What Is Preverbal Trauma?
Have you ever felt your heart race during a simple conversation with no clear reason why? Maybe you find yourself pulling away from people who care about you, or you experience waves of anxiety that seem to come out of nowhere. You might feel tension in your body that never quite releases, even when you're supposedly safe and relaxed.
These confusing reactions can leave you wondering what's wrong. But what if there's a deeper explanation you haven't considered? Preverbal trauma could be the missing piece. Long before you had words to describe your experiences, your body was already learning, adapting, and protecting you. You're not being dramatic, and you're not broken. There may be a very real reason for what you're feeling—and here's the hopeful part: what's held in the body can also be healed.
What Is Preverbal Trauma?
Preverbal trauma refers to traumatic experiences that occurred before you developed language skills, typically before age two or three. Unlike the trauma you might think of—events you can recall and describe—preverbal trauma doesn't come with a clear narrative. There are no words attached to it, no story you can tell.
Instead, this type of trauma is stored in your nervous system as sensations, emotions, and bodily reactions. It might have been caused by birth complications, medical procedures, separation from caregivers, neglect, or abuse. The specific cause matters less than understanding this crucial point: you don't need to remember something for it to affect you deeply.
Why Can't I Remember It?
Infant brains work differently than adult brains. The part of your brain responsible for forming narrative memories—the stories you can consciously recall—isn't fully developed in those early years. This means experiences from that time aren't stored as memories you can access through words or images.
Instead, they're encoded in your body and nervous system as patterns of response. This isn't a flaw in your memory or a sign that something's wrong with you. It's simply how early development works.
How Preverbal Trauma Shows Up in Adulthood
Preverbal trauma doesn't stay in the past—it shapes how you move through the world today. Many people experience unexplained anxiety that seems to have no source. You might struggle to regulate your emotions, finding yourself either overwhelmed by feelings or feeling numb and disconnected.
Relationships often feel complicated. Perhaps you crave closeness but fear it at the same time. Trust doesn't come easily, and you might find yourself waiting for the other shoe to drop, even with people who've proven themselves safe. Fear of abandonment can drive you to people-please or withdraw completely.
Our Bodies Hold Trauma
Your body holds the story too. Chronic tension, digestive issues, unexplained pain, or feeling disconnected from your physical self are all common. Maybe you find yourself feeling tense even during peaceful moments—perhaps while walking through Eden Park or sitting by the fountain at Washington Park here in Cincinnati. Even in the safety of your own home, true relaxation feels impossible.
Behavioral patterns emerge as well: constant hypervigilance, difficulty saying no, perfectionism, or always putting others' needs before your own. These aren't personality flaws. They're adaptations your nervous system created to keep you safe when you were too young to protect yourself any other way.
Common Questions (And Fears) About Healing Preverbal Trauma
"How Can Therapy Help If I Don't Remember What Happened?"
This is the number one concern people have, and it makes complete sense. How do you work through something you can't even remember? Here's what's important to understand: healing from preverbal trauma doesn't require memory retrieval. It requires processing what your body holds.
The goal of therapy isn't to reconstruct your past or recover lost memories. The goal is to help you live fully in the present, free from patterns that no longer serve you. Think of it like releasing tension from your muscles. You don't need to remember exactly how that tension got there to experience relief—you just need the right approach to help your body let it go.
"Will I Have to Relive My Trauma?"
No. Modern trauma therapy, especially approaches designed for preverbal trauma, doesn't work by making you relive painful experiences. The first priority is always creating safety—in your body, in the therapeutic relationship, and in the process itself.
You're in control of the pace. Therapy helps you have a new experience of old feelings, one where you're supported, resourced, and safe. You might re-feel some emotions as part of the healing process, but you won't be re-traumatized. Your therapist's job is to help you stay grounded in the present while gently processing what your body has been carrying.
"What If I'm Too Broken to Heal?"
Let's address this fear with compassion and clarity: you are not broken. You're carrying something that was never yours to carry in the first place. The weight you feel, the patterns that exhaust you, the ways you've learned to protect yourself—these are evidence of your survival, not your brokenness.
Healing is about unburdening, not fixing. It's about helping your nervous system understand that the danger has passed, that you have choices now, and that you can respond to life from a place of safety rather than survival. Is this work easy? No. It takes courage, time, and the right support. But is it possible? Absolutely.
How Therapy Can Help
Healing preverbal trauma requires approaches that work with your body, not just your mind. Talk therapy alone often isn't enough because the trauma isn't stored in words. That's why therapies like EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing) and somatic therapy are particularly effective for preverbal trauma.
These approaches help your nervous system process what it's been holding without requiring you to have clear memories. The work begins with building safety and regulation—teaching your body what calm feels like and how to return to it. Only after that foundation is established do you begin gently processing the sensations, emotions, and patterns connected to your early experiences.
What Makes Our Practice Different
At Therapy Cincinnati, we specialize in exactly this type of work. With four EMDR-trained therapists on our team, we have deep expertise in trauma treatment, including the specialized approaches needed for preverbal trauma. This isn't something we dabble in—it's what we do. Our entire practice is built around understanding trauma in all its forms and helping people heal from experiences that have shaped their lives since the very beginning.
When you work with us, you're not hoping your therapist knows enough about preverbal trauma to help you. You're working with specialists who have dedicated their training and practice to this exact area. This level of specialization matters because preverbal trauma requires specific knowledge, body-based techniques, and a nuanced understanding of how early experiences get encoded in the nervous system.
We serve the greater Cincinnati area with both in-person appointments and telehealth throughout Ohio, giving you options that fit your comfort level and needs. Whether you prefer meeting face-to-face or connecting from the privacy of your own space, we're here to support your healing journey.
You're Not Alone in This
If what you've read here resonates with you, know that you're not alone. Many people carry the effects of preverbal trauma without realizing it, wondering why certain things feel so hard when others seem to manage easily. Understanding that there's a reason behind your struggles—and that healing is possible—can be the first step toward a different future.
Finding the right therapist matters. Look for someone with specialized training in trauma, particularly preverbal and developmental trauma. You want someone who understands body-based approaches and creates a genuinely safe, non-judgmental space. The relationship itself is part of the healing—having someone witness your experience with compassion and help you develop new patterns of regulation.
With seven therapists in our practice, each bringing their own expertise and approach, we offer you a better chance of finding the right fit for your unique needs and personality.
Ready to Take the Next Step?
Exploring whether you've experienced preverbal trauma takes courage. You don't need to have all the answers to begin. You don't need to prove anything or even be certain. You just need to be curious about whether there might be another way to feel.
Your past shaped you, but it doesn't have to define your future. What your body has been holding can be gently released. The patterns that have exhausted you can shift. And the peace you've been seeking? It's possible. Let's explore that possibility together.