For survivors of trauma, emotional and somatic flashbacks can feel overwhelming and confusing. These experiences may emerge suddenly, triggered by reminders of the past, leaving you feeling anxious, frozen, or disconnected from your body.
At Pasadena Trauma Therapy, we specialize in supporting individuals living with Complex PTSD, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and trauma-related symptoms. Below is a practical, compassionate guide to help ground yourself during emotional or somatic flashbacks.
✨ Step 1: Orient to the Present (Time-Stamping) ✨
A key skill for managing trauma responses and dissociative episodes is learning to time-stamp your experience. This helps remind your nervous system and any younger “parts” of you that you are safe in the present moment.
Try saying to yourself, silently or aloud:
- “This is a trauma memory, not something happening now.”
- “It’s 2025. We are safe in a different time and place.”
- “The abusive situation is over. We are no longer with unsafe people.”
- “This is an adult body now. We survived.”
Grounding exercises can reinforce this message. Look around your environment and name five neutral objects you see. This can help interrupt flashbacks, dissociation, or freeze responses common in trauma survivors.
✨ Step 2: Talk to the Part That Is Feeling This ✨
Many people living with Complex PTSD, childhood abuse, or Dissociative Disorders experience overwhelming emotions or body sensations that come from protective “parts” of themselves. Even if those parts don’t communicate with words, they often show up as:
- Tightness or heaviness in the body
- Shaking, trembling, or numbness
- Intense waves of fear, sadness, or anger
In these moments, you can respond with compassion:
- “I feel you. I’m here with you.”
- “You don’t have to go away. I’m not scared of you.”
- “Thank you for showing me that this pain still needs care.”
- “You don’t have to carry this alone anymore.”
This is a form of parts work, often used in trauma therapy modalities like Internal Family Systems (IFS) or trauma-informed psychotherapy. The goal is not to suppress the flashback but to create safety and connection within.
✨ Step 3: Bring the Body Back into the Here-and-Now ✨
Flashbacks and somatic trauma responses often make the body feel stuck in “back then.” Physical grounding techniques are essential for signaling safety to your nervous system. Try:
- Pressing your feet firmly into the ground
- Wiggling your toes or stretching your legs
- Holding a cold object like an ice pack or water bottle
- Gently tapping your arms or thighs (bilateral stimulation)
- Wrapping yourself in a weighted blanket or hugging a pillow
These body-based tools can calm the fight, flight, freeze, or fawn responses and remind trauma-impacted parts that you are in a safer time and space.
✨ Gentle Reminders for Trauma Recovery ✨
- You are not “crazy” — this is how unresolved trauma stored in the body expresses itself
- Emotional flashbacks, body memories, and dissociative symptoms are survival responses, not signs of weakness
- You don’t have to enjoy these experiences—your only job is to survive them with care
- Younger parts or trauma-related “fragments” are often scared because they believe it’s still the past; your adult self can guide them toward safety in the present
Compassionate Trauma Therapy in Pasadena
Healing from Complex PTSD, childhood sexual abuse, Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), and chronic trauma is possible—but you don’t have to walk that path alone. At Pasadena Trauma Therapy, we offer:
- EMDR Therapy for trauma resolution
- IFS and Parts Work for working with internal systems
- Somatic approaches for reconnecting with the body after trauma
- Trauma Therapy Intensives for deep, focused healing
If you’re struggling with emotional flashbacks, body memories, or dissociation, compassionate help is available.
👉 Learn more at www.pasadenatraumatherapy.com and explore how our trauma-specialized team can support your recovery journey.
