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Preverbal trauma can be hard to name because it often isn’t stored as a clear story. In this episode, we explore how early experiences, which occur before language development, can shape the nervous system through implicit memory and felt sense. You’ll learn why people can say “nothing happened” and still carry intense body reactions, relationship patterns, or shame responses that feel bigger than the moment. Using simple polyvagal-informed language, we’ll look at how early safety is wired through connection, and what helps when the body remembers what the mind cannot. The episode ends with a varied, trauma-neutral grounding practice using senses and gentle movement.

In this episode, you’ll learn

• What preverbal trauma is (and what it isn’t)
• How early experiences are stored as implicit memory and felt sense rather than narrative
• Why reactions can feel “irrational” when the origin happened before words
• A simple polyvagal lens on early wiring: safety & connection vs mobilised protection vs shutdown
• Common adult patterns linked to early nervous system adaptation (non-diagnostic)
• Practical, gentle starting points: micro-doses of safety, co-regulation, body-first tools, repair over perfection
• A varied grounding practice designed to be supportive for preverbal material

Grounding practice (2–3 minutes): “Senses + Support”

• Notice one point of contact (feet, back, hands)
• Name two sounds
• Rest your eyes on one neutral colour
• Gentle shoulder roll or press feet into the floor
• A soft phrase: “In this moment, I’m here” (or “safe enough” if it fits)

Check the website for free resources available to both those affected by trauma and those supporting them.

What’s next? The Wound in the Bond: Attachment & Relational Trauma

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