If you've ever wondered whether your struggles "count" as trauma, felt overwhelmed by conflicting mental health advice, or questioned why some healing approaches work for others but not for you—this book offers the clarity you've been seeking.
Today's mental health conversations reduce human suffering into one box labeled "trauma"—used for both devastating experiences and everyday disappointments. This leaves people either minimizing genuine injuries or pathologizing normal challenges.
Antonieta Contreras introduces an approach that distinguishes psychological wounds based on their actual depth and nervous system impact. Drawing from clinical practice, research, and personal recovery, she provides understanding to assess your experiences and match them with effective strategies.
You'll discover the differences between:
Emotional Pain: Hurts that sting but don't alter your system
Emotional Wounds: Deeper impacts that linger
Traumatization: The active process of seeking safety
Trauma: Deep injuries that rewire how you perceive the world
Learn how matching your healing approach to your wound's actual depth accelerates recovery while preventing unnecessary suffering.
Real-World Applications
Assess childhood experiences without minimizing or catastrophizing
Recognize trauma bonding and attachment wounds
Understand why some relationships feel impossible to leave
Navigate narcissistic abuse and emotional manipulation
Build genuine resilience based on nervous system regulation
This book is for:
Anyone confused about whether their experiences constitute "trauma"
People who've tried multiple healing approaches without results
Individuals stuck in cycles of pain, insecurity, or relationship difficulties
Those seeking to understand childhood experiences and their adult impact
Anyone wanting to move beyond victim identity toward empowered recovery
Mental health professionals seeking nuanced assessment tools
When you understand your wound's actual depth, you can choose matching interventions. This prevents undertreatment that leaves you unresolved and overtreatment that creates unnecessary pathology.
This book avoids toxic positivity and victim mentality, acknowledging real suffering while emphasizing human capacity for growth. Learn to work with your nervous system's intelligence.
You'll finish with practical tools for regulation, boundaries, and building the safety your system needs to thrive.
Stop wondering if your pain is "enough" to deserve attention. Transform your relationship with your story and step into the clarity, agency, and hope that effective healing provides.
