Finding a Way Out of Trauma: The 3-Phase Trauma Model
- motherandbump
- Oct 11
- 2 min read
At Steps Therapy, I understand that trauma takes many shapes. It can arise from birth trauma, fertility struggles, pregnancy loss, or other painful life experiences that leave emotional imprints long after the event has passed. Healing isn’t about “getting over it” it’s about rebuilding safety, trust, and connection, both within yourself and the world around you.
The 3-Phase Trauma Model, developed by Judith Herman, offers a compassionate path toward healing helping clients move from surviving to truly living again.
The 3-Phase Trauma Model, developed by Judith Herman, offers a compassionate path toward healing helping clients move from surviving to truly living again.
Phase 1: Safety and Stabilisation
The first phase focuses on helping your body and mind feel safe again. After birth trauma, pregnancy loss, or fertility treatment, it’s common to feel disconnected or on high alert. We work on calming the nervous system through grounding, breathing, and body-based awareness, restoring a sense of steadiness and control.
Phase 2: Processing and Understanding the Trauma
Once stability is established, we begin to explore your story gently and safely. This phase isn’t about reliving the pain, but about giving voice to your experience validating what happened, and understanding how it’s affected your emotions, relationships, and self-perception. Whether you’ve struggled with loss, disappointment, or a difficult birth, this process helps release what’s been held inside, creating space for compassion and clarity.
Phase 3: Reconnection and Integration
In this stage, we focus on reconnecting with yourself, your body, your relationships, and your sense of purpose. Many clients describe feeling more grounded, present, and emotionally balanced. Reconnection means rediscovering who you are beyond trauma and learning to trust your body and emotions again.
How You Know You’re Healing
Healing can look like sleeping more peacefully, feeling less triggered, or noticing moments of calm where there used to be chaos. It’s finding hope again after loss, being able to talk about your experiences with less pain, and slowly reconnecting with your body and relationships in new, meaningful ways.
At Steps Therapy, I walk alongside clients through each of these stages offering a safe, nurturing space for healing from trauma, birth experiences, fertility challenges, and loss. Recovery takes time, but with the right support, it is absolutely possible to find your way back to balance, strength, and self-trust.
If any part of this resonates with you whether you’re healing from birth trauma, pregnancy loss, or emotional overwhelm you don’t have to face it alone.
At Steps Therapy, I offer a safe and compassionate space to help you process, rebuild, and reconnect. Book a free 15-minute discovery call or reach out today to begin your journey toward healing.