Understanding Trauma-Informed Care
Trauma-informed care is an approach to healing that recognizes how past experiences—especially those involving overwhelm, chronic stress, or emotional wounding—can shape the way a person’s body and nervous system respond to the present moment.
Rather than focusing solely on symptoms, this lens honors the connection between the brain, body, and past experiences, with the understanding that trauma can live in the tissues long after an event has passed.
Dr. Kristi doesn’t assume your body is “broken” or needs to be fixed.
💡 She recognizes patterns of protection and dysregulation as intelligent adaptations—responses that helped you survive, but may now be standing in the way of feeling safe, connected, or at ease in your own skin.
How It’s Different from Traditional Care
Traditional care models often emphasize symptom relief through protocols or procedures that treat the body in isolation—separate from the person’s emotional and energetic landscape.
In trauma-informed care, we pause. We listen. We respond, not react.
Rather than applying a one-size-fits-all technique, we approach each adjustment with attunement and respect for your unique rhythm.
We understand that healing isn’t linear and that the nervous system opens up only when it feels safe to do so. In practice, this may mean slower pacing, frequent check-ins, or adapting care based on how your body is responding that day.
Why Safety, Consent, and Regulation Matter
The nervous system is always scanning for cues of safety or danger—a process called neuroception. When that system detects a threat (even subconsciously), it can shift into fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses.
For someone with a trauma history, even well-intentioned care can feel intrusive or overwhelming if not offered with deep respect for autonomy.
This is why, in StillPoint, consent is not a checkbox—it’s a moment-by-moment agreement between practitioner and patient. We check in with your comfort level, we explain what’s happening before we begin, and we never force an intervention your body isn’t ready for.
Regulation—both yours and mine—is central to this exchange. When your care provider is grounded, it helps co-regulate your nervous system and make healing more accessible.