09/03/2026
Held a wonderful book launch and workshop this evening with Online Events.
We explored a topic I keep returning to more and more: the difference between working in a trauma-informed way and working in a neuro-informed way.
I notice that when I watch a film, listen to a podcast, or talk with others, trauma-informed logic often comes in very quickly. In many ways, this is a good thing. I think it is fantastic that this generation is so psychologically informed. People are becoming more able to recognise the emotional reasons behind behaviour, feelings, and patterns of thinking.
But there is also a risk here.
We can begin to assume that everything comes from trauma.
Sometimes dysregulation, overwhelm, shutdown, inconsistency, or difficulty coping are not primarily trauma responses. Sometimes they are neurodivergent responses linked to capacity overload, sensory strain, executive function pressure, or nervous system depletion.
That means we need to widen the question.
Not just:
“What happened to this person?”
or
“What made them feel unsafe?”
But also:
“Is this a neurodivergent response coming from overload in capacity, or a trauma response coming from lack of safety?”
That distinction matters.
It shapes how we understand people.
It shapes the kind of compassion we bring.
And it shapes the support we offer.
For me, the future is not trauma-informed or neuro-informed.
It is being able to think in both ways and to tell the difference.
