What Trauma Really Is

4:22

Companion Slides

The Three E's — Event, Experience, and Effect. Why the same event impacts people differently.

Key Concepts

  • Trauma defined by SAMHSA's Three E's: Event, Experience, Effect
  • Acute, chronic, and complex trauma — not just single catastrophic moments
  • Experience is subjective — shaped by age, context, support, power dynamics
  • Effect: the lasting impact that continues in the present
  • Developmental and intergenerational trauma
  • The Three E's redirect focus from the event to the impact

Part of

Module 1: How Trauma Changes People

What trauma really is, how the brain responds, what the ACE study tells us, and the science of resilience.

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The Body and Brain Under Threat

Dan Siegel's Hand Model — brainstem, limbic system, and cortex. Why the thinking brain goes offline.