with your body safely through somatic and emotional release techniques
• Develop self-regulation skills you can use in daily life
• Transform trauma responses rather than just managing symptoms
• Learn breathing techniques that restore mind-body connection
• Practice authentic communication for challenging relationship dynamics
• Cultivate vulnerability while maintaining healthy boundaries

The program is designed to help you gradually and safely restore the connection between your mind and body, becoming more present and embracing authenticity in your daily life.

What to Expect in Our 8-Week Program

Our extended 8-week format provides time for:

• Learning and practicing new skills
• Building trust within the group
• Allowing your nervous system to integrate changes
• Developing confidence in your ability to self-regulate
• Creating lasting transformation rather than temporary relief

Each session is designed to meet you where you are, whether you're just beginning to recognize trauma's impact or you've been working on healing for years.

Taking the Next Step

If you're reading this and recognizing yourself in these descriptions, trust that inner knowing. Your experiences matter, regardless of how they compare to others. Your body's responses make sense, even if they feel overwhelming or confusing.

Healing is not about "getting over" difficult experiences—it's about integrating them in ways that allow you to live more fully and authentically. It's about moving from survival mode to thriving, from disconnection to presence, from protection to connection.

Current Group Opportunities

We currently have Mind-Body Skills for Transforming Trauma groups meeting:

Mondays: 1:30 PM - 3:30 PM
Wednesdays: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Location: 333 West Loop N, Suite 250, Houston, TX 77024
Duration: 8 weeks of guided healing

To learn more or register:

• Call: 713-690-1991
• Text: 713-597-4521
• Investment: Standard copay or $80 self-pay per session (billed as medical visits)

Your Healing Journey Awaits

Remember: seeking healing isn't about weakness—it's about courage. It takes strength to acknowledge that old patterns aren't serving you anymore and to take steps toward change.

Whether your experiences feel like "big T" trauma or "little t" trauma, whether they happened recently or decades ago, you deserve to feel connected to yourself and to experience life without the constant weight of unprocessed experiences.

Your healing journey is uniquely yours, and you don't have to walk it alone.

Disclaimer: While therapeutic in nature, these groups are not therapy and should not replace individual therapy or psychiatric evaluation. All participants are encouraged to share at their comfort level in a safe, respectful environment.

About Texas Center for Lifestyle Medicine: We specialize in integrative approaches to health and healing, addressing the whole person—mind, body, and spirit—in our comprehensive care plans.