Developmental Trauma vs. Shock Trauma

Why Understanding the Difference between Developmental Trauma and Shock Trauma Matters for Healing, Grief, and the Nervous System

When most people hear the word “trauma,” they think of catastrophic events: an accident, an assault, a sudden loss. But trauma is not always loud or obvious. Sometimes, it’s the quiet absence of what was most needed, safety, attunement, and love.

As Dr. Bessel van der Kolk writes, “Trauma is not the event itself. It’s the imprint it leaves on the body and mind.”

Understanding the difference between developmental trauma and shock trauma helps us make sense of our grief, our bodies, and our relationships, and gives us direction for healing.

What Is Developmental Trauma?

Developmental trauma originates in early life, often before a child has verbal memory. It happens not from a single event, but from the repeated absence of safety and consistent care.

Examples include:

• Chronic misattunement from caregivers

• Neglect or emotional abuse

• Parentification (becoming the caregiver instead of the child)

The child adapts by disconnecting from needs and emotions in order to survive.

Common Symptoms:

• Chronic low self-worth

• People-pleasing, fawning, or shame spirals

• Difficulty with boundaries, identity, and emotional regulation

• A deep grief that feels unnameable
  
  
  

What Is Shock Trauma?

Shock trauma is a single overwhelming event that ruptures a sense of safety and stability.

Examples include:

• Car accidents or natural disasters

• Assault or sudden violence

• Unexpected death or medical emergency

Shock trauma creates a clear “before and after” split in the body and mind.

Common Symptoms:

• PTSD, flashbacks, nightmares

• Startle response or phobias

• Panic, hypervigilance, or dissociation
  
  

How They Differ and How They Overlap

Many people live with both—especially those with Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).

Because trauma imprints on the body, each shows up differently in the nervous system:

• Developmental Trauma:

• Chronic muscle tension, digestive issues, vague pain

• Hypoarousal (numbness, collapse)

• Difficulty accessing joy
  

• Shock Trauma:

• Flashbacks, panic attacks, hyperarousal

• Sudden bursts of rage, terror, or collapse

Resource: Your reality narrows after trauma, here’s how to expand it

What Each Type Needs to Heal

• Healing Developmental Trauma Requires:

• Safe, consistent relationships with regulated others

• Gentle reparenting and emotional attunement

• Rebuilding trust and identity through presence
  

• Healing Shock Trauma Requires:

• Completing the fight/flight response the body couldn’t finish

• Body-based practices that discharge stored energy (shaking, breathwork, movement)

• Reclaiming a sense of safety and coherence
  

Resource: Understanding Trauma, Anxiety and Burnout in your Nervous System

Dr. van der Kolk’s work underscores that both types of trauma must be addressed from the bottom up: through the body, not just the mind.

1. Movement, breath, rhythm, and creative expression restore regulation

2. Safe therapeutic relationships provide corrective emotional experiences

3. Somatic symptoms are validated as trauma imprints, not personal failings

The Role of a Trauma-Informed Doula or Coach

As a trauma-informed grief coach and end-of-life doula, I help clients:

• Identify whether they are carrying developmental trauma, shock trauma, or both

• Use tailored somatic tools and rituals for each type of healing

• Validate grief responses that others may dismiss as “too much” or “not enough”

• Support nervous system regulation and repair identity without shame

Whether your trauma was sudden or chronic, loud or silent, your nervous system found a way to keep you alive.

Your symptoms are not signs of weakness, they are signs of adaptation.

Healing is never one-size-fits-all. It is layered, personal, and deeply worthy of your time and care. With the right tools, relationships, and support, your body and spirit can learn that safety, joy, and connection are possible again.

Written by Sabrina Steczko
Certified End-of-Life Doula | Trauma-Informed Grief Coach | Somatic Wellness Specialist | Mental Health Advocacy