Key Takeaways
- Trauma-informed mindfulness offers gentle, flexible practices that support healing without triggering past pain.
- Traditional mindfulness techniques may overwhelm trauma survivors, but using grounding exercises or gentle movement instead can help.
- Working with a trauma-informed therapist can make mindfulness feel safer, more empowering, and tailored to your pace.
If you’ve ever tried mindfulness and felt overwhelmed, anxious, or like something just didn’t feel right, you’re not alone. Many mindfulness practices aren’t designed with trauma in mind, and that can make it hard to stay present or feel safe. That’s where trauma-informed mindfulness comes in.
Trauma-informed mindfulness is a gentle and flexible approach that recognizes how trauma affects the brain and body. It helps people stay grounded without pushing them to relive painful memories or feelings. This way of practicing mindfulness honors your unique needs and healing process, offering tools for calm, connection, and care at your own pace.
Whether you’ve experienced abuse, loss, or emotional pain, trauma-informed mindfulness can support you in finding safety and ease in the present moment.
How trauma-informed mindfulness works
Trauma-informed mindfulness is an approach that recognizes how trauma — especially mental health conditions like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) — can affect the brain and body. Rather than asking you to sit still or turn your thoughts inward in ways that might feel triggering, it offers safer alternatives — like grounding through movement, shorter practices, or focusing on external objects.
Research shows that, while traditional mindfulness can be helpful, it may actually increase distress for trauma survivors. Practices like focusing on the breath or sitting in silence may lead to flashbacks, dissociation, or a sense of being trapped. These aren’t signs of doing it wrong. Rather, they’re signs that your nervous system is still protecting you.
Trauma-informed mindfulness meets people where they are, offering tools to stay present without becoming overwhelmed. Over time, it can support healing by helping people regulate emotions, feel more in control, and begin to rebuild a sense of safety within themselves.
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Five mindfulness exercises to try for PTSD
Here are a few mindfulness practices that may feel more accessible if you ’re healing from PTSD, childhood trauma, or other trauma-related conditions. These techniques are gentle, flexible, and focus on helping you feel grounded and secure in the present moment.
- 5-4-3-2-1 grounding: This is a sensory exercise during which you notice five things you see, four you can touch, three you hear, two you smell, and one you taste. This technique can calm your nervous system and bring you back to the present during moments of distress or dissociation.
- Walking meditation: Instead of sitting still, this practice invites you to focus on your steps, your pace, and how your feet connect with the ground. It’s especially helpful if stillness makes you feel uneasy or trapped.
- Holding a comfort object: Using something like a smooth stone, a textured fabric, or a small keepsake, you gently bring your focus to its physical details. This tactile anchor can be grounding and reduce emotional overwhelm.
- Looking around the room: Also known as orienting, this approach involves slowly naming what you see, identifying exits, and reminding yourself of where you are. It’s a helpful way to re-establish a sense of safety after a trigger.
- Noting emotions: When feelings arise, simply name them — “This is anxiety,” or, “This feels like anger” — without trying to fix or judge them. This builds emotional awareness and helps reduce shame and reactivity.
Working with a trauma-informed mindfulness therapist
Trauma-informed mindfulness in therapy may be especially helpful for people who:
- Have experienced abuse, neglect, or violence
- Are living with PTSD or complex trauma
- Struggle with dissociation or feeling disconnected
- Notice intense emotional reactions, like anger or anxiety
- Have a history of childhood trauma
- Feel overwhelmed or unsafe during traditional mindfulness practices
Some therapists incorporate structured approaches, like mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) or mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT), into trauma-informed care. These methods can be adapted to support trauma recovery by emphasizing safety, flexibility, and present-moment awareness — without pressure or retraumatization.
Look for a therapist who’s trauma informed, experienced in mindfulness, and supports a pace that feels safe for you. To get the most out of these practices, check in with your body during and after sessions, share honest feedback (even if it’s uncomfortable), and remember — there’s no “right” way to heal. What matters most is finding what helps you feel grounded and more at ease in your own mind and body.
I wish more trauma survivors knew that if traditional mindfulness feels triggering, it doesn’t mean mindfulness isn’t for you — it just means your nervous system might need a different approach. There are trauma-informed practices, like grounding or movement-based mindfulness, that can help you feel safe and present.
Find care with Rula
If mindfulness has ever felt overwhelming or unsafe, you’re not alone, and it doesn’t mean you’re doing it wrong. Trauma-informed mindfulness offers a more compassionate, flexible approach that considers how trauma affects the brain and body. With grounding techniques, gentle movement, or support from a trained therapist, it’s possible to practice mindfulness in a way that feels safe. Support is available to help you feel more grounded, calm, and in control.
At Rula, we’re committed to delivering a comprehensive behavioral health experience that helps people feel seen and understood so they can get back to feeling their best.
Rula makes it easier to find a licensed therapist or psychiatric provider who accepts your insurance so you don’t have to choose between affordable care and excellent care. With a diverse network of more than 15,000 providers, 24/7 crisis support, and appointments available as soon as tomorrow, we’re here to help you make progress — wherever you are on your mental health journey.
About the author
Brandy Chalmers, LPC
Having faced challenges like childhood abuse, neglect, and the loss of her father to suicide, Brandy Chalmers is deeply passionate about providing compassionate care. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Nationally Certified Counselor, and Registered Play Therapist with a Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling and Marriage and Family Therapy.
Brandy also teaches at a university, sharing her expertise with future mental health professionals. With over a decade of experience in settings like inpatient care and private practice, she specializes in helping clients with perfectionism, trauma, personality disorders, eating disorders, and life changes.
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