It’s not you, it’s your nervous system.

It’s a misconception that trauma is a psychological problem; in reality, it’s primarily a neurobiological response: your nervous system is reacting normally to a situation that isn’t.

When you experience trauma, your system can get stuck in a permanent state of alert: this is hyperactivation – you’re constantly on guard, anxious, you startle at the slightest noise. Alternately, you could find yourself stuck in a state of “disconnection” (hypoactivation) where you feel numb, detached, as if you were looking at your life from the outside. In some cases, these two states alternate, putting you through an exhausting emotional roller coaster.

As a specialised trauma-informed practitioner in Nîmes, I provide you with a safe space that helps your nervous system relax. My approach is based on the latest knowledge in neuroscience with techniques such as Brainspotting, that help process trauma at its root.

What is trauma?

Trauma is any event or series of events that activate your nervous system. The brain can’t process what happened because the traumatic memories are too emotionally overwhelming, and the nervous system is no longer in its normal state.

Your brain then tries to make sense of what happened, but being unable to deal with the emotional intensity of the experience, it creates a flawed interpretation – to protect itself, but which could potentially maintain the nervous system dysregulation.

This is why a holistic approach is needed to break this vicious cycle: first, we need to help your nervous system regain a sense of safety and expand its “window of tolerance”. Then, we need to help your brain process the memories and emotions associated with the traumatic event. Finally, we would need to take a closer look at these interpretations and potentially modify them so they stop fueling this traumatic cycle.

Different Types of Trauma

Acute Trauma

An accident, an assault, natural disasters, sudden bereavement. It’s a single traumatic event that triggers your nervous system’s activation.

Complex Trauma 

Unlike acute trauma, these are traumatic events that repeat or persist over time: domestic violence, childhood abuse, chronic neglect. Your nervous system remains permanently activated and cannot relax.

Developmental Trauma 

These are childhood wounds that shape your perception of reality: disrupted attachment bonds, a dysfunctional family, lack of emotional security. These early experiences change how your brain develops and can influence your entire life.

Relational Trauma

Betrayed by the people you trusted through abandonment, toxic relationships, or manipulation, your ability to trust and form relationships with others is damaged.

Vicarious Trauma 

Second-hand trauma. Repeated exposure to the suffering of others, common among healthcare professionals or carers, or simply witnesses to violence. The event didn’t happen to you personally, but your nervous system can’t tell the difference.

Systemic Trauma

Oppression and discrimination experienced because of who you are: racism, homophobia, sexism. Repeated micro-aggressions that add up and create a state of chronic stress.

Medical Trauma

Obstetric or psychiatric violence, gaslighting or medical errors, difficult diagnoses, invasive procedures, hospital stays, lack of empathy from healthcare providers… Medical care can be traumatising.

Intergenerational Trauma

Wounds passed down from generation to generation, unresolved traumas that span families and cultures.

Micro-traumas

An accumulation of “small” traumas: repeated humiliations, constant criticism, social rejection. Alone, they seem minor, but together they add up.

It’s Time to Ask for Help

Unlike a physical injury that can heal on its own, traumatic wounds struggle to resolve because of how your brain processes and stores these experiences. Time doesn’t heal everything, and you might benefit from specialist support if you:

• Feel disconnected from yourself or from reality
• Have disproportionate reactions to everyday situations
• Avoid certain places, people or situations that remind you of what happened
• Experience flashbacks, nightmares or intrusive memories
• Swing between hypervigilance and emotional numbness
• Struggle to trust others or feel safe
• Cope in unhealthy ways: alcohol, drugs, isolation, risky behaviours
• Have people around you expressing concern
• Simply need someone to talk to

You no longer have to suffer in silence – there are many effective ways to treat trauma today.

My Therapeutic Approach

A safe space 

The first step towards healing is feeling safe, which allows your nervous system to settle – for me, my office is a sanctuary. But beyond the physical environment, it’s the therapeutic relationship itself that becomes the primary healing tool.

A Trauma-Informed Approach

My approach is grounded in the latest neuroscience research. Trauma cannot be “reasoned” away – it must be processed before it can be integrated. Using Brainspotting, I work directly with your nervous system and the areas of the brain where these experiences are stored.

Respect for Informed Consent

Informed consent is integral to my practice. My aim is to give you back control of your life, whilst respecting your autonomy and dignity. During sessions, no technique is used without your full consent and understanding, and you have the right to refuse, take a break, or end the session at any time. We work at your pace, according to your unique timeline, because you know what’s best for you.

Exchange link :

https://www.proxibienetre.fr