How to Trust Yourself Again After Trauma
When Trust Is Shaken From the Inside Out
After trauma, one of the hardest things to rebuild isn’t just trust in others — it’s trust in yourself. You might second-guess your feelings, struggle to make decisions, or question your own memories. The nervous system that once worked to keep you safe can now feel unpredictable, swinging between vigilance and numbness.
This isn’t weakness or failure. It’s a natural response to experiences that overwhelmed your sense of safety. When danger or betrayal has lived in your body, trusting your own signals can feel like stepping onto uncertain ground.
Why Trauma Disrupts Self-Trust and Intuition
Trauma teaches the body to survive, not to feel safe. When something painful happens — especially repeatedly or in relationships — the nervous system learns to prioritize protection over connection. You might have learned to:
Ignore your gut feelings because they were dismissed or punished.
People-please to avoid conflict.
Stay hyper-alert to potential danger, even when things are calm.
Over time, this disconnect from your body’s wisdom can erode your inner compass. You might wonder: Can I really trust what I feel?
Reconnecting with Your Inner Cues
Rebuilding self-trust begins with re-learning how to listen inward. Your body is always sending messages — through sensations, tension, breath, or intuition — but after trauma, those signals can feel confusing or even threatening.
Start with small moments of awareness:
Notice your “yes” and “no.” How does your body respond to comfort versus discomfort?
Track subtle cues. A tight chest, a relaxed exhale, a sudden urge to withdraw — all are data, not judgments.
Respect your boundaries. When you honour small inner nudges (“I need a break,” “That doesn’t feel right”), you begin to rebuild safety within yourself.
This process is both somatic and emotional — it’s about learning that your body’s signals are trustworthy guides again.
How EMDR Helps Rebuild Internal Safety
In EMDR therapy, the nervous system is invited to process and integrate painful memories in a way that restores a sense of control. Instead of reliving the past, your body learns that it’s over — and that it’s safe to be here, now.
Through this process, many people begin to notice subtle shifts:
Feeling less triggered by reminders of the past.
Greater ability to pause and reflect before reacting.
Renewed confidence in their instincts and decisions.
When internal safety grows, trust naturally follows. You no longer have to manage your world through hypervigilance — your body begins to trust you again.
Trust Is a Practice, Not a Switch
Self-trust isn’t something you “achieve” once and for all; it’s something you nurture daily. Like a muscle, it strengthens with use and patience.
Try simple practices such as:
Body check-ins: Ask yourself, “What do I need right now?”
Grounding before deciding: Take a breath or short walk before responding.
Repairing gently: When you override your needs, notice it — and recommit next time.
Healing is less about perfection and more about returning — again and again — to yourself with compassion.
A Gentle Reflection
What would it feel like to believe that your inner wisdom has never left — it’s just waiting to be heard again?
Relearning to trust yourself after trauma is an act of courage and care. It’s the quiet foundation beneath every healthy relationship, boundary, and decision that follows.
If you’re in that process now, know this: your body remembers how to trust. And with support — through trauma therapy, EMDR, and nervous system-based healing — you can too.